Have you heard or read about the latest fashion-is-bad-for-your-health fiasco? Apparently, skinny jeans are the new health hazard—especially if you squat in them.
In case you missed it (and it was really hard to miss it, since it was ALL over the news), a 35-year-old skinny jean–wearing woman in Australia was taken to the emergency room and had to have her jeans cut off of her. After helping someone move and squatting for long periods while emptying cupboards, she felt numbness in her feet and tripped and fell on her walk home. She spent several hours stranded, unable to move. She was finally taken to the ER and put on an intravenous drip.
On day four, when she could walk unaided, she was released. I can't help but wonder what she wore for the ride home.
Are all of us skinny jean lovers in danger? Is our love affair with our skinny jeans over?
Thank goodness cool heads prevail. Gary Switzer, publisher of the website HealthNewsReview.org, sets the record straight. His website investigates daily health news and puts all the stories circulating out there into proper perspective. Yes, the media can sometimes go to great lengths to nab the public's attention—and with this skinny jean story, they probably sent millions of women into a fashion frenzy.
Switzer writes: “A single case study of one woman's problems from wearing skinny jeans drew global news attention."
Yes, that's right. ONE study fanned the flames of hysteria. ONE story screaming internationally, with headlines like:
"Skinny Jeans Hospitalize 'Fashion Victim' for Four Days"
"Painful Skinny Jeans Land a Woman in the Hospital"
"Here's How Skinny Jeans Are Hurting Your Health"
The moral of the story? Well, I think there might be a few (feel free to add your own):
- Don't squat for prolonged periods while wearing skinny jeans. (I don't know about you, but for me, that's hardly a problem. My squatting time ability is not what it was when I was 35. Not by a long shot. If I'm gonna squat, it's at the gym while sporting lots of forgiving Lycra.)
- Don't wear skinny jeans to help someone pack to move; instead, put on your yoga pants. Better yet, convince them to hire a professional mover who, chances are, is not wearing skinny jeans.
- Save the skinny jeans for days when you're not sitting or squatting for an extended time. Skinny jeans are like stilettos: they may look nice, but you can't go very far in them.
This post originally appeared on mysocalledmidlife.net.
