大号手提包--女性健康杀手Handbags a health hazard for women, experts warned

Large handbags are a health hazard for women, experts warned.

With big handbags becoming a key fashion accessory for working women, health experts are warning they can also become a key health concern.

Bags for women have become bigger and heavier as designers combinebriefcaseswith handbags and straps have become longer but the extra leverage has many patients complaining of neck, shoulder and back problems.

"I see so many women with neck pains and headaches and what I usually do is look for their purse and pick it up," said Jane Sadler, a family practice physician at Baylor Medical Center in Garland, Texas.

"We take it over to the scale and weigh it and usually they're anywhere from 7 to 10 pounds (3.1-4.5 kgs)...We're really going to see women with more and more problems later on if we continue the big purse craze."

William Case, a physical therapist in Houston, Texas, said an aggravated neck or shoulder can lead to upper back problems, meaning pain may then be felt while working at a computer or playing sports.

He urged designers "to place a cute, educational caution tag on all bags to inform of potential neck and shoulder dangers."

Above all, he recommended correct posture while carryingbulkypurses, keeping the head and shoulders aligned upright. Patients should also frequently change the size and weight of purses carried.

"The extra-large purses are quite phenomenal. They look beautiful when the women wear them, but I don't know how aware they are of the potential problems," Case said.

如今，大手提包已成为职业女性一个不可缺少的时尚配件，而健康专家们日前发出警告，手提包也可能会成为一个不可小视的“健康杀手”。

随着设计师将公文包和手提包的功能不断融合，女性用的手提包变得越来越大、越来越重，包带也随之加长，而这种额外的负担则让很多女性感到脖子、肩膀和背部不适。

德克萨斯州加兰市贝勒医疗中心的家庭医生简·萨德勒说：“很多女性都有颈椎病和头疼病，而我通常则会从她们用的手提包来找原因。”

“我们给她们用的手提包称重后发现，这些包的重量通常在6.2斤至9斤之间。如果女性继续用这种包，问题会越来越多。”

德克萨斯州休斯敦的治疗专家威廉姆·凯斯说，颈部和肩膀问题的加重会影响到上背部，也就是说，坐在电脑前工作及进行体育运动时可能会感到上背部疼痛。

他建议设计师们“在所有的包里加上一个可爱的‘温馨提示’标签，以提示女性朋友注意颈部和肩部健康。”

他还特别强调了拎大手提包时要挺直身体。而且，颈椎和肩部有问题的女性应该经常交替使用不同大小和不同重量的包。

凯斯说：“超大号的手提包确实很‘酷’，拎起来也很漂亮。但我不知道女性对于这种包可能带来的潜在健康问题究竟了解多少。”

Vocabulary:
briefcase: 公文包
bulky: of large size（体积大的）