Recent studies, published in Personality and Individual Differences, asked over 400 British men and women to judge digitally altered pictures of male faces made to look more masculine or feminine.

The participants were asked to predict personality traits including sexual behaviour and parenting skills based on what they saw.

The findings reported that women see ‘masculine’ men as unsuitable long-term partners.

Conversely, men with feminine facial features are seen as more committed and less likely to cheat on their partners.

Men with masculine faces, with features such as a square jaw, larger nose and smaller eyes, were classed as significantly more dominant, less faithful, worse parents and as having personalities that were less warm, compared to their ‘feminine’ counterparts, who had finer facial features with fuller lips, wide eyes and thinner, more curved eyebrows.

The scientists say the research backs up earlier research about masculinity and perceptions of personality and gives further insight into what people see in others when choosing potential partners.

The survey also found that faces which appeared healthier, for instance those with better complexion, were seen as more desirable in terms of all personality traits compared to those who looked unhealthy. Similarly, older faces were generally viewed more positively compared to younger ones.

Professor David Perrett from St Andrews University adds: “Our research also found that it is men’s health that conveys all round good qualities for partnership and personality. Our results contradict claims that machismo denotes fitness and disease immunity. Masculinity may buy you dominance but not necessarily tip top physical condition. Instead women see a healthy guy as the source of wealth, and fit for family life.”

The research in this topic continues through web sites and the public can both take part in experiments and find more information about ongoing research at: www.boothlab.org; www.Perceptionlab.com; http://www.faceresearch.org/

Source: http://www.dur.ac.uk/

From the article:
The number of Chinese children under 14 suffering from diabetes has almost tripled over the past 25 years, research has found.

A survey undertaken by the Children’s Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai showed that between 1997 and 2000, the ratio of children suffering from the disease in the city was 1.7 per 100 thousand. A similar survey conducted in the 1980s put the ratio at just 0.61 per 100 thousand.

The causes of diabetes is complex. Medical experts believe an unbalanced diet, failure of the autoimmune system and environmental factors are involved.

My opinion:
It is little surprise that modern diseases such as Diabetes propagate in countries that adopt Modern Western lifestyles.  We hear a lot in the news about China’s emerging economy, but we hear very little about the health conditions that accompany this boom.

“Medical experts have theorised that the cause of the rising Diabetes epidemic is due to environmental and diet factors.”

If the inhabitants of China continue the adoption a sedentary lifestyle, rich in grains and sugars, it is very likely they’ll also experience the accompanying modern diseases.

One can only hope that China has the fortitude and wisdom to deal with Diabetes better than their western counterparts.

Source: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/

The Moats have stated:

We are walking for the American Diabetes Association. We are hoping to raise awareness of the following:

A.  The Dangers of Diabetes
      1.  High Blood Pressure
      2.  Heart Disease
      3.  Stroke
      4.  High Cholesterol
      5.  More Prone to Infections

B.  The Necessity of Good Exercise Habits
      1.  Walking Reduces Blood Glucose Levels
      2.  Proper Diet Helps Control Glucose Levels

We have two goals:
      1.  Raise $10,000 for the American Diabetes Assoc.
      2.  Raise $10,000 for our expenses on the walk

Our expenses will include gas for the motor home, food, and occasional lodging in motels to do laundry and just “recharge our batteries.”

Check out their website here http://www.c2c4ada.com/

FaceResearch.org allows you to participate in short online psychology experiments looking at the traits people find attractive in faces and voices.

This is a lot of fun, check it out: Make an Average Face