Defining “Ideal Abs” through a Crowdsourcing Based Assessment

Goals/Purpose: There were almost 12 million nonsurgical cosmetic procedures performed in the United States in 2016, which represented a 12% increase from the previous year, and popularity is expected to continue rising. Furthermore, nonsurgical fat reduction and body contouring have seen a dramatic increase in popularity among both men and women. However, there has been very little work focused on the public’s perception of the ideal abdominal muscles. Thus we sought to analyze patient perspectives on ideal abdominal contours and attitudes towards methods of improving the appearance of the abdomen.

Methods/Technique: A prospective cross-sectional study of 718 random volunteers recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk© was conducted. A survey instrument was administered to all study participants to assess the importance of ab symmetry, pec muscle definition, serratus muscle definition, and natural feel.

Results/Complications: Study participants across all ages, gender, ethnicity, and marital status indicated that a 6-pack was the ideal abdominal muscle count. They also rated the symmetry (61.06 ± 1.87) and natural feel of abs (60.72 ± 1.75) as the two most important aesthetic features in consideration of ideal abs. Study participants who reported exercising more than twice a week expressed a greater interest in nonsurgical procedures to achieve ideal abs (p = 0.007).

Conclusion: “Ideal Abs” are six in number, symmetric and feel natural. Millennials are much more willing to consider nonsurgical options to achieve ideal abs than surgery. Individuals who maintain a high level of fitness are interestingly, more likely to want ideal abs and nonsurgical methods to achieve them.