Dressed to Kill--Second Edition: The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras

I had this book in my going to purchase file for several years. After I read the book, I couldn't believe how long it took me to make this purchase. The information presented is not redundant from my point of view. I have never heard of this particular viewpoint in regards to breast cancer. The author gives a glimse of their own journey and research. And when you think about all the information that they present, it actually makes sense. To sum it up . . . This book is about a couple finding out about cancer and the decisions they had to make to save a life and what they chose to do about the information obtained along the way of their journey of healing. It was their personal quest to research breast cancer and what could be the cause that we as a society are overlooking. This book includes the results from a questionaire regarding bras usage and responses from their survey. There is an interesting emphasis on how minimal pressures on the lymphatic system is correlated to breast cancer.

This book was both informative and affirming...and a reminder of the endless ways our societal values control women's bodies. It made me recall back to my teen years when my mother and I had an ongoing battle about my refusal to wear a bra. My mom saw in my actions rebelliousness and promiscuity. My real reasons? What a ridiculous thing to do to my body! How uncomfortable and unatural! I hated the way people would stare at my braless chest, but hated the loathsome binding feeling even more. This book is yet another argument for listening to our intuition and natural common (as opposed to culturally conditioned) sense.

Dressed to Kill should be required reading for all women and their significant others. In clear language, it provides a very logical explanation for something that should be, but is not, common sense. Fasionably tight shoes show their harm through deformation of women's feet. Bras do not provide that clear signal. However, this book provides information for all women to make an informed decision. It was a valuable asset for me and my wife. Many thanks to the authors!

I was surprised the authors actually had some real merit, and not some goofballs making claims that didn't have any real evidence. One is a medical anthropologist and the other has a background in anthropology, psychology, sociology, and environmental studies. Their arguements all makes logical sense. Anyone with some medical background will be familiar with their terminology and descriptions. Sometime a bit repetitive and dry, but overall a great book with lots of detail and something for the medical community to take a second look at.

The authors have discivered that the best weapon in the fight against breast cancer is something that is absolutely free! The book clearly describes a study of almost 5000 women and it shows that the more hours per day that a woman wears a bra, the higher is her risk of breast cancer. The numbers are so overwhelming that this book demands the attention of the medical community and women everywhere. Overall, the difference between 24-hour bra-wearing (yes, many women actually do this) and being bra-free was a 125-fold difference in breast cancer rates. Even wearing them less than 12 hours per day showed an increased risk. Their scientific rationale is that bras can impair the lymphatic circulation of the breast. This causes fluid trapping (cysts), the buildup of toxins and breast damage. The swelling caused by constriction and lack of natural movement is similar to what people notice on long airplane flights when their legs and feet swell from a lack of circulation. Besides their dramatic numbers, what is also convincing is that the authors' theory explains most known risk factors for breast cancer. Looking at the real-world significance of the book, many women that I know who have read this book and tried being bra-free for a few weeks have told of dramatic improvement from breast pain and lumpiness. Years ago, many people thought that the idea of cigarettes causing lung cancer was funny. In "Dressed To Kill," Singer and Grismaijer have shown that bras are nothing to laugh about. And they have shown women that breast cancer prevention can start with a free and simple clothing choice