Thursday, May 16, 2013

Brassieres: Do they defy gravity?

I just happened to stumble upon this revelation. The first thought that crossed my mind was that this was just some ordinary titillating stuff. But after a little analysis, I realized that there was some scientific basis for this finding. I was a little hesitant to publish this initially since it could sound lewd, but since this piece of evidence has created a storm in my life, it definitely merits my publication. 

For years, women have been taught of the virtues of a good bra in order to make the most of their assets and defy the pull of gravity. They have been advised that wearing a bra would keep breasts from sagging, prevent back pain and improve posture. 

Wrong, wrong and wrong, according to a study conducted by Jean-Denis Rouillon, a sports medicine specialist from the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire in Besancon, France.

"Medically, physiologically, anatomically — breasts gain no benefit from being denied gravity," Rouillon said. On the contrary, they get saggier with a bra."

Rouillon should know: Since 1997, he has been studying the breasts of 330 volunteers ages 18 to 35 using a slide ruler and a caliper to record the changes in breast position as the women aged. 

His meticulous research revealed that women could experience about a 7 mm lift in the nipples each year if they didn't wear a bra. 

The bras — which Rouillon now calls "a false necessity"— discourage the growth of supporting breast tissue, leaving the breasts to sag more quickly. 

Breast sagging is also affected by age, smoking status and the number of times a woman had become pregnant.

Because Rouillon's study focused on younger women, he cautioned that the results can't be generalized to all women.

"It would be dangerous to advise all women to stop wearing their soutien-gorge [bra]. 
It would be of no benefit to a 45-year-old mother to stop wearing a bra," Rouillon said.

One of the participants in the study extolled the virtues of going bra-free: "There are multiple benefits: I breathe more easily, I carry myself better and I have less back pain". 

Do not judge a breast by its bra.....