Monday, October 20, 2008

Shrinking Swedish Boobs

One of Sweden’s enduring stereotypes is tall blonde girls running around with big boobs. With that in mind it seems that scholars are keen on understanding more about Swedish breasts. Earlier I wrote about a professor who did a study about early bra usage leading to saggy Swedish boobs. An unfortunate, and apparently unforeseen, side-effect of bra usage. Now the studies continue. And on another important boob issue. This time not sagginess, but size.

It seems that the good researchers down at Lund University are at it again. Possibly the leading university in terms of well publicized studies involving breasts, researchers have found that drinking lots of coffee can lead to shrinking breasts. In a country that consumes a whole lot of coffee this could have far reaching consequences. Of course, it can also lead to shrinking risk of breast cancer. Tradeoffs. We face them every day.

For some reason, while I think this study is kind of funny, I have a much easier time accepting this study than the study about saggy boobs. For a couple of reasons. One being that this has some ties to breast cancer. And also because the researching professor was a woman. Which might be sexist. I don’t really know.

The study about saggy boobs that I wrote about a while back was carried out by an old man. The focus being the sexification and pressure placed on women in terms of their breasts. So basically an old guy was staring at boobs all day and calling it research. At least here a woman was staring at boobs all day and trying to tie it in with breast cancer. Which I must say ranks a bit higher, in my opinion, in terms of important subjects to research.

But in the end what I think is important doesn’t matter. It is the intellectual elite of Sweden who bear that burden. And they have spoken. Lund University has made it clear that Swedish boobs are important. Important enough to study what makes them sag and what makes them shrink. Oh to be a professor…

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13 comments:

  1. Haha, i read about that study too, in metro some day ago. I think the reason why these studies end up in the papers are just because they sound funny and people react on them. Papers wanting to catch the reader's attention, not having anything important to write about.

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  2. I confess, I saw that article too. In a doctor's voice:"We are stuck with boobs, Mr. Swede, arent' we", LOL! Lund doesn't seem like a bad place to live in after all! Forget the crime and storms, they've got boobs!

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  3. @izi - I think you're exactly right. and actually I was sitting on the train, I think it was Friday when the article came out in Metro, and a mother and her high school aged daughter were actually reading it and commenting about it in hushed voices while taking glances down at their own chests. Which was pretty damn funny to see.

    @smek - well said. Lund it is.

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  4. I hate to be the bearer of bad news because of reactions just like yours...

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  5. ok, is it really true then that if your breast are smaller you have a better chance against breast cancer? is that what they are saying. i always heard it doesn't matter what size they are still can get breast cancer.

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  6. well if you believe the previous studies. the article from The Local says the following:

    "Woman with an average weight but big breasts and a high number of mammary glands run an above average risk of developing breast cancer.

    Previous studies have shown that women can reduce this risk by drinking at least three cups of coffee a day.

    Jernström wanted to know if there was a further correlation: If drinking coffee and breast size were both connected to the risk of developing breast cancer, could there also be a link between coffee and cup size?

    Studies carried out on almost 270 women showed that there was indeed a clear connection between coffee and smaller breasts. The results of Jernström's findings have been published in the British Journal of Cancer."

    http://www.thelocal.se/15016/20081016/

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  7. I have my doubts. The article speaks of correlation, but doesn't draw a clear link indicating causation. Perhaps well-endowed women just drink less coffee?

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  8. could be. its always a bit of a jump from correlation to causation.

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  9. That's just depressing man...

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  10. there's a good chance this news is going to hurt Sweden's reputation around the world. or at least their stereotypical reputation.

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  11. Hm, that makes no sense....I have a lot of Swedish blood, plus the 'assets', and I drink a pot or more of coffee per day.

    Same with all of my female relatives. :)

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  12. well theres always an exception to the rule. and it sounds like you and your femal relatives lucked out.

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