Study: Why men love breasts
Researcher blames evolution for guys who can’t stop gravitating boob-ward.
The fact that men love breasts seems so obvious that you may wonder why anyone would even bother to look for a meaningful explanation for the obsession. Well, that hasn’t stopped Larry Young, who holds a doctorate in psychiatry and is a professor at Emory University, from positing a new theory. He believes that evolution has taught men to exploit the same neural circuits that help babies bond with their mothers during breastfeeding, and that’s what makes them gravitate boob-ward.
We already know that breastfeeding stimulates the release of oxytocin, a hormone that makes Mom feel all warm and fuzzy toward her offspring. Young proposes that when a man fondles a woman’s breasts, that same hormone is released, but with a slightly altered effect—it makes her want to bond with him in an entirely different way.
In his lab, Young studies the genetic and neurobiological mechanisms underlying complex social behaviors, including social bonding and social attachments. According to his bio, “much of his research examines the mechanisms underlying pair bond formation in monogamous prairie voles, and has highlighted the roles of oxytocin and vasopressin in regulating social behavior.” (As an aside, voles, apparently, don’t actually have much of a thing for boobs. In fact, neither do any mammals other than humans -- as far as we know, anyway.)
Researchers have studied nipple stimulation and found that it does directly affect what goes on down below by lighting up the same brain circuits as vaginal and clitoral stimulation. And evolution has taught men to take advantage of that situation by incorporating some boob time into their foreplay. Young, in a conversation with Life's Little Mysteries, put it this way:
“Evolution has selected for this brain organization in men that makes them attracted to the breasts in a sexual context, because the outcome is that it activates the female bonding circuit, making women feel more bonded with him. It’s a behavior that males have evolved in order to stimulate the female’s maternal bonding circuitry.”
So the next time you’re dealing with a guy who can’t look you in the eye because he’s so busy staring at your headlights (or maybe you are that guy), cut him a little slack. He’s literally just doing what comes naturally.
Against better judgment, I am chiming in. For me, there is nothing in the universe more beautiful than a beautiful woman.
Large breasts are impressive and always catch my attention, BUT...breast size is NEVER a deal breaker or a deal maker. I'm looking for the whole package, inside and outside. When I am with the right woman, I value HER breasts, whatever they are.
Even on a purely superficial level, shape is more important than size. The vast majority of women who keep themsleves in good physical condition, including performing effective upper body exercises, will have fine breast shape even if lacking in size. For those women with their genes working badly against their breasts, there are surgical options that are very effective. No woman should feel anything but pride in her breasts, or at least confident that she can create a beautiful bust through exercise and a little help from modern science, and can have great admiration from many men. (Male enhancement, in comparison, is very minimal, so less endowed women should be happy that effort and/or money can give them the breasts they want!)
I don't know why I love women's breasts, and I don't care. They just make me happy. So there! When I see a beautiful woman, I'm not thinking about having kids; I am thinking about nothing but her.
Hey, since articles like this seem to tell everybody how shallow men are, how about equal time to bust (ahem) women who always fall for bad boys, and only go for looks, endowment or money?
