Fact-Checking the Leeds Hip Study: Do Wider Hips Truly Influence Sexual Behavior?
By James H. Sterling
The University of Leeds investigation centered on a specific morphological metric: the inter-crestal diameter. This is the horizontal distance between the outermost edges of the iliac crests on the pelvis, measuring skeletal frame rather than adipose distribution. Hendrie’s team surveyed 148 women between the ages of 18 and 26, recording both skeletal width and self-reported sexual history. All participants had at least one previous sexual partner.
The operational definitions separated the sample into distinct groups:
- Wide-hipped: An inter-crestal distance exceeding 36 centimeters (14.2 inches).
- Narrow-hipped: An inter-crestal distance measuring under 31 centimeters (12.2 inches).
The results indicated that pelvic width correlated with the nature of sexual partnerships rather than overall partner count. Women with hips wider than 36 centimeters reported that casual encounters, particularly one-night stands, accounted for more than 75% of their total sexual history. Women with narrower pelvic measurements under 31 centimeters reported significantly fewer casual partners, skewing their sexual histories heavily toward committed, long-term relationships.
The authors suggested that this pattern reflects evolutionary biology. In ancestral environments, infant-cranial passage during birth posed severe maternal mortality risks. Women with greater pelvic dimensions suffered fewer fatal birth complications, which the researchers argued fostered an adaptive psychological openness to short-term sexual engagement where paternal investment was not guaranteed.
James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.
