The Morning: A rise in breast reductions

Plus, the North Carolina governor's race, Hezbollah and food prices.

View in browser|nytimes.com September 20, 2024 SUPPORTED BY Good morning. Today, my colleague Lisa Miller explains the surge in breast-reduction surgeries. We're also covering the North Carolina governor's race, Hezbollah and food prices. —David Leonhardt Cheyenne Lin, 26, had constant back pain before her surgery. Maggie Shannon for The New York Times Cosmetic change By Lisa Miller Lisa Miller tells stories about how people care for themselves for the Well section. Fashion is cyclical, and so are fashionable body types. Katharine Hepburn gave way to Marilyn Monroe, who gave way to Twiggy. Madonna was overtaken by Kate Moss. Then Kardashian voluptuousness blew up heroin chic. But when Stella Bugbee, the editor of the Times's Styles section, pointed me to data showing a 64 percent surge in elective breast-reduction surgeries since 2019, we both knew this was more than a fad. I wanted to find out what was happening. Breast reductions have risen in every age group, but especially among patients under 30. Why would more than 70,000 women each year submit to anesthesia, a painful recovery and possible changes to nipple sensation? Why would they risk their ability to breastfeed? It's hard to pinpoint exactly why fashions change. The reason can be a simple rejection of what came before. But sometimes fashion reflects massive political and cultural shifts. Punk manifested the populist fury of anti-Thatcher Britain. Vintage and thrift styles reflect Gen Z's environmentalism. Women's suffrage, the sexual revolution, the entry of women into the professional work force, #MeToo — all these history-making moments have changed not just how women think of themselves but their outward presentation as well. I wrote a story about the new preference for small-breastedness, which The Times published today. In today's newsletter, I'll explain. Lifting a burden Plastic surgeons say their breast-reduction patients are propelled by social media and word of mouth. They've consumed breast-reduction content online, in graphic and intimate detail, and now these young women regard the procedure as a liberation, attainable for a four- or five-figure fee. (Getting insurance to cover any elective breast reduction is a struggle.) "I am more than my baby-making and -feeding parts," is how they put it to Kelly Killeen, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills. The patients talked about the psychic and physical toll of growing up with bigger breasts: constant male attention, disapproval and shaming from parents and teachers who push girls to cover themselves up. Cheyenne Lin, 26, told me about standing in line during recess in elementary school when a teacher reached down and pulled her shirt collar, which had slipped down her shoulder, up to her neck. "I thought I was doing something wrong, but it was just — I had boobs," she said. They lamented being unable to comfortably run track, figure skate, snowboard, hike or dance at their own parties. They bind their breasts with double sports bras. They can't shop in regular retail stores. They're mortified by having to wear special bras and bathing suits with thick support straps. Before her reduction, Lin's breasts were asymmetrical. Starting in her sophomore year of college, she had such constant, searing back pain that she felt trapped in the body of a 70-year-old. When I met her in Los Angeles the week after her surgery, she spoke about her former breasts in derogatory terms, having turned the negative attention of the world on herself. They were "kind of flat and saggy," she said. She began to hate them so much that she averted her eyes when she toweled off after the shower. 'Men need to change' Still, I wondered. We have been living through a revolutionary era of body acceptance. I sent my own daughter to a sleepaway camp where the rule was "no body talk": Girls were not to comment on other girls' physical appearance, for any reason. In my friend groups, we are scrupulously careful not to pass down a previous generation's damaging obsession with thinness and dieting, and we tell our daughters how beautiful they are, whatever their shape. So the idea that breast reduction is a liberation puzzled me. Isn't it just another tool that helps women conform to a body type that is endorsed by the wider culture and is amplified by influencers on TikTok wearing bikinis on yachts? Isn't it an expensive way to be able to wear tube tops and smock dresses in a flattering way? Maybe reductions are mirror image of breast augmentation, still one of the top plastic surgery procedures in the country, at about 300,000 per year. The answer, or a partial answer, came in a series of conversations with the sociologist Sarah Thornton, who in May published "Tits Up," a social history of the breast. As desirable as it may be, it is actually impossible to exist as a woman in the world without absorbing all the thoughts and feelings everyone else has about her body, she reminded me. And breasts, especially bigger breasts, draw a disproportionate amount of attention. Starting at puberty, girls with larger breasts are both oversexualized and critiqued for being droopy, saggy, flabby — and other adjectives associated with aging. "We all want to live in a world where we're not bothered by our appearance, but that's not the reality we're living in right now," Thornton said. "If women are going to have an emancipated rack, then men need to change." A MESSAGE FROM AT&T iPhone 16 Pro with AT&T Learn how to get the new iPhone 16 Pro on AT&T and the latest iPhone every year with AT&T Next Up Anytime℠. Learn More THE LATEST NEWS North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times In posts on an online porn forum more than a decade ago, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson of North Carolina, the Republican nominee for governor, described himself as a "black NAZI" and defended slavery, CNN reported. Robinson, who denied the posts were his, has a history of offensive remarks. He has quoted Adolf Hitler and suggested a lack of Christian teachings is to blame for school shootings. Some aides to Donald Trump had hoped Robinson would withdraw, fearing his scandals will make it harder for Trump to win the swing state. Robinson vowed to stay in the race. Democratic Campaign Kamala Harris and Oprah Winfrey. Kenny Holston/The New York Times Oprah Winfrey hosted a livestream forum for Kamala Harris. Guests included a teenager who was shot at school and the family of a woman who died as a consequence of Georgia's abortion ban. Harris outspent Trump by 20 to 1 on Facebook and Instagram the week of their debate, a sign of their uneven online advertising battle. Dane