Does Wearing a Bra Increase Your Risk of Breast Cancer?

The web is a wonderful thing because it make sotwo now claim they are the founders of the new
much information readily available to anyone online. Afield of "applied medical anthropology." This apparently
downside of this, however, is the credibility of theinvolves looking to the past to compare societies to
information can be dubious at best, but most readerssee what differences occur medically.
do not realize as much and start spreading incorrectThe criticisms of the studies of the authors are also
information as though it is true.strong. Why? Well, there were no studies.
Does wearing a bra increase your risk of breastRemember, we are talking anthropology here, so the
cancer? A rumor suggesting as much startedauthors instead looked at the difference between
circulating the web a few years back. The basic ideasocial groups who moved into a Western
came from a book published that suggested as much.Environment where they were bras compared to
The book, "Dress to Kill", was written by Sydneyprevious environments when they did not. These
Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer. In it, theyconclusions, however, completely failed to take into
suggested that wearing tight bras squeezed theaccount issues such as obesity, meat based diets and
lymphatic system and impaired its functioning. Thethe like raised by the China Study.
lymphatic system moves carcinogens and such outOn a more direct level, the criticisms of the study are
of your system. Based on this, they authorsfairly convincing. There is no medical evidence of a
concluded women who wear a bra 24 hours a daynumber of factors for which the authors have
are 125 times more likely to have breast cancer thenoffered no rebuttal. Specifically, there is no indication
those who went without a bra.a carcinogen cause breast cancer. Second, there is no
So, should you burn your bras? Well, you might holdindication a bra squeezes the lymph system or inhibits
for a bit. First of all, who wears a bra 24 hours afunctioning. The evidence seems to counter the
day? Second, the authors admit that they did notauthors' conclusions.
used standardized testing procedures nor is theirWe can say the authors were definitely correct
information conclusive. Instead, they argue theirabout one thing. The medical establishment never
anthropological findings should raise enough questionslifted a finger to test their opinions. This would seem
that more rigorous scientific studies need to be done.to give a sliver of credibility to their arguments. Then,
The criticisms of this argument have come quick andhowever, the authors showed their true colors and
fast. They range from criticisms of the authors tolost all credibility. Why? They decided to abandon
the "studies" they ran to the conclusions they havetheir tight bra argument. They now argue that
reached.sleeping on flat beds is really what is killing us all. Yes,
The first criticism run towards the authors. They arethey suggest doing so causes everything from
not medical professionals. The husband-wife teamAlzheimer's to menopause to impotence to just
seems to be more off the beat. The wife, Soma,about everything you can think of.
once trained as an optician who fits eyeglasses andDoes wearing a bra cause breast cancer? There is no
contact lens for patients, but is not licensed in Hawaiievidence whatsoever that it does. That being said, it
where they live. The husband, Sydney, is a bit moredoes not mean more tests in this area are not worth
credible in that he obtained a master's degree inpursuing given the threat of breast cancer.
anthropology from Duke University. Together, the