This page written circa 4 February, 2025.
Thirty years ago, a D or DD bra size was considered large in Australia; a "12B or C" was the mode. Now, a 12D or 14DD is common. More scientifically, in 1989 the average female breast was at 405g, but by 2012 it was 727g, or about 80% larger in 23 years, even without allowing for surgical effects. The lyrics of Don Walker's song "My Girl" needs the line in the last verse to be updated to read "PhDs that could bust a G cup" to stay with the times.
Although E-F-G-H bra sizes are now common, strap sizes have not increased commensurately. In other words, the obesity epidemic is not the (sole) cause. To summarise the rather padded (sic) documentary, it is likely but unproven that man-made chemicals are responsible, perhaps from fire retardants, perfumes, plastics, etc. There are certainly a lot of persistent, unnatural molecules in circulation: The film reports one set of tests that detected DDT in breast milk from an Australian mother who had been born ten years after DDT was completely banned in Australia. There is even a case in Truly Strange of a man who works with scents and perfumes needing a mastectomy.
Several people have remarked to me discretely something that I have suspected for many years: The mean optical attractiveness of ladies in New Zealand is well below that of those in California. Figuring that Californians and pakeha Kiwis are basically from the same genetic stock, I attributed this to a mixture of the relative cultural emphasis on presentation, plus the impact of various medical interventions from the work of 'medical beauty technicians' to full surgery. Could it instead, or as well, be accidental biological interference? The concentrations are way higher in the USA.
I have dabbled in online dating for more than 2 years now. I have read a statistically significant number of profiles. I was beginning to wonder if large breasts might decrease a lady's chances of being single, and thus in my pool. Mr AI-google assures me that "according to current research, there is no significant correlation between breast size and divorce rate." Digging around the topic is what led me to the Truly Strange documentary that headlines this essay. Perhaps it is my age bracket that accounts for the perceived underperformance.
First observation:
With this large rate of change,
a great deal of online statistical information is just plain out of date.
You need to look at the date to check that you are not looking at the past.
At least by 2015, it was clear that Scotland and the South of England had
something going for them,
according to the upper diagram at right.
Plus, as usual, the Nordics maintain their appeal, according to the middle diagram
(sadly not dated, and I suspect out of date already).
Second observation:
As a scientist I must wonder why the bra sizing schemes are so arbitrary.
Strap numbering standards vary from region to region.
There are "sister sizes" that correspond to the same body circumference.
Surely breast sprung volume in millilitres and
chest "underbust" (rib cage) circumference in centimetres
would be far more repeatable and clear?
Third observation:
Mythbusters have shown
here
that larger breast size leads to increased tips, all other factors remaining unchanged.
Thus the last 25 years have roughly done the equivalent of increasing tips
given (in the US at least) to female servers by men to the extent of 30%,
and surprisingly from women by 40%.
Unless there is a health risk discovered with whatever is causing the boost,
it's a plus for the majority of women.
It is certainly a good thing for those of us who appreciate bathykolpian ladies.