# Are female breasts the feature with the largest variation? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 5, 2005, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-female-breasts-the-feature-with-the-largest-variation/320232 "2005-09-05T19:46:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-female-breasts-the-feature-with-the-largest-variation/320232/1 "2005-09-05T19:46:24Z")
It seems to me that no other feature (nose, ears, head, penis, etc) has such a size variation from human to human as female breasts. Some women have essentially non-existent breasts (mass-wise) while others have breasts the size of watermelons. And these are not low probablity occurances; a decent percent of women occupy the two extremes. If you exclude extremely rare events, like someone who has a 3-foot long penis, I think that the ratio of the largest breast to the smallest breast easily eclipses the corresponding ratio for any other human feature. Is this true, and if so, do you guys have any idea why? ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-female-breasts-the-feature-with-the-largest-variation/320232/2 "2005-09-05T19:48:47Z")
You’re forgetting body hair, though I grant you it’s not living tissue like your other examples. ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-female-breasts-the-feature-with-the-largest-variation/320232/3 "2005-09-05T20:03:52Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > You’re forgetting body hair, though I grant you it’s not living tissue like your other examples. I think we can count body hair, and you may have a point here. Interestingly, one aspect breasts and body hair have in common is that they are both secondary sexual characteristics. I think there is one difference in their size variation: breast size varies a lot within a homogenous population (e.g. among Italian women), whereas the amount of body hair varies across populations (e.g. between Italian and Swedish men) but within any given population (e.g. Swedes) there is not that much variation. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-female-breasts-the-feature-with-the-largest-variation/320232/4 "2005-09-05T20:26:24Z")
Hmmm…well, you _may_ have something there, but you have to factor in the fact that it’s a feature (unlike penises or noses or…what have you) that is corrolated to overall body mass. Now, of course there are skinny woman with watermelon sized breast and fat women who’s tits don’t get any bigger, but generally your tits gain or lose weight when you do. So if we’re talking about _genetic_ variation, you have to take circumstancial variation in first. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-female-breasts-the-feature-with-the-largest-variation/320232/5 "2005-09-05T20:30:32Z")
What about hips (you can include upper thigh in that as well)? Butts? Just using women as an example: there are women of all shapes and sizes. There are women with no more than 30 inch hips (models, women with “a body like a teenage boy,” etc.) and there are women who can have a flat stomach but still have 45+ inch hips (then, of course, there are women who are even bigger naturally- just wide hips). The same goes for butts: totally flat to a huuuge, Jlo aint got nothing on this booty. ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-female-breasts-the-feature-with-the-largest-variation/320232/6 "2005-09-05T21:08:05Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > There are women with no more than 30 inch hips (models, women with “a body like a teenage boy,” etc.) and there are women who can have a flat stomach but still have 45+ inch hips (then, of course, there are women who are even bigger naturally- just wide hips). But 45/30 is only 1.5, so the largest hips are only 1.5 times larger than the smallest hips on flat-stomach women. I think the largest breasts are about 100 times larger than the smallest breasts on similarly-sized women. > [@](#): > > The same goes for butts: totally flat to a huuuge, Jlo aint got nothing on this booty. You may have something there. Some people have absolutely no butt! ---
**Author:** ![Giant\_Spongess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@Giant\_Spongess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giant_Spongess)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-female-breasts-the-feature-with-the-largest-variation/320232/7 "2005-09-05T21:24:05Z")
One of the greatest ironies I ever witnessed was a woman with what amounted to enlarged nipples saying that women shouldn’t bind their breasts. :smack: I told this to my DDD roommate, who just rolled her eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-female-breasts-the-feature-with-the-largest-variation/320232/8 "2005-09-05T21:39:56Z")
> [@Polerius](#): > > But 45/30 is only 1.5, so the largest hips are only 1.5 times larger than the smallest hips on flat-stomach women. > > I think the largest breasts are about 100 times larger than the smallest breasts on similarly-sized women. Are you measuring that by cup size, or volume, or…? ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-female-breasts-the-feature-with-the-largest-variation/320232/9 "2005-09-05T21:57:12Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Are you measuring that by cup size, or volume, or…? Volume, or mass. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-female-breasts-the-feature-with-the-largest-variation/320232/10 "2005-09-05T23:08:27Z")
