For young people sure, it's mostly about the looks because hormones, and for previous generations it was mostly about the looks but...

But we are living in harsh times. People keep talking about 6 figure wages, but median brutto earnings in the US are $50K for 25-34 age group. 20% households earn below $25K 😬 Don't even look at the housing prices / wage relations in Europe. And... inflation.

As an example, in old, ooold times in my region women weren't just "goods" as in many other cultures. Because life was very harsh. Men spent entire days on the sea fishing, women worked the lands so this was a partnership in which, one partner not pulling weight meant starvation. The "beauty" ideal was a big strong woman which could work.

Which is probably why "These results show that young men from Dalmatia are currently the tallest in the world in the age category of 18 years" also the difference in height between men and women is lower.

If current trends do continue, and there is no reason to believe they won't, life is only going to become harsher with time. Except for top earners, having a wife with low income will mean having to find another job.

So... there gender equality.

Brought by almost everyone becoming piss poor.