Study: A woman's attractiveness are in the size of her waist and her hips

Beauty, they say, is in the eye of the beholder. But it is actually far less subjective than that, research suggests. A woman's attractiveness relates to the size of her waist compared with her hips, it has been found.

Scientists have discovered the ratio which, they say, makes for the perfect figure. New Zealand anthropologist Barnaby Dixson set out to find what makes a woman attractive to men.

A group of volunteers were presented with various pictures of a woman in which her bust, waist and hips had been digitally altered and asked to rate the image for attractiveness. Infra-red cameras tracked their eyes as they looked at the photos. Although most were initially drawn to the woman's cleavage, her hips and waist were key to attraction.

A waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7 - or a waist measurement exactly 70 per cent of the hip circumference - scored the highest marks. Examples include some of the world's most beautiful women. Marilyn Monroe, modern-day starlet Jessica Alba and Victoria's Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio all possess the perfect figure.

As does Kate Moss, despite her apparent lack of curves. And the attractiveness of the hourglass figure holds true across countries and cultures, research shows. Studies show that men in the UK, Cameroon, Germany and China, agree with those polled in New Zealand.

Learn to Fight Right: Remember You're a Couple

We know this is a tall order, but if you can express positive emotions during an argument, you'll have a more satisfying relationship two or three years down the road, according to a study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family.

"When couples are able to communicate closeness, affection (for example, a touch on the arm or the cheek), and even humor in the midst of an argument, the impact of harsher words is diminished," Karney says.

"Positive interactions say that you still like and love each other, and you're committed to the relationship even in the worst of times."

How to talk so your loved one will listen

In the heat of an argument, the gloves often come off. The problem, notes Rita DeMaria, Ph.D., director of relationship education at the Council for Relationships in Philadelphia, is that once nasty insults start flying around and feelings are hurt, nothing will be resolved.

Also, according to a study conducted at the University of Chicago, our brains have a built-in "negativity bias," which causes us to be more responsive to unpleasant news. Why? Back in caveman times, our survival as a species was dependent on our ability to stay out of danger, so our brains developed protective systems that made it impossible to overlook the bad.

That's why you need to minimize the negative impact of your words. Remember, the goal isn't to upset each other, it's to resolve an issue. So instead of exclaiming "You're so lazy!" tell him how his actions affect you. Try, "I get tired of planning everything for us and wish you would take over sometimes."

Stop Trying to Figure Out Who Wins

It may be a lovers' quarrel, but victory isn't declared when one of you staggers back to the bedroom, clutching your wounded heart in your hands.

"People often fixate on who's right, which distracts them from finding a solution," says Karney. "Conflicts are resolved quickly and more successfully when neither party feels compelled to proclaim, 'See that? I'm right!' "

For starters, find something you both can agree on (even if it means admitting that, OK, maybe you do send him a few too many texts while he's out with his friends). Then focus on finding a happy medium.

For example, say, "I know it annoys you when I bombard you with text messages, but I get worried when you take forever to reply. Let's find a way to handle this so that we're both comfortable." This way, there's much less toddlerlike head butting.

Oral contraceptives are 99 percent effective

According to a paper published in the British Medical Journal. This British study followed 28,800 Pill users and 17,300 non-users for up to 39 years.

The result is that oral contraceptives are extremely effective. Taken consistently and correctly, oral contraceptives are more than 99 percent effective in preventing pregnancy. Of course women don't always take the Pill correctly. Even then, in real life situations studies have shown that the rate of pregnancy varies from 2 to 8 percent a year.

These findings should reassure the estimated 12 million American women who are using oral contraceptives. However, if you are among this group, it is wise to avoid cigarette smoking and important to let your doctor know of any prior bouts of DVT before getting a prescription for the Pill. Some women inherit a genetic trait that increases the risk of DVT, and while this is not common, it is an important factor to consider when discussing contraceptive options with your doctor.

Habits You Can Reform and Ones You Can't

In general there are 3 categories:

1. Forgive and forget
These types of blunders are more about personal taste than bad manners, so try to shrug them off instead of nagging to get your way:

-You don’t like how he dresses.
-He plays music too loudly in the car.
-He eats too quickly/noisily/unhealthily.
-He doesn’t turn down the TV when you get a phone call.
-You disagree on how much to tip.

There are ways to change his behavior, like offering him a trade of something he wants in exchange for minding his manners.

2. Fix him up by toning him down
By any definition, certain behaviors are impolite, so if your guy’s an offender, you can help him become appropriate. Some specific examples of when you can indeed jump in:

-He curses too much.
-His table manners are suspect.
-He makes jokes about your relationship to your friends.
-He makes no effort not to control his bodily sounds in public.

These types of behaviors happen because he doesn’t know any better. In situations like these it’s not what you say, but how you say it. Be honest.

3. Abandon ship
Forget trying to make a silk purse out of this sow’s ear. Certain behaviors are indicative of deeper problems that won’t be solved by a simple conversation:

-He’s rude to people he doesn’t know.
-He always has to be right.
-He’s immature for his age.
-He belittles you in front of people.
-He’s jealous of your friendships.

This bum from Bumsville is the reason fathers are overprotective. It may seem romantic to date a bad boy who needs fixin’, but this character is broke beyond repair.