Trivia: Americans Are Getting Bustier …

• Christophe
  March 1st, 2008 at 4:19 am

  Is it because woman are getting plumpier, or because of the hormone-fed animals we eat?

  http://envirocancer.cornell.edu/Factsheet/Diet/fs37.hormones.cfm (quite old article, but interesting)

• Scotchdrnkr
  March 1st, 2008 at 7:39 am

  The right size bra does make a BIG (no pun intended)difference. My wife is naturally very large in this area. She was always complaining about how uncomfortable her bras were. So I bought her a gift certificate to one of those custom bra shops where they fit you precisely. She is much happier now. She’ll never buy off the rack bras again.
  She’d still like to get a reduction but it will have to wait till we have the money.

  Wonder if this study only included Naturally large sized women or did it include Artificially enhanced ones too?

• Ali S.
  March 1st, 2008 at 9:00 am

  I think it’s a mix between a high fat diet and food that has more hormones mixed in them.

• Anon
  March 1st, 2008 at 10:24 am

  And I wear a 48A, sigh…

• Tim Giachetti
  March 1st, 2008 at 11:00 am

  Nothing wrong with that Anon, some of us prefer things that way.

• zantimisfit
  March 1st, 2008 at 12:13 pm

  From the article: “The average size of the American breast has grown from 34B to 36C , according to manufacturers.”

  So I’m sure they haven’t taken into account whether breasts are larger by nature or by surgery; it’s just what’s reflected in bra sales. I’m betting the increase has more to do with surgery than nature.

• Kristina
  March 1st, 2008 at 2:41 pm

  36C… Cup Size C…. how enjoyable. I am a 30F - now go and find pretty bras and clothes for that size, that actually show your body shape without spending a fortune… ah well, even then it is usually for women with barely any breast. (however, i have found bravissimo.com for myself. A few more shops would be nice though.)

• Kristina
  March 1st, 2008 at 2:41 pm

  Oh i forgot to add: no surgery was involved with getting that size. all natural. so it’s even worse as i cant say to myself “you wanted it that way”

• donna
  March 1st, 2008 at 2:48 pm

  I used to be 34B when I was younger and after two kids am a 36C.

  Seems to go along with an aging population as much as anything else.

• VonSkippy
  March 1st, 2008 at 4:10 pm

  So what was the average weight of women in the 70’s?

  Somehow I’m thinking they’re ignoring the obvious.

• barmy
  March 1st, 2008 at 5:06 pm

  I know we like to assume that this is to do with women being heavier. I think there is some correlation there, but as on of those 48AA bra wearers, I do get a bit tired of the assumption that just because I’m large (250 lbs.) I have gigantic boobs. If that were the case, I might not be typing this on the way out to go to the gym!

• NeuroGirl
  March 1st, 2008 at 7:10 pm

  An increase from 34B to 36C is a proportional increase. A single unit increase in band size (the circumference of your rib cage) with a single unit increase in cup size just indicates that Americans are getting bigger overall. American manufacturers are responding to the changing of womens bodies by phasing out clothing in smaller sizes (and bras in smaller band sizes). Apparently the size 0 market is too small for them to bother producing the clothes. If I didn’t live in LA with all of the overly trendy boutiques that cater to starving celebrities, I’d be screwed.

• Lea
  March 1st, 2008 at 7:12 pm

  I’m just waiting for my tummy fat to migrate to my boobs. Maybe…just maybe then this will apply to me.
  That being said…I work in a bathing suit store and women come in all the time complaining of not being able to find swimsuits big enough on top. And the ones that are big enough are all “old lady” styles that they really don’t like because they aren’t cute at all because for some reason, swimsuit designers think women with big boobs are either old women or have no taste.

• Jamie
  March 1st, 2008 at 8:40 pm

  I hate my 44b’s. x.x

• ted
  March 1st, 2008 at 9:37 pm

  Lea, don’t worry if your tummy fat doesn’t get to your boobs. Your boobs will probably find a way of reaching your tummy themselves.

