Worried about that few extra pounds you've gained in the last little while? Don't be -- your curves are sexy and there's scientific evidence to prove it.

Recent research out of the States has found that a curvy figure can have the same effect on a man's brain as alcohol and drugs, with the classic hourglass shape being the most exciting for guys.

To figure this out, Dr. Steve Platek and colleagues ran brain scans on 14 men with an average age of 25 as they looked at before and after photos of women who had undergone plastic surgery to enhance their hips. The results showed that looking at the after photos activated parts of the brain associated with rewards, the same areas activated by drugs and alcohol.

But Dr. Platek isn't surprised by the findings; "Hugh Hefner could have told us that by showing us how many zeroes are in his bank account. The Caucasian, westernized female has somehow been duped into thinking men like very skinny, waify, Kate Moss-type girls. Curviness is the trump card. It's worth it's reproductive weight in gold," he said to Live Science.

And reproduction is thought to be the culprit behind these findings. "Curvy looks in a woman mean that she is good at reproduction, and so the man gets the message that this is someone they could procreate with," psychotherapist Karol Ward told the New York Daily News. "The attraction has a lot to do with fertility." Curves are also a sign of good health.

Don't get down on yourself if you don't fit into a size two -- when you picture your ideal size, think more Christina Hendricks than Nicole Richie.