Do you know that as many as 85 percent of women are wearing the wrong size or type of bra for their body? According to recent studies, about 8 in 10 women are experiencing problems with finding the right bra type and size, from complaints of sagging and overstretched straps to breasts literally busting over the seams of the fabric.

Having a good quality bra is more than just for looks; it can also impact your overall health over time. An ill-fitting bra could in return make you ill, cause back pain, poor posture and even migraines that could increase with time.

Many women would be surprised at how much bigger (or smaller) their breasts really are and what types of bras that are not as effective for their body type. If you have been wearing the same size bra since your training bra days ended, it might be time to re-evaluate and re-up in the lingerie department (sounds like another reason to go shopping!).

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Source: nationalreview.com

The government doesn’t sleep, but I’ll settle for them having a stadium full of seats. Mayor Michael Bloomberg can be the first in line. The NYC politician wants to place a ban on sodas larger than 16 ounces.  Apparently, that’s the biggest problem facing New York and not the 8.1% unemployment rate or the rampant homelessness. Bloomberg has decided that this is the cause for him to put his cape on and fly into action.

His intentions are solid. Obesity is a serious epidemic in this country. While it should be addressed, it should not be legislated to these lengths. He is an elected official, not anyone’s parent or nanny. If he really wanted to stick his nose where it didn’t belong, Bloomberg could use some of the millions if not billions at his disposal and pay off my student loans. He’d get my vote on that. Until then, I need him to get himself all the way together. How can you be against soda but support National Donut Day? I’ll wait.

Not only is this proposed law a government overreach dictating what a person can buy with their own money, but it also falls flat when you really think about it. Sure, you can ban the sale of oversized sodas and try and control portions, but I can just as easily buy two small sizes. Or three. Or four. I’ll chug on a bottle of Pepsi and cheer to the friggin’ weekend while protestors side eye me with pickets raised high in the air. In my best Rihanna voice, “No1Currr!”

Diabetes, obesity and other health related dangers that high sugar intake can cause is very real. It shouldn’t be taken lightly. However, Big Brother needs to fall back on trying to limit choices just because they wouldn’t make the same ones. Bloomberg is not going to get a medal or ticker tape parade for attempting to mandate good health practices. He’ll likely have a riot. The government can’t even balance the federal budget and put suffering Americans back to work, yet they want to occupy vending machines and fast food joints? Are cupcakes, pretzels and candy next on the most wanted list?  I’ve got a birth certificate that says I’m old enough to decide for myself what I want to drink and at what size I want to drink it. I’m not the only grown person insulted by the government’s interference as to what I’m supposed to be quenching my thirst with.

While he might have good intentions, don’t fool yourselves into thinking that these good measures won’t pave the way for more laws for the “common good.” Some women choose to put that creamy crack into their hair every 4 to 6 weeks. I do. I’m too lazy to find another way to get my hair layed quick, so does that mean folks might decide that the chemicals in perms might mess me up and will determine how I use one? Uncle Sam might even decide next to ban tampons because it might lead to toxic shock syndrome. Think all that sounds ridiculous? So is putting the blame on soda for obesity and trying to place a Band-Aid on an issue that will not solve the problem.

I love my neighbors and I want what’s best for them. I want every person to be healthy, but it just can’t be done by force. It needs to be of a person’s free will to lead a healthy lifestyle. So until then, please pass the Pepsi.

You won’t be able to get a super-sized soda but you can buy Newports by the carton?! Where they do that at? Oh, that’s right. They want to start in New York.

Follow Stephanie Guerilus @qsteph

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theprayingwoman.com

When “Glee” actress Amber Riley fainted at a red carpet event recently, rumors swirled that her new diet was the cause. Amber took to Twitter after the incident to dispel rumors, saying she would “never starve [herself] to fit clothes.”

The 25-year-old actress, who has recently dropped at least two dress sizes, says that she lost the weight by cutting out fast food and sticking to a new diet and exercise plan.  She said she has always been comfortable with her size but just wanted to be healthier.

Of course being healthy is paramount, but beyond that, does size really matter? It does if you ask the people told to lose weight because they’re obese by BMI standards or the ones that are told they are too skinny and need to put some meat on their bones.