• Lo
  March 1st, 2008 at 11:01 pm

  I would LOVE to be a C. Sure beats a DDD. Bras are impossible to find, wear out quickly, I have constant back pain, and gravity took effect when I was freaking SIXTEEN. As I started developing quite noticeably at nine? I’m going with our food having too many hormones in it. I mean, the study IS on American women and most other countries don’t allow this sort of stuff like our FDA does, do they? Maybe I’m mistaken, but I don’t think they do.

  I’m saving up for a reduction, but really if I could give some of it to you As? I would. I really and truly would.

• alexandra
  March 1st, 2008 at 11:52 pm

  I’m a 38HH (natural), and a dress size 12…the majority of my self-loathing over my breasts is due primarily to the fact that the clothing and lingerie industries don’t even acknowledge the fact that there are women out there with huge boobs. I can only order bras that fit online, and apparently big boobs aren’t supposed to be sexy, so I NEVER find cute/sexy bras, only basic boring ones. Finding a bathing suit is near impossible, and it always means settling for something without a proper fit. And it doesn’t help when my more flat-chested girlfriends tell me how lucky I am and that they want my boobs…They have no idea how lucky they are to be able to walk into a department store and buy a complete outfit, (under and outer garments) at a moments notice.

  Maybe the clothing companies will start to take notice soon.

• TT
  March 2nd, 2008 at 2:24 am

  No, they’re not.

  They’ve gotten fatter.

  They’ve gotten implants.

  They’ve gotten them plastic-jello inserts.

• emptyminded
  March 2nd, 2008 at 3:37 am

  Just as Thomas Crapper did not invent the flush toilet, I do not believe Otto Titsling invented the bra. In fact, I do not believe Otto Titsling was a real person.

  I do believe that a woman is the definition of beautiful, regardless of her bra size, when she is accepting of herself.

• Jimbo
  March 2nd, 2008 at 8:01 am

  Eat more chicken? Chicken for years have been given shots with super growth hormones. They are harvest ready at 8 weeks old. Although the USDA believes the hormones are out of their bodies by then, I disagree. Go look a middle school annuals from over 30 years ago, and look at them now. HUGE difference. What do they eat a lot of now? Chicken.

• MoonCake
  March 2nd, 2008 at 9:11 am

  oh it’s not just in the chicken, jimbo. christophe posted this before, but it’s worth reposting. go check this article out:

  http://envirocancer.cornell.edu/Factsheet/Diet/fs37.hormones.cfm

  there are many contributing factors as to why our breasts are getting bigger, as mentioned by everyone else. 66% of adults are obese and women are more likely to fit that statistic than men. growth hormones are used in our every-day meat/dairy/egg/poultry supply, and assuming those ingredients are used in commercially processed food, growth hormones are present in those as well. yet another reason not to trust the FDA. we’re hitting puberty at younger ages, allowing our bodies longer time to develop, therefore larger extremities. ALL clothing standards are changing as our population is growing both by number and mass. my boyfriend has been buying the same brand and size of undershirt for years. now all of a sudden, this same shirt is almost two sizes larger than before. it droops below his waist, hangs off his shoulders, and doesn’t allow for a form-fitting appearance when worn under his regular shirt. it’s ridiculous. the only way to combat these issues is to become fully aware and educated that even though our government agencies are supposed to be looking out for us, they’re hurting us over time and not telling the truth. and, just because they’re “taking care of us” doesn’t mean we can trust their every move. this is not an anarchist statement, it’s just proving that even government officials act like human beings: selfish, secretive, and money-hungry.

• Moodindigo
  March 3rd, 2008 at 8:45 am

  Before we rush to blame hormones in food it should be noted that the above linked study has this conclusion:

  “Studies done so far do not provide evidence to state that hormone residues in meat or dairy products cause any human health effects. However, a conclusion on lack of human health effect can only be made after large-scale studies compare the health of people who eat meat or dairy products from hormone-treated animals, to people who eat a similar diet, but from untreated animals.”

  So, as yet, any link between breast size (or any other phsiological phenomona) in humans and hormones present in food is supposition. There is no decent evidence.

  However, despite the obviously harrowing experiences of those with huge boobs, I can’t help but welcome this trend with open arms. Even if I can’t link my hands around the back of it.

• sickb*stard
  March 3rd, 2008 at 2:29 pm

  God Bless America and the hormones that are given to the women there.

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