Frankly, I’m tired of thinking about breasts. I’m tired of looking them, too. Women have breasts as do some men. Preteen girls want them. Older women live in fear of their annual mammogram. In between, women have surgery to increase or decrease their cup size or they buy wired or padded bras to give themselves more cleavage than nature intended. A buttoned up blouse is a fashion statement from the past. The current style is to put those boobs on display like steaks at a meat counter.
My feeling is that when you’ve see one pair of breasts, you’ve seen them all. Yes, there are variations, but the basic design is the same. Still, ladies never tire of showing them and men never tire of looking. Okay, that’s life. That’s sex. I’m old.
Mostly I’m tired of thinking about mammary glands because at my age it means worrying about breast cancer. Still, I came across an article that actually had new information about breasts that I want to share. Good news, ladies. If you’re going to put on weight, send the fat to those boobs. New research shows that having fatty tissue in the breast can be a health positive. Women with dense breast tissue aren’t so lucky. There are a number of theories why. One of them is that a certain kind of connective tissue is linked to an enzyme that increases estrogen in breasts. (“The New Breast Rating You Need to Know,” by Joan Raymond, More, April 2013 pps. 118 -122)
(Manet painting courtesy of oilpaintinghere.com)
Most women are aware that a clear mammogram doesn’t mean the breast is cancer free. A mammogram is only one, incomplete bit of information. Knowing your breast density is important as well. Several states have or will soon pass laws requiring that women be provided with density information, along with their mammogram reports. Right now the only way to know your density score is to live in a state that has already passed the law or to have a conversation with your doctor. Fortunately, the advice for breast cancer prevention remains the same for all women regardless of their size, shape or density. Keep your weight down, eat sensibly and exercise.