What about feet? ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-female-breasts-the-feature-with-the-largest-variation/320232/11 "2005-09-05T23:15:51Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > What about feet? Orthotics: The WonderBra of the podiatric world. 😃 Seriously now. If one can measure ratio differences of 100:1 in breast mass, I am gonna admit that the example stands alone. Find me an adult with a size 5 shoe and a size 500 shoe. Heck, find me an adult with a size 3 shoes and a size 32 shoe- in the same percentages per capita. Ain’t gonna happen. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-female-breasts-the-feature-with-the-largest-variation/320232/12 "2005-09-05T23:31:41Z")
Man boobs. They’re either there or they’re not. That’s a pretty big variation. ---
**Author:** ![Sarah\_Woodruff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sarah\_Woodruff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarah_Woodruff)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-female-breasts-the-feature-with-the-largest-variation/320232/13 "2005-09-05T23:53:57Z")
> [@TheLoadedDog](#): > > Man boobs. > > They’re either there or they’re not. That’s a pretty big variation. Hi Mr Latham! 😉 Boob size and adult body hair are both very hormonally influenced - whereas bones (feet, pelvis etc.) aren’t. Maybe that’s why. ---
**Author:** ![Sevastopol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Sevastopol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevastopol)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-female-breasts-the-feature-with-the-largest-variation/320232/14 "2005-09-06T02:46:06Z")
eyelashes fingernails earlobes (y/n) webbing melanin lactose enzymes ---
**Author:** ![Catalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@Catalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catalyst)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-female-breasts-the-feature-with-the-largest-variation/320232/15 "2005-09-06T05:08:42Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > Jlo aint got nothing on this booty. You knew this was coming … Cite? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-female-breasts-the-feature-with-the-largest-variation/320232/16 "2005-09-06T05:28:39Z")
> [@Catalyst](#): > > You knew this was coming … > > Cite? 😛 Oh I didn’t mean me. I’ve got ye olde white girl booty (booty hardly should qualify here). It’s there, but it isn’t ghetto-fied, JLo booty. 😛 Me? I gots the boobies. But no, no you cannot have a cite. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-female-breasts-the-feature-with-the-largest-variation/320232/17 "2005-09-06T05:30:30Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > Seriously now. If one can measure ratio differences of 100:1 in breast mass, I am gonna admit that the example stands alone. **If**. Are there ZZZZ bras out there? Unless we’re talking about comparing the breasts of an anorexic woman to those of an 800lb woman, I can’t see the 1 to 100 being possible. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-female-breasts-the-feature-with-the-largest-variation/320232/18 "2005-09-06T05:44:05Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > **If**. Are there ZZZZ bras out there? Unless we’re talking about comparing the breasts of an anorexic woman to those of an 800lb woman, I can’t see the 1 to 100 being possible. I did some research (hey! in the name of science!). For what it’s worth: [Link with all kinds of “largest” “smallest” “most” sexual things (no direct photos, but obviously the language may not be safe for work). There is also a photo (under largest breasts section, follows two click rules) of some amazingly huge breasts.](http://www.sexualrecords.com/WSRphysiology.html) [This lady (just an article, SFW) wants to go up to 42 XXX, which would make her have the world’s largest breasts](http://www.impactlab.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=3870) [The Great One speaks!](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/000714.html) ---
**Author:** ![Sarah\_Woodruff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sarah\_Woodruff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarah_Woodruff)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-female-breasts-the-feature-with-the-largest-variation/320232/19 "2005-09-06T07:59:27Z")
Yikes!!! Poor woman! And your Traumatising Photo of the Day was brought to you by… **DiosaBellissima!** :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-female-breasts-the-feature-with-the-largest-variation/320232/20 "2005-09-06T12:43:14Z")
> [@TheLoadedDog](#): > > Man boobs. > > They’re either there or they’re not. That’s a pretty big variation. But that’s mostly a factor of the man’s bodyweight. With female breasts, it’s very common to have two women with a similar body frame, yet have breasts that are extremely different in size. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-female-breasts-the-feature-with-the-largest-variation/320232.md?page=2)