County in suburban Madison, Wis., is the fastest-growing county in the swing state. Democrats see promise: The people moving there tend to vote for them. Republican Campaign Trump said "the Jewish people would have a lot to do" with it if he loses the election, describing Jews who vote for Democrats as "voting for the enemy." Trump's allies are pushing Nebraska's Republican-dominated legislature to change how the state awards electoral votes for president, making it easier for Trump to win them all. Trump's pledge to visit Springfield, Ohio, where he has falsely accused Haitian immigrants of eating pets, has alarmed residents. JD Vance said he would keep referring to Haitians in the city, most of whom are in the U.S. legally, as illegal aliens. Mike DeWine, Ohio's Republican governor, who was born in Springfield, criticized Trump and Vance's comments. "This rhetoric hurts the city and its people," he wrote in Times Opinion. U.S. Economy President Biden called the Federal Reserve's interest rate cut "a new phase of our economy and our recovery," but said he was not declaring victory on the high cost of living. Stocks reached new highs after the Fed's rate cut fueled financial optimism. Mortgage rates continued to drop, which could reinvigorate the housing market. Should you refinance your mortgage after the interest rate cut? Here's how to decide. More on Politics Trump with his Secret Service detail. Doug Mills/The New York Times Lawmakers are discussing increasing the Secret Service's budget after two assassination attempts against Trump. Some Republicans are resisting. A 76-year-old convicted drug dealer from Alaska was arrested after threatening to kill Supreme Court justices. Gun ownership among Democrats is rising. Researchers partly attribute the shift to a volatile political climate, The Wall Street Journal reports. New York Magazine placed its Washington correspondent on leave after she disclosed a personal relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Middle East In Beirut, Lebanon. Diego Ibarra Sanchez for The New York Times The leader of Hezbollah said that the group would retaliate against Israel for the exploding electronics attacks that killed 37 people in Lebanon this week. Hours after his speech, Israel carried out dozens of airstrikes against Hezbollah. The pager attacks were proof of Israel's technological and spycraft might. Their strategic goal was less clear. The attacks turned ordinary devices into miniature grenades — an unsettling development for a world where everything is connected to the internet, David Sanger writes. Other Big Stories The sheriff of a rural Kentucky county walked into a courthouse and fatally shot a district judge after an argument, the police said. Multiple women accused Mohamed al-Fayed, the billionaire former owner of the British department store Harrods, of rape and sexual assault. Fayed died last year at 94. Nike announced the sudden retirement of its chief executive as the company struggles with declining sales and a falling stock price. Opinions After leaving Fox News, Tucker Carlson has become even more effective at uniting anti-establishment, MAGA Republicans, Jason Zengerle writes. As weight-loss drugs explode in popularity, the medical community needs to develop a definition of obesity that emphasizes health risks, not just body size, Julia Belluz writes. Here are columns by Michelle Goldberg on Elon Musk's destruction of Twitter and Pamela Paul on the medical establishment. Readers of The Morning: Don't miss out on a full year of savings. From in-depth coverage of Decision 2024 to unlimited news and analysis, Games, Cooking, The Athletic and more, subscribe now for only $1 a week for your first year. MORNING READS Allie Sullberg 'True prices': Damage to the environment isn't factored into the price of food. Researchers want to expose this hidden cost by displaying it — in dollars — to consumers. Wheel hustlers: These New Yorkers are making thousands of dollars by moving Citi Bikes around the block. Legumes: Experts weigh in on the health benefits of bean and chickpea pastas — and how to make it taste good. Reconstruction: Prehistoric Earth was very hot. That offers clues about the planet's future. State of the unions: The Times covered their wedding in 2018. Through miscarriage and a high-risk pregnancy, their relationship has remained strong. Lives Lived: JD Souther was part of a coterie of musicians around Los Angeles who circled a peaceful, country-inflected rock sound in the late 1960s. Souther played a central role in the rise of the Eagles, writing or co-writing some of their best-known songs. He died at 78. SPORTS M.L.B.: Shohei Ohtani became the first player in league history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season. N.F.L.: Aaron Rodgers and the Jets defeated the Patriots, 24-3, showcasing how good New York can be with Rodgers healthy. W.N.B.A.: The Atlanta Dream clinched the final spot in the postseason after defeating the New York Liberty. See the bracket here. A MESSAGE FROM AT&T iPhone 16 Pro with AT&T Learn how to get the new iPhone 16 Pro on AT&T and the latest iPhone every year with AT&T Next Up Anytime℠. Learn More ARTS AND IDEAS Jad Sleiman, an owner of the Bushwick Comedy Club. Jeenah Moon for The New York Times Many comedy clubs book stand-ups based on networking and follower counts. And while live comedy has recovered well from the pandemic, the gulf in influence between celebrity comics and gifted young unknowns has grown, the Times comedy columnist Jason Zinoman writes. A new venue — the Bushwick Comedy Club — is trying to challenge the establishment. "Simply put, we're going to actually watch submission tapes," one of the owners told Jason. More on culture David Lauterstein, a founder of the sex-meets-street brand Nasty Pig, has reimagined fetish-inspired apparel for 30 years. His new memoir is a colorful portrait of gay New York in the 90s. The Frick Collection selected Axel Rüger, the chief executive of the Royal Academy of Arts in London, as its next leader. Seth Meyers discussed the false claims about Haitian migrants in Springfield. "By the way, if your cat goes missing, why would your first guess be someone ate it?" THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Armando Rafael for The New York Times Make a cold-weather friendly Caesar salad. Visit London's most distinctive shops. Add these lamps to your bedside table. Expedite cooking with a food processor. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangrams were eligibility, illegibility and legibility. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. To stop receiving The Morning, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. 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