A large US study followed more than 16,500 people over 28 years to examine whether appearance judgments made during adolescence are associated with later health and mortality. The research reports that women who were rated as less attractive as teenagers have a higher risk of dying earlier than their peers. The elevated risk is observed across the follow-up period, indicating a long-term association between adolescent attractiveness ratings and overall longevity.
For men, the study finds no comparable relationship between teenage appearance judgments and life expectancy. In other words, the reported effect is specific to women in the dataset, rather than applying to both sexes.
The findings are described as surprising and come from long-term tracking rather than a short-term survey. While the study establishes an association between teenage ratings and later mortality outcomes, it does not, in the reported summary, specify the reasons for the difference or demonstrate a direct cause-and-effect mechanism.
