Breast Enlargement by Region

Recently CNN reported that breast and butt enhancement surgical procedures declined 7% and 36%, respectively; Bilbo wisely commented on the desires of humans to fend off the consequences of time and aging, noting that face lifts, cheek implants, and eyelid lifts increased.

In a statistical mode, I looked into this subject matter, and found some interesting 2006 statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons:

"According to statistics compiled in 2006 by the ASPS, breast augmentation is the most popular in the Mountain region (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming) and Pacific region (Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington), with 36 percent of cosmetic surgery patients in those states undergoing breast augmentation. The second most popular region for breast augmentation, with 19 percent of patients undergoing the procedure, is the South Atlantic region ( Delaware, Washington, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Puerto Rico). Breast augmentation in the South Central, North Central, and New England/Middle Atlantic regions accounts for 17 percent, 15 percent, and 13 percent of cosmetic surgery procedures, respectively."

An article in Slate remarked that it was a red state phenomenon, which must have been really news in California!  Somehow, I never thought of a boob job as a political statement, but Eastern journalists see right-wing politics in everything, I guess.  Maybe it's kind of like looking for a Boogerman under their beds?  Anyway, the we can say that residents of warmer, sunnier states are more likely to elect this procedure, presumably because they have more opportunties to have their bodies on display. Curiously, there is also a time zone relationship: PST and MST states have higher rates than CST and EST states.  I can't conceive of any reason why that might happen.

As for size of inplants adopted, there does not seem to be regional statistics, but a woman in Texas got some sized 38KKK.  Now she must have required an industrial-strength bra!  Of course, we must remember how the Grand Tetons got their name!  I read that the L.A. area is particularly noted for large-sized implants.  It's not a surprise to anyone that Seth MacFarlane honored them at the Academy Awards with his somewhat crass song "We Saw Your Boobs"!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwDZFqW75_0

But where are women more likely to express interest in breast implants?  I happened to find this map:

 

Salt Lake City coming in number one was an utter surprise, with searches for breast implants running 74% above average being the highest in the nation.  Maybe someone can come up with an explanation for this that makes sense, as well as why the West Coast has about three times the rate of breast implants as does New England.