Celebrities are under intense pressure to maintain a certain size because every pound gained or lost is a potential magazine cover story (think about how Jessica Simpson was treated), but this pressure seems to apply to more than just those who are paid for how they look. And without a standard, contentment must be found when looking in your own mirror because feedback from the outside world is often conflicting.

For one, many of us have no idea what size we really wear because sizes vary from store to store. In one shopping trip, one might purchase a pair of jeans in a size 4, 6 and 10 — yet those jeans might all fit the same.

This common experience makes the obsession with size strange because there isn’t a universal way to measure it (no pun intended). Sure there are ballparks, but if you’re looking into buying a weight loss product that promises you’ll drop a size in a week, you’re probably better off just buying a different brand of jeans.

The second issue – especially in the black community – is that some men claim weight is an important factor in choosing women to date, so many women tailor themselves to fit a shallow standard. But one man’s “thick chick” is another’s “overweight neighbor” and one man’s “slim sweetheart” is another’s “too skinny friend.” We’re better off just finding someone who is content with our size rather than trying to fit into one man’s narrow preferences, but some people would rather play shapeshifter.

You can barely watch television these days without seeing Jennifer Hudson, Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey endorsing popular weight loss products. At the same time, gossip sites demanded answers after paparazzi pictures surfaced of Avatar’s Zoe Saldana walking down the street looking too skinny for her skinny jeans.  When the famously thin actress starred in the film Colombiana, she prompted one writer to say, “female action stars have gotten too skinny to throw a believable punch.” (Ouch!)

However, sometimes, the size pressures placed on black women are even tougher than those placed on other cultures. Anyone can shrink their whole body, but on the flipside, the pursuit of video vixen style prominent bosoms, flat abs, and enormous derrieres is a tall order for someone who is not genetically shaped that way.

I’ll never forget the time one of my friend’s showed me her booty booster. I’m not sure what the proper name was for that painful looking contraption, but when she put it on underneath her jeans, it significantly boosted her backside.

“Guys like girls with big butts” she told me with a shrug.

Of course “guys like girls with big boobs” too and that is undoubtedly where the inspiration behind padded push up bras — such as Victoria Secret’s “Miraculous” bra — come from. But who really wants to carry around all that extra material just to give off an illusion and to feel good about themselves? There are an excessive amount of devices created to enhance, diminish, distort, and constrict a woman into looking a particular way, but all that stuff has to come off at some point and you’re left feeling inadequate with what you’ve been given naturally. That’s sad.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s important to take pride in our appearance, but there is a fine line between a healthy desire to look our best and unhealthy desperation to be a certain size and have certain curves. And with all the images directed at us acting as though only black women are big yet other images saying being skinny and less than curvy is out of style aren’t helping us get any more healthy. Maybe crazy, but not healthy.

Besides, when taking your full potential into consideration and what it is you bring to this world, does the fact that you’re a slim sista or “thicker than a Snicker” really matter anyway?

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Like most African-American women, I am equipped with curves. Because of my frame, it’s difficult sometimes to decide how I want to look. I can’t throw on something all willy-nilly without wondering if I’m going to be showing off too much of my curves–even if I’m really not trying to. Music videos and songs would have you believe that girls with a “body” just want to drop it like it’s hot,  shake it real fast and show it off. On the contrary, most of us are just trying to find an outfit that doesn’t have men gawking and reaching in their pocket to throw singles. The media has glorified backsides all the way back to Sir Mix-A-Lot’s hit “Baby Got Back.” Trying to find a rap song that doesn’t describe a woman with a large caboose (even if it’s done nicely), is a struggle these days. Google ”black woman with curves” and now all you get are infamous “booty” shots and video models.

With a curvier frame, clothes automatically look different on your body, no matter what you do. A dress may look one way on a mannequin and once you put it on, it magically becomes shorter and it hugs you like you needed some love. It’s inevitable. And there are probably times where you may not even mean to wear something body hugging, but it just happens that way. Knowing this, do you buy clothes a larger size so you have more room, or do you wear your size and flaunt the goods?

I am a strong believer in the idea that the venue always depicts how you should dress. If you are going to run errands, it helps to probably look and feel as laid back as possible, and for work purposes, you know to keep it loose and professional. Now, if you are going out with your girls to a club or happy hour, it may be a more appropriate venue to wear more body hugging clothes.  However, when you do, many times you are faced with glaring stares and men ruthlessly breaking their necks to look at what is behind you, and while some women love the attention, others don’t want it. Unfortunately, when most men see a woman with a larger behind they automatically think of sex, and images from BET Uncut flash in their mind. They tend to look at women with larger behinds and curves as sexual beings. This is partly because a lot of media portrays the curvy woman as the one dancing and working poles.

