The thing that's attractive is the perception of healthy musculature, a nice butt it's because you have a healthy lower back, a thin waist is a sign that the the extensor muscles in either side of the ribs are toned.
Most preferences that go off the rails start that way but if you completely obscure the context of health they just get more and more exaggerated.
At some point it goes too far and some part of your brain recognizes "that's not healthy" and eventually practical concerns start to override the unga bunga brain
Smaller maybe. The typical waist hip ratio found most attractive in anthropological studies across multiple cultures puts it at .7 ish. That isn't super skinny in the scheme of things.
Interestingly, way back when food wasn't a guaranteed thing, weight was seen as desirable, as shown by some wood carvings I believe. People want what they can't have, and fat people are more likely to survive longer winters
desirability of body fat varies by context - because in famine, it can be good for survival. In modern society thinness can signal other things.
But a low waist to hip ratio is still universally preferred, because HOW the body stores fat is a good indicator of hormonal health and fertility. Thats why fertility idols are 'thick AF" rather than "morbidly obese"
For women - yes, but for men - doubtful. Look at the antique statues. All of those I can recall have normal or wide waistline, not that of a Marvell superhero. This includes statues of Hercules, for example. It seems like narrow waist for men became fashionable around late 18th century and even more so in the 20th century with the pop culture and the spread of anabolic steroids (which allow one to grow enough muscle mass to make the waist look smaller even if it's not exactly narrow).
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u/iTiTiTiTiTiTiTi 12h ago
To be fair, having a small waist compared to the rest of the body is considered attractive for both men and women and that preference is old as time.