Today show why is america breast obsessed

Leigh Hurst, of Middleton, Penn. Hurst has devoted the past seven years to dispelling the stigma associated with breast self-examination. Hurst is the founder of Feel Your Boobies, a grass-roots campaign that encourages women to prevent breast cancer through breast awareness. Hurst believes the obsession is tied to our puritanical society and the inherent issues Americans have with sexuality and their bodies.

For example, many people tell Hurst that her message is offensive and oversexualizes breasts. So why is it a big deal when it comes to doing it yourself for your own good?

We link sex with sin and religion. And we still see the breast as purely sexual instead of as a source of nourishment. Amy Mayer used to be a little self-conscious when feeding her infant, Asher, in public.

The breast obsession is not limited to men. Jenny Littleton, of Oakland, says her something friends talk about their breasts all the time. The women with smaller breasts envy the cleavage of the more voluptuous women in the group, she says. Meanwhile, the curvier ladies admire their flat-chested friends because they have more options when it comes to clothing and lingerie.

They also tend to be thinner. Indeed, Hollywood plays a role in our breast fixation. Longford, a refugee of the plastic surgery industry, launched the blog because she felt that the Internet had countless spots for men to look at breasts but lacked a place where women could read about them, she explains.

Atherton plastic surgeon Dr. The desire for women to have larger breasts has been present long before implants.

Also at the turn of the century and for several decades thereafter, it was popular to inject the breasts with paraffin wax despite infection and even death. During the first half of the 20th century, physicians used other substances as breast implant fillers, including ivory, glass, ground rubber and ox cartilage.

During the postwar occupation, Japanese prostitutes, hoping to woo American soldiers, had silicone injected into their breasts. The first augmentation in the United States using silicone implants was in It was released last spring, and garnered national attention on shows like Good Morning America.

The author says while the book mixes her journey with breast cancer, social commentary, and humor, she hopes one of the big takeaways is the empowerment of women. As for her personal journey with breast cancer, she hopes sharing it will encourage others to go get what could be a life-saving mammogram. The fact that I'm breathing is such a miracle," said Lehr. Search Query Show Search. About Us. Show Search Search Query. Play Live Radio.

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Lance Orozco. Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since , providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral.