America and The Well Endowed Woman

It's a fact: people in America, and not just men, idolize big breasts.

Every year, American women spend millions of dollars on breast implants, cosmetic procedures to improve their breasts, breast enlargement pills, pumps and creams.

Considering the role that big breasts play in our culture and society, the amount of time, energy, money and emotion that goes into breast enlargement seems justified. But why do men like big breasts?

You may be surprised to learn that not all men like big breasts (and we're not talking about gay men) - that the male fascination with massive mammaries is relatively recent, and is a localized phenomenon.

Not all men like big breasts "Beauty" and standards of what is attractive and what isn't is defined by culture. American culture and society currently idolize big breasts on tall, slender figures (a combination almost never found in nature).

Have you ever seen ancient Greek or Roman sculptures at the museum? You may recall that even the goddess of love, Aphrodite/Venus, wasn't burdened with cleavage. These ancient beauties were instead well-proportioned with breasts that fit their frames.

Big breast fascination: an evolutionary perspective Evolutionary biologists have discovered that a lot of the physical traits we consider attractive have a sound basis in genetics. Choosing the right mate obviously is a very important decision - so our genes have, over time, learned to help us out. We tend to find indications of health to be attractive. Signs of disease, malnutrition, or general unfitness are perceived as unattractive.

Here's another explanation that's easier to believe: larger breasts indicate adequate stores of subcutaneous fat, which is a sign of health. Flat breasts may indicate a post-menopausal woman who is no longer able to have children and therefore not an ideal mate from the evolutionary perspective.

Is it all just marketing? Some sociologists scoff at the evolutionary explanations offered above. They theorize that the American male fascination with big breasts is driven by the advertising and media machine. Whether or not one agrees with any of the explanations of why men like big breasts, it's important to realize that the male fascination is real. People perceived as beautiful, on average, are promoted faster at work, where they make more money. They get better service. And they marry more attractive partners.

It's a tough time and place for women without big breasts.