Couples looking alike: The Sarkozy case

Though opposites attract, there's evidence that people tend to choose long-term partners with qualities that match theirs. These similarities sometimes translate into physical features. For example, men and women who have more testosterone in their bodies exhibit more masculine physical qualities (have larger muscles, pronounced chins and high foreheads). Here's a story that explains the biological reasons behind the whimsy.

While some couples start off looking like each other...

Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake in 2001

others tend to look more alike as they grow older...



Because of the similar-physical-features-similar-personality-traits complex, couples that look like each other tend to last longer -- ignoring the Spears-Timberlake example, of course.

Now, is it improper for me to point out that President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama have kindred qualities? They are both tall, slender, intelligent individuals who know how to command a crowd. With their winning smiles, President Obama and his wife might be the most similar looking first family; though they have stiff competition.

First Lady Martha Washington and President George Washington

When the Obamas met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Cara Bruni earlier this month, the Associated Press captured a revealing moment for Sarkozy. The president, who has been divorced twice, might not look like his singer and former model wife, but that doesn't mean that he's not trying. ;)

(Notice Sarkozy's feet )
Palais Rohan in Strasbourg, France, Friday, April 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)