Study: As skirt sizes go up, so does the risk of breast cancer
Researchers at University College London say women who find themselves going up a skirt size every 10 years after hitting their mid-20s have a 33 percent greater risk of getting breast cancer after menopause.
"If skirt size could be confirmed by others as a good predictor of breast cancer risk in older women, this would be a very simple and easy way to monitor weight gain," Professor Usha Menon, the study's leader, told BBC News.
More than 90,000 women in their 50s and 60s living in England were tracked for the study, and during a three year follow-up period, 1,090 developed breast cancer. The researchers found that for every single increase in skirt size (i.e. going from a size 8 to size 10) each decade between 25 and post-menopause, there was a 33 percent increased risk of breast cancer. Going up two skirt sizes was linked to a 77 percent greater risk.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Researchers acknowledged that they were relying on the women to accurately remember their skirt sizes from many years ago, but if the link proves true, it could help people understand the connection between cancer and obesity. "We know that 40 percent of breast cancers could be prevented by changes to lifestyle such as being regularly active and maintaining a healthy weight," said Simon Vincent of Breakthrough Breast Cancer. "This study highlights an easy way to monitor your weight gain over time. Women are more likely to remember their skirt size when they were younger than their BMI."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Earth's magnetic North Pole is shifting toward Russia
Under the radar The pole is on the move
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Four invigorating paths for solo travelers to take in 2025
The Week Recommends New year, new opportunities to see the world on your own terms
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Pam Bondi, Trump's new pick for attorney general
In The Spotlight Bondi was selected after Trump's first pick, Matt Gaetz, removed himself from contention
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
ACA opens 2025 enrollment, enters 2024 race
Speed Read Mike Johnson promises big changes to the Affordable Care Act if Trump wins the election
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
McDonald's sued over E. coli linked to burger
Speed Read The outbreak has sickened at least 49 people in 10 states and left one dead
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Texas dairy worker gets bird flu from infected cow
Speed Read The virus has been spreading among cattle in Texas, Kansas, Michigan and New Mexico
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Dengue hits the Americas hard and early
Speed Read Puerto Rico has declared an epidemic as dengue cases surge
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US bans final type of asbestos
Speed Read Exposure to asbestos causes about 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Seattle Children's Hospital sues Texas over 'sham' demand for transgender medical records
Speed Read Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton subpoenaed records of any Texan who received gender-affirming care at the Washington hospital
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Afghanistan has a growing female suicide problem
Speed Read The Taliban has steadily whittled away women's and girls' rights in Afghanistan over the past 2 years, prompting a surge in depression and suicide
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US life expectancy rose in 2022 but not to pre-pandemic levels
Speed Read Life expectancy is slowly crawling back up
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published