Gynoid fat refers to the body fat that forms around the hips, breasts and thighs. Gynoid fat in females is used to provide nourishment for offspring, and is often referred to as 'reproductive fat'. This is because it contains long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which are important in the development of foetuses. However, it is also regarded as a physically attractive feature and serves additionally as an indication towards a woman's reproductive potential for mates.

Gynoid fat is primarily a store of energy to be utilised in the nurturing of offspring, both to provide adequate energy resources during pregnancy and for the infant during the stage in which they are breastfeeding. When there are insufficient energy resources in the environment or health issues which require energy to combat a woman's storage of gynoid fat is likely to be reduced. Therefore, ancestrally, a female with high levels of gynoid fat would be signalling to males that they are in an optimal state for reproduction and nurturing of offspring. This can be seen in the fact that a female's Waist–hip ratio is at its optimal minimum during times of peak fertility - late adolescence and early adulthood, before increasing later in life. As a female's capacity for reproduction comes to an end, the fat distribution within the female body begins a transition from the gynoid type to more of an android type distribution. This is evidenced by the percentages of android fat being far higher in post-menopausal than pre-menopausal women. Gynoid fat bodily distribution is measured as the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), whereby if a woman has a lower waist-to-hip ratio it is seen as more favourable. Studies have found correlations between WHR and Intelligence quotient (IQ) levels. It was found not only that women with a lower WHR (which signals higher levels of gynoid fat) had higher levels of IQ, but also that low WHR in mothers was correlated with higher IQ levels in their children.

Android fat distribution is also related to WHR, but is the opposite to gynoid fat. Instead, android fat is deposited in the waist, breasts, buttocks and thighs, but can give an unattractive appearance, as it gives women a ‘T-shaped” body and is more lumpy. The ratio of a woman’s gynoid to android fat is used to measure her WHR, whereby the lower the WHR, the higher gynoid to android fat ratio, which is perceived as more attractive for women. As women with higher levels of gynoid fat distribution are seen as more attractive, this enables them to access highly desirable male mates.

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