And when asked to rate photos of differently shaped male bodies, almost 80% of men and 65% of women favoured a very muscular physique.

This was not terribly remarkable: every day the FT is full of pictures of white men approaching retirement age.

Dr Camille Ferdenzi, of the University of Geneva, and his team measured the digit ratios (the 2d: 4d ratios) of 49 men, and then presented their pictures in random order to female participants.