Since having kids, my clothing style has morphed into what is definitely recognizable as “mommy fashion.” In my closet, you’ll find a few pair of dependable, but not exactly fashionable “mommy jeans,” as well as sweatshirts and sweatpants that I can throw on when I want to feel comfortable or don’t want to worry about what I am wearing.

Now, a good deal of my “fashion” choice (if you could call it that) is caused by my non-skinny waistline. While I once had an enviable physique and ran at least three miles a day, now that I have kids, I am lucky if I get in any exercise in at all. So, rather than squeeze myself into too tight jeans (or admitting that I might need a larger size), I’d rather don baggy jeans or loose-fitting sweats.

 “Fashion” Can Make You Ill
Well, it turns out that while I might be committing multiple crimes against fashion (TV program “What Not to Wear” would have a field day with me), it turns out that by wearing the loose-fitting clothes that I do, I might be doing my health a favor. ABC “Good Morning America” just came out with a report today that says that too-tight jeans can cause everything from nerve discomfort and tingling, abdominal pain and heartburn. Too-tight jeans aren’t the only torturous clothing items to cause discomfort – tummy-slimming undergarments made of Lycra and Spandex can cause the same kind of ills, too, ABC says.

Those pumps and high heels that other women wear (but I don’t, thanks to the bunions I’ve had since I was 9!) can cause discomfort and health ills, too, including sprained ankles, disfigured toes (like my bunions) and arthritis. So I guess I shouldn’t be too sad that my feet condition doesn’t allow me to wear fashionable high heels, or tight boots.

Men’s Fashion Ills

Women might suffer most of the fashion-related health problems, but ABC says men aren’t immune either: They too can get tummy problems from ill-fitting pants, and those ties that they sometimes have to wear can cause tension in the back and neck and, because they aren’t washed very often, are a “breeding ground” for infection. Yuck! I my husband and I have to get those ties washed – before they make one of us sick!

Below is a CBS video from YouTube on the health hazards of tight jeans.