Why do Men Love Breasts So Much?

It’s an undeniable fact that men love breasts. Breasts are the subject of art, jokes, magazines, movies, websites…even restaurants like Hooters. But how did this fixation with breasts develop?

Larry Young, PhD and Brian Alexander explored the science behind the love of breasts in their book The Chemistry Between Us: Love, Sex, and the Science of Attraction.

Breast fixation uniquely human

No other male mammals are fascinated by breasts. Could this be because human women are the only mammals whose breasts develop at puberty, independent of pregnancy? Humans are also the only species who caress the breasts during foreplay and sex. Humans, too, are the only species who can have sex face to face.

Scientific proof of breast fixation

Studies have shown that men’s brains associate breasts with the pleasure centers of the brains. Men were divided into groups and shown either videos of scantily clad women or videos of pastoral scenes. Both groups were offered money which they could accept either immediately, or wait several days and be given a larger amount.

The group watching the breast videos generally took the smaller amount. Their decisions were based on the enjoyment they got from the breast videos–the pre-frontal cortexes of their brains were unable to compete with the reward centres.

But why do men associate breasts with pleasure?

Varying theories about the love for breasts

One theory suggests that breasts developed to mimic the contours of the buttocks. This theory is based on the fact that most primates do not have sex face to face.

According to Young and Alexander, men’s breast fixation is biological. The love of breasts “is a brain organization effect that occurs in straight males when they go through puberty,” said Young.

This is a result of evolution.

Mothers bond with their babies during breastfeeding, which stimulates the production of the neurochemical oxytocin. Oxytocin stimulates the breasts to produce milk, but oxytocin also stimulates the reward centre.

Oxytocin acts with dopamine to make the nursing and nurturing experience pleasurable. The mother focuses on her baby, creating the mother-baby bond.

When men stimulate a woman’s breasts during foreplay, the chemical response means the woman focuses on her partner, increasing her desire to bond with him. The fixation with breasts resulted.

Evolution has therefore encouraged men’s love of breasts.

Sources used in researching this article include Huffington Post Breasts: The Real Reason Men Love Them and Livescience: New Theory on Why Men Love Breasts