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.

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez