A study reveals what the perfect man is like in 19 countries

Last year, a group of UK-based doctors asked 19 graphic designers from different countries to retouch with "photoshop" the image of a woman so that it will represent the beauty standards of different countries. For it photograph of a woman (original image) was sent to the graphic designers.

The result represented the perception of the "perfect woman", a collection of retouched snapshots that allowed visualizing the difference between the tastes of different countries. The designers changed the shape of the body, the hair and even their facial features.

New experiment: the ideal man

Given the repercussion that the experiment had worldwide, the portal Superdrug Online Doctor has carried out a new experiment that he has baptized as "Perceptions of Perfection Part II: What image does the ideal man have?". in which the same test is carried out, but this time with the male sex. To know what the perfect man is like, the answer will depend on where we live. The beauty canon will not be the same in Spain as in Egypt.

And although other factors such as health or self-confidence are also important in defining the perfect man, this experiment has only focused on the physical aspect. To carry it out, they contacted different graphic designers, 11 women and 8 men, to manipulate the image of a photographer from New York (United States), and they were given the same instructions as in the case of the experiment to define the perfect woman in the different countries.

Men also suffer from body image perception problems

People usually talk about body image perception problems that affect women, and when we talk about pathologies such as anorexia or bulimia, we rarely take into account that men also suffer for their bodies. Surely the disorder that is associated with men is vigorexia, but it is often overlooked.

In the West, men are also influenced by the media regarding the canon of beauty, and, just like women, confidence around the body can be negative, since that many strive to achieve a level of physical attractiveness that is often impossible to achieve. This study demonstrates the influence of culture and advertising on people's perceptions.

The photographs of the experiment

Below you can view the original image and the retouched images of the experiment.

original image

This is the original image of the experiment that was sent to all the graphic designers. The image was not manipulated in any way: you are before a real man,

Australia

Physically, the Australian differs from the original because he has more youthful features. In addition, he has a rounder face and a little more color.

bangladesh

The Bangladeshi boy is slightly slimmer with a darker skin tone. He wears a different underpants than the original. For some reason, the Bangladeshi designer found the change of swimsuit particularly flattering on the model.

China

The Chinese are much thinner and their eyes have been adapted to be more slanted, more typically oriental. In general, their features have been photoshopped to make them characteristic of that country.

Colombia

The one from Colombia is somewhat thinner, with a more rectangular face. The skin tone is light.

Croatia

The Croatian also has light skin, but is thinner and stronger in the upper body.

Egypt

The Egyptian has a movie body, with very marked abs and pectorals. The skin is dark and has more hair than the original model.

Indonesia

The one from Indonesia also has a darker skin tone and is slimmer than the original.

Macedonia

The Macedonian is quite white-skinned and very thin. Curiously, the designer decided to change the position of the arms.

Nigeria

The one from Nigeria has a more rocky physique and very dark skin. His hairstyle has also been altered: in this case it is more rounded than the original.

Pakistan

The Pakistani man also has a strong physique with big arms and shoulders. But unlike the previous one, he has white skin.

Philippines

The one from the Philippines has very ripped abs and a rounder face. This time, his arms look a bit unnatural.

Portugal

The one from Portugal has a more rectangular face and has a darker skin color than the original

Russia

The one from Russia has a strong body, with well worked arms, shoulders and chest. In addition, the designer has been allowed to put a blonde mane.

Serbian

The one from Serbia has a rugged look and has a tribal tattoo on his arm.

South Africa

The one from South Africa has a more youthful look with a well-worked abdominal area, as well as a dark skin tone.

Spain

The Spanish is quite similar to the original, but a bit more stylized. It does not seem that the designer racked his head when transforming the image.

United Kingdom

The British one is thinner than the original. It is striking that he has a slightly darker color than the Spanish.

USA

The American has a very athletic body and a very Californian aesthetic, toupee included. He looks like he's straight out of a surfer movie.

Venezuela

The designer from Venezuela has also opted for a strong physique, even with ripped abs, and a light skin tone.

Some conclusions...

Possibly, this study is not entirely representative, since for each country there was only one graphic designer who captured his transformation on the original model. This means that the representation of each nationality expresses the subjective vision of each designer, and therefore does not allow us to accurately distinguish which are the most coveted aesthetic attributes in each country.

However, the results that have been exposed indicate some cultural preferences. For example, the athletic body of the United States or the slim physique of the Chinese model. Be that as it may, it is a curious 'experiment' and perhaps it will help us to rethink certain things.