Is your bag a health hazard?

Why your trendy oversized It-bag could be a health hazard

If you’ve bought in to the trend for oversized It-bags, you could be putting your health at risk, warn experts.

While men fit everything they need into a slimline wallet that slips happily into their jeans pockets, women are placing unnecessary strain on their necks, shoulders and back with bags bordering on suitcases.

The biggest culprit? Super-sized designer bags - like the Balenciaga Lariat (pictured) - that have filtered their way to the high street via celebrities like Nicole Richie and Victoria Beckham.

In the past five years, researchers say, the burden on a woman's shoulder has increased 38% to an average of 5.2lbs.

‘More and more women are coming to see me with neck, shoulder and back pain, caused by heavy handbags,’ says physiotherapist Sammy Margo.

‘Some women carry as much as 11lbs around every day, which long-term can cause serious problems.’

The problem, she says, is that you’ll inevitably fill your bag, no matter how large it is – and some should come with a health warning.

The solution? If you can’t turn your back on the trend, do it a favour - make your It bag a 'for show only' purchase.