Physical beauty is positively correlated with health
Studies on human facial perception indicate that physical attractiveness traits, such as skin coloration and symmetry, serve as visual indicators of health.
The claim that physical beauty is positively correlated with health is supported by multiple evolutionary psychology and facial perception studies (e.g., [6], [9]) showing that cues of physical attractiveness often signal underlying health. The other papers in the list cover unrelated topics like physical activity, greenspace, or general life history theory without directly addressing this correlation. Thus, the available evidence clearly supports the claim.
Ian D. Stephen, Miriam J. Smith, Michael Stirrat, David I. Perrett. Facial Skin Coloration Affects Perceived Health of Human Faces. 2009. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-009-9380-z
Paper [6] demonstrates that facial coloration cues, such as skin redness and yellowness, signal health and influence perceived attractiveness.
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Gillian Rhodes, Sakiko Yoshikawa, Romina Palermo, Leigh W. Simmons, Marianne Peters, Kieran Lee, Jamin Halberstadt, John R. Crawford. Perceived Health Contributes to the Attractiveness of Facial Symmetry, Averageness, and Sexual Dimorphism. 2007. https://doi.org/10.1068/p5712
Paper [9] shows that facial attractiveness traits like symmetry and averageness are closely tied to perceived health, supporting the hypothesis that beauty signals health.
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