Five Fashion Items That Are Bad for Your Health

After the actual movies, the Academy Awards are all about fashion.  But here's a list from Glamour magazine of the seven most dangerous things you can wear . . . because they can end up damaging your health.

1.  Ties. If they're too tight, they can reduce circulation to your brain, and make your shoulders and back more tense.

According to a study at Cornell, 67% of men either wear their ties too tight, or wear dress shirts that aren't big enough around the neck.

Plus, ties aren't cleaned very often, so they transmit infections more easily than other types of clothing.

2.  Skinny Jeans. Whether you're a man or a woman, they can cause digestive problems and lower back pain.

And they might even cause a condition called "semicircular lipoatrophy" . . . also known as "ribbed thighs" . . . where horizontal lesions grow on your upper legs.  The same thing goes for Spanx, which can also cause nerve compression.

3.  High Heels. Obviously, you can turn an ankle pretty easily.  But heels over two inches have also been linked to bunions, hammer toes, and stress fractures.

4.  Flip-Flops. They're even worse than high heels.  According to research from Auburn University, your toes have to be slightly clenched to keep them on, which changes the way you walk.

And that can lead to long-term issues with your ankles and hips.

5.  A Heavy Handbag or Shoulder Bag. If you always carry it on the same side . . . which most people do . . . it can throw your back out of alignment.

According to the American Chiropractic Association, a woman's handbag should weigh no more than 10% of her body weight.  So if you weigh 120 pounds, your handbag should be 12 pounds or less.