But if you’re looking to lose a noticeable amount weight this season, you may have to lose more than you think.

Researchers at the University of Toronto discovered the amount of weight a person needs to gain or lose before others notice and how much they need to gain or lose to appear more attractive to others.

Their findings? "Women and men of average height need to gain or lose about eight and nine pounds, respectively, for anyone to see it in their face," said Nicholas Rule, associate professor and Canada Research Chair in Social Perception and Cognition at University of Toronto. "But they need to lose about twice as much for anyone to find them more attractive."

The study found the average weight decrease to make faces in the study appear more attractive was about 14 pounds for women and 18 pounds for men of average height.

Keep Reading

Foo Fighters closed out Shaky Knees 2024 at Central Park with extended versions of their biggest hits. The indie rock festival has moved to Piedmont Park for this weekend's event. (Ryan Fleisher for the AJC)

Credit: Ryan Fleisher

Featured

Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

Credit: NYT