When I am with my male friends it is so obvious. The way they approach women is COMPLETELY different depending on their body shape.  Even the way they describe a woman is different: for example, if there is a girl who is petite, has a pretty face and dressed reasonably, they approach her with some respect and decency. They spark up regular conversation about the weather and gas prices and drop a compliment here and there. But if they see a female with a small waist, a large behind, and nice legs, it is a whole new game. They approach her with sex in their eyes (and on the brain), some very close and in your face. They might even make a lewd comment or two. There also is a sense of urgency because the faster they talk to you the faster they think they can get between the sheets.  I have seen men literally chase a woman down from what they could see on her from behind. It sounds crazy, but it happens. When he is talking to her, he doesn’t even bother to look at her face for a majority of the time; a lot of the time he is scanning up and down taking mental inventory.  Don’t even get me started on the unnecessary touching.  Conversation just comes off as unnecessary these days; they just ask for your information, and hit you with the “What you doing later?” No nice talk, just lets get down to it.

Every curvy woman has been through this time and time again, and it’s pretty sad. Nobody wants to be approached or looked at in an over-sexualized way. Your value as a woman shouldn’t be affected because you have what is considered a “curvier” frame. It ends up being the woman’s responsibility to try and make sure that she portrays herself in a way that commands respect. Maybe rock that pencil skirt instead of a mini skirt. Maybe wear a higher neck shirt instead of that low-cut top. We have all seen that girl that has it ALL hanging out. What kind of message is she sending? Or should she even care? It all comes down to who you are as a person and what you want to say. There are other ways to attract attention of the opposite sex with things like your smile and confidence, but a lot of men see booty first. There will always be a difference between a curvier woman and a woman with less of a curvy shape. It’s like the difference between Jennifer Lopez and Zoe Saldana. What might look elegant on Zoe will look Hot on JLo. As women, we just need to be in control of who we are and our Hot. Seriously, with all the drama that comes with being curvaceous, I can’t even imagine why some women would want to get butt injections.

The word fat has been getting WORN out these days. Am I right?

While checking out some of the fashions from last night’s American Music Awards, I noticed that all the buzz was surrounding singer Christina Aguilera’s silver Herve Leger dress that was worn during a performance of the song, “Moves Like Jagger” with Maroon 5 (MY JAM). Okay, so homegirl didn’t look all that, and she possibly could have thrown on some SPANX with this skintight look. We get that. But what I’m sick of people saying about this girl and many women in general who dress like her form time to time is that she is FAT.

At this point, with folks still trying their damndest to starve themselves into a size 0 and others saying a size 16 is the new average, who the hell really knows what’s considered, big, small and unhealthy anymore? But when I look at Aguilera in this outfit, I don’t think saying she is fat is fair, and it’s pretty incorrect. If anything, like many women who just want to throw on a freak’em dress and…well…”freak’em,” Aguilera should have worn this dress in a larger size. And with most of her clothing choices these days, which have had to have been too close for comfort for her, she needs to do a better job of dressing for her size and not for the size she wishes she was.

Times are hard for everyone, and I understand that folks would rather try and struggle into jeans they’ve outgrown rather than spend a grip on a new pair of pants, but when I see a lot of women on the street with muffin tops poking out or jeans so tight I can’t breathe, I don’t think, “Damn, she’s SOOOO fat.” Instead, I think, “Wow, that does NOT fit,” and go about my business. I could be alone in thinking that a few style missteps with your size that cause some unsightly lumps, bumps and tires doesn’t make someone a “fatty.”

Buzz about the AskMen.com “Great Male Survey of 2011” has been circling the Interwebs since last week, thanks to its revelation that 48 percent of men surveyed said they would break it off with a woman who stacked on some poundage.

As a self-proclaimed “fatist” – or someone who feels about fat people how David Duke feels about n****s – I think this survey and its results are ridiculously limited in specificity and subject to scrutiny, so I’m here to clear up a few things.

When issuing the survey, I’m not sure if AskMen addressed any of the following three relevant issues: