FACT CHECK: Are your good looks because you're the younger sibling? Here's what science says
FACT CHECK: Are your good looks because you're the younger sibling? Here's what science says
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FACT CHECK: Are your good looks because you’re the younger sibling? Here’s what science says
A viral Instagram reel claims younger siblings are naturally more attractive
Read here: https://firstcheck.in/fact-check-younger-siblings-more-attractive-science/
Have you ever thought about how physical attractiveness varies among siblings? Well, First Check came across a reel on Instagram with over 117k views titled “Beauty Difference in Siblings,” that puts forth an explanation.
“Are you more physically attractive or are your siblings? This is less dependent on your genes and more on your birth order,” says the content creator in the video. “The smallest of the smallest nutritional deficiency could also negatively affect the growth of a child. To protect children, nature has given power such that if any nutrient is missing in the mother’s diet, then the foetus extracts that nutrient from the mother’s body.”
He then goes on to elaborate on the claim: ” If a mother’s diet lacks calcium, the child will take calcium from the mother’s bones. If a mother’s diet is normal to healthy then during their first pregnancy the nutritional reserves from their body will get depleted. These get restored in some duration and the nutritional reserves are resupplied again, but if they get pregnant before this happens then the second child grows in a nutritionally deprived womb. (Shows photos of Saif Ali Khan and sister, then Beyonce and sister as examples). The second child does not turn out to be as attractive, healthy and intelligent.”
The creator claims that if a woman eats an unhealthy diet — high in sugar and processed oils — during her first pregnancy, it can interfere with how well her body supports the baby’s development, possibly affecting the child’s appearance.
“But, in the case of the same mother, during their second pregnancy the uterine systems in their bodies and hormonal pathways get optimized, and the communication road which had been unpaved until now becomes paved. This leads to the second baby being able to extract nutrients in a better way and as a result the second baby is more attractive than their elder siblings. (Pictures of Prince William and older brother, Shah Rukh Khan and elder sister),” he explains.
Do younger siblings look better? We find out
First Check contacted Dr Gayatri Chauhan, a senior gynecologist and pediatrician surgeon with 20 years of experience at AIIMS, New Delhi for the truth behind these claims.
“Many people have this belief that a child’s health and appearance will be influenced by how healthy the mother is, which is true. But appearance and attractiveness have no relation. These are completely determined by genes inherited from both the father and mother. There is no scientific evidence to support any such claim,” she said.
Dr Chauhan also played down the role of birth order in determining one’s appearance. “In sociology and psychology birth order is studied but I’ve never come across any study relating this to one’s physical appearance,” she said. “The majority of birth order research concentrates on behavioural characteristics, like personality or IQ, as opposed to physical characteristics, as far as I’m aware.”
The gynaecologist, however, noted that physical traits are mostly determined by genetics, with environmental influences like diet coming in second. .
“It is true that if the mother’s diet is inadequate, the foetus will draw nutrients from her body. For instance, the foetus can use calcium from the mother’s bones to meet its developmental needs if the mother consumes insufficient amounts of calcium during pregnancy,” she pointed out.
“This phenomenon emphasizes how crucial maternal nutrition is to the health of the foetus. However, it is oversimplified to assume that nutritional reserves are completely exhausted following a first pregnancy and insufficiently replenished prior to a second pregnancy. The amount of time between pregnancies, dietary practices, and general health are some of the variables that affect nutritional recovery.”
First Check concludes that there is insufficient scientific evidence to support the assertion that physical attractiveness is determined by birth order, even though maternal nutrition is unquestionably important for foetal development and general health outcomes. Genetics largely determines physical characteristics, but environmental influences such as diet have a more complex effect.
Also read: How Pregnancy Changes Your Brain & Impacts Mental Health
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