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Older women and younger men

The age-old pairing of older men and younger women is being challenged by a new wave of women seeking younger men - and men seeking older women

280,000 British women aged over 45 are looking for toy boys, according to research by online dating service PARSHIP.co.uk.

It's not just the botoxed, nipped and tucked city foxes on the prowl either - their rural sisters are also proving an irresistible draw to younger men, with five percent of single males between the ages of 25 and 35 openly admitted they were actively looking to meet an attractive older woman , with 47% saying age wasn’t an issue.

Dr Victoria Lukats, psychiatrist and PARSHIP’s relationship and dating expert, explains the charm of the older rural woman to the younger man: “Sophisticated city women may be able to attract a younger man with the lure of expensive restaurants, five star holidays and designer gifts, but it’s really not that surprising that younger men are also attracted to more domestically-focused women.

"A lovingly prepared home-cooked meal is as much of an aphrodisiac as dining out at a fancy restaurant. The brain is stimulated to release pleasure-inducing endorphins by a good home- cooked meal in a sympathetic environment. Even the smell of food as it’s cooking can trigger endorphins that make us think of love.”

However, older woman/younger man wannabe couples are still outnumbered by the more traditional older man/younger woman scenario. When it comes to men in their 40s and 50s, 42% are looking for a younger woman – 18% for one five years their junior and 24% for a woman ten years younger. Fortunately for them, over a third (36%) of women between the ages of 25 and 35 would prefer their partner to be older by five years or more.

According to Dr Victoria Lukats, these figures are not surprising: “Younger women have always been attracted to men who are slightly older than they are. This can be traced back to prehistoric man when the woman would choose a partner able to provide the best chances of survival for her and her offspring. Modern woman isn’t really that different: she wants a partner who can give her security both, financial and emotional, and a slightly older man is likely to be more financially established than his younger counterpart who is just starting off.

But it seems that it's women, as opposed to girls, that just wanna have fun. Dr Lukat explains: “Older women however, don’t need to concern themselves with such life-changing decisions. They’ve raised their children who have probably flown the nest together with their husband. Their only concern is their pleasure – and not whether their new boyfriend will pay the gas bill.”

More information

PARSHIP

This article was created: 27 April 2007.
This article was last edited: 30 April 2007.

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