Naked Science Forum
General Science => General Science => Topic started by: thedoc on 08/03/2012 22:12:07
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Your daily fruit and veg intake discernibly dictates the colour of your face, new research has shown.
Read the whole story on our website by clicking here (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/content/news-archive/news/2510/)
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I am surprised that an extra amount of yellowness is perceived as being healthy or more attractive. Yellow can be sallow skin or jaundice. Western caucasian culture perceives a healthy golden tan to be desirable, but thius is rooted in socio-economic reasons rather than dietary. On the opposite side of the argument, the Indian nation now spends millions of dollars a year on skin lightening cosmetics as a paler skin is perceived to be a sign of wealth and higher caste. This mimics the earlier historical times in Europe when pale skin meant good breeding and wealth - it was the poorer folk that had to work on the fland every day gaining a ruddy, tanned complexion.
Despite all this, the stronger flag for desirability is symmetrical features and a smooth, even, unblemished skin, the sign of healthy youth. This can over-ride the overall level of skin pigmentation as a signal.
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There's probably a lot you can tell from just the face. People with hyper or hypothyroidism have very distinctive looks (see google images.) Cranial nerve damage can result in altered expressions, like a crooked smile, drooping eye lid. Parkinsons gives a mask like appearence. I think some forms of hyperlidemia cause yellowish fatty deposits in the face.
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The body images pandered to by the cosmetic industry are designed to bolster your self-image on a cultural and status score. They do not reflect scientific measurements of health.
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Indeed; well said.