The Truth Behind the Fascination with Breasts

The topic that has plague women kind for as long as we can remember.  What is so fascinating about our breasts that leave many heterosexual men distracted by their mere presence?

Photo: jokeroo.com
Try telling this little guy that “my eyes are up here.”

From a biological perspective, the male fascination with breasts is an odd one.  Men are the only male mammals fascinated by and use breasts in a sexual context. Also, women are the only female mammals whose breasts become enlarged at puberty, independent of pregnancy.   And as the little guy in the photo demonstrates, the pull men feel towards breasts is biological and deeply ingrained in our brain from the start.  In fact, research indicates that when we’re confronted with breasts, or even breast-related stimuli such as bras, men will start making bad decisions (such as eating at greasy wing places for the “ambiance”).

According to Dr. Larry Young, there’s only one neurological explanation for this sort of behavior, and it has to do with brain mechanisms that promote the powerful bond of a mother to her infant.  When a mother breastfeeds, a neurochemical called oxytocin is released from the mother’s hypothalamus. This oxytocin release eventually stimulates smooth muscles in a woman’s breasts to eject milk, making it available to her nursing baby.

But this oxytocin release has other effects, too. When the neurochemical is released, it causes the mother to focus on her baby. This is because the oxytocin interacts with the dopamine in the mother’s system helping to imprint the newborn’s face, smell and sounds in the mother’s reward circuitry, making nursing and nurturing a feel-good experience for the mother.  This then motivates the mother keep feeding her infant and helps develop the mother-infant bond. This bond is not only the most beautiful of all social bonds, it can also be the most enduring, lasting a lifetime.

So guys, the next time a woman catches you staring at the girls, just tell her it’s  only because you have an unconscious evolutionary drive which prompts you to activate powerful bonding circuits so you can create a loving, nurturing bond with her.

To read more, visit the Huffington Post.