Killer breasts as published by THISDAY newspapers

Jacqueline Ado (fictional name) has big breasts and she came to inquire about reducing the size of her breasts. They were so huge she could not bend forward to sweep the house without toppling over due to the massive shift in her centre of gravity and the weight redistribution. She walks bent forward, by force, due to her mammary glands. Her neck and back aches.

Her boobs (breasts to you) came into the room minutes before she actually appeared. They were right there in your face and unavoidably present. They seem to take up all the space in the room and all the strength of her body. Mind you, she was not exactly a lean woman, but the size of her breasts qualifies for huge. Julius Berger cranes may be required for providing a lift and holding up the breasts requires steel brassiere.

Big breasts are desired by many women and admired by most men. However, mammoth breasts are actually pathological and should be avoided like a plaque. They can cause a lot of problems for the sufferer and are definitely not for play. Some men may disagree.

Huge breasts, are on their own, a source of discomfort, pain, ill health and they increase the risk of disease. With killer breasts like this, you do not need enemies.

Risk of Diabetes

Girls who are obese experience earlier onset of puberty and possibly greater breast development. Several studies have also found that a woman's breast size in late adolescence is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in adulthood. A Canadian study reported that after taking into consideration numerous established risk factors such as physical activity, smoking, diet, family history of diabetes, body mass index and waist circumference, among others, it was shown that in a graded fashion, the bigger the bra cup size – the greater the risk of developing diabetes. Specifically, in comparison to women with an A cup, women with a B, C, and D or greater bra cup had increasing risk of developing diabetes. This is a disease well worth avoiding.

Obesity

There is evidence of an association between breast volume and other body fat depots. Women with larger breasts have more fat everywhere else than other people.  In other words, large breasts appear to indicate a body type characterized by the increased deposition of fat in depots, such as inside the muscles and in (and around) many body organs. This all increase their cardiometabolic risk.

Arthritis

Women with large, heavy breasts sometimes experience back pain and neck pain. The added weight of the breasts increases the rate of wear and tear around the joints in the back, neck and knees. This accelerated degeneration leads to arthritis. Women with arthritis of the spine and shoulders may also have more disabling symptoms than usual because of the extra weight of heavy breasts. Lumbago, lumbar spondylosis, lumbar disc prolapse and lumbar nerve compression are some of the many diagnoses that overweight predisposes people to. These may require surgical intervention. However, before you rush to the neurosurgeon, consider the following facts.

Breasts are a major contributor to the higher incidence of neck pain in women. In 1996, a court in America established that breast reduction surgery was indeed medically necessary to relieve headache, neck pain and shoulder pain. This verdict established the cause and effect relationship between breasts and neck pain. The way your breasts are and their size affect your posture and influence the way you position your spine. How big is your bust size? Well, if your breasts are too big, neck pain may be your portion. Try strapping on two five pound sacks of sugar all day. Even just thinking about it hurts, and I am a man.

According to Dr Christina Lasich, an American pain specialist, how you feel about your breasts can also affect your posture in a negative or a positive way. If you like your breasts, your posture might be confident and the spine well aligned with your chest out. If you hate your breasts, your posture might be shy and slumped with your chest sunken behind the shoulders.

Breast cancer

Of all the possible problems one could have because of huge breasts, by far the worst is breast cancer. The size of the breasts makes it difficult to discover cancer in time and at a time when it might be curable.  A study reported in 1989 found that women with large breasts experienced a delay in the detection of their cancer due to the bulk of the breast and consequently presented with more advanced tumours compared with women with small breasts. On presentation to hospital, patients with big breasts had larger tumours and more involved lymph nodes than women with small breasts. Women with large breasts may therefore be expected to fare worse than those with small breasts.

A breast specialist and plastic surgeon in Abuja, Dr Amina Abubakar is understandably concerned about the plight of women with massive breasts. She describes her concerns and some more of the problems patients face. "Patients with large breasts can inadvertently suffocate their babies and even their husbands", she said. "The condition can also lead to paralysis of the hand due to stretch injury on the nerves in the armpit".

Solution

There are women who desire bigger breasts and opt for breast implants. However, they should ensure that the size is a source of joy and not discomfort or a lifetime of misery. Women who have naturally big breasts should consider breast reduction surgery. The operation can be done safely and efficiently to produce a better fitting and sexy breast. You could also breast feed without worry if the operation is done efficiently by a competent hand.

Whose breast it, anyway? Be breast aware. Do not let your breasts kill you.