Want to keep your looks? Stop at two children.
New research suggests that the yummiest of mummies have fewer kids, proving what we’ve known all along. Children are youth-napping gremlins who steal our hearts… and our looks.
As it turns out, the more kids you have, the quicker you’re going to lose that youthful glow, according to a study published in the American Journal of Anthropology.
Have two kids, keep your looks
The study, which kind of seems like a scientific version of the game “Hot or Not”, focused on a number of different computer-altered images of post-menopausal mums. The images were split into three groups. There were the mums with one or two kids, the mums with four or five kids and the mums with seven to nine kids. We are assuming mums with three and six kids did not get to partake in this super scientific game.
The researchers asked 571 random people (both male and female) to judge the faces based on attractiveness, youthfulness and how healthy their faces appeared.
The results were unanimous – the fewer the kids, the hotter the mum.
“Women who had given birth to fewer children were judged both by men and women as more attractive, younger and healthier than women with more children,” the study concludes.
Why the long face, mum?
According to the study, the reason why mums with bigger families age quicker is due to oxidative stress, which peaks during pregnancy. Of course, the whole breastfeeding, sleepless nights, toddler taming, mummy-shaming and constant worrying about our kids could have something to do with the added wrinkles too.
It would appear that other factors, such as diet, lifestyle and personal preferences were not taken into account. But, hey, I’m not complaining. After all, I have two kids.
Looking for more studies that are probably full of shit but somehow make you feel better? Check out this study proving two glasses of wine helps you lose weight. Or this one that suggests all mums hide in the pantry and binge on junk food.
