With big handbags becoming a key fashion accessory(1) for working women, health experts are warning they can also become a key health concern.

    Bags for women have become bigger and heavier as designers combine briefcases with handbags and straps(2) have become longer but the extra leverage has many patients complaining of neck, shoulder and back problems.

    "I see so many women with neck pains and headaches and what I usually do is look for their purse and pick it up," said Jane Sadler, a family practice physician on the medical staff at Baylor Medical Center in Garland, Texas.

    "We take it over to the scale and weigh it and usually they're anywhere from 7 to 10 pounds (3.1-4.5 kgs)...We're really going to see women with more and more problems later on if we continue the big purse craze."

    William Case, a physical therapist(3) in private practice in Houston, said an aggravated(4) neck or shoulder can lead to upper back problems, meaning pain may then be felt while working at a computer or playing sports.

    He urged designers "to place a cute, educational caution tag on all bags to inform of potential neck and shoulder dangers."

    Above all, he recommended correct posture while carrying bulky(5) purses, keeping the head and shoulders aligned(6) upright. Patients should also frequently change the size and weight of purses carried.

    "The extra-large purses are quite phenomenal. They look beautiful when the women wear them, but I don't know how aware they are of the potential problems," Case said.

    "The trend is either very large or very small. People go to the gym, they have an extra pair of shoes, they have their make-up, so there's more stuff to carry around," said Ellen Campuzano, president of the Committee for Color and Trend, a fashion forecasting service.

        Traditionally women adopted better postures for carrying loads, such as baskets on heads or strapping a papoose(7) across the back, but placing objects on one shoulder was one of the least efficient ways of carrying a load.

    "This causes a great imbalance. You only have to see people carrying bags in shopping centers, looking hunched(8) up like Quasimodo(9)," he said.

    "If it (a big bag) is a fashion accessory, then occasional(10) and symbolic(11) use is fine. If not, then keep it light."

    大手提包逐渐成为职业女性主要时尚配件之一，但是健康专家提醒它们同时也是主要健康隐患之一。

    设计师喜欢将公文包、手提包结合在一起并搭配长长的提带，结果是包包们越来越大、越来越重。超负荷使人们开始抱怨颈部、肩部和背部的不适。

    德克萨斯加兰贝乐诊疗中心家庭医生Jane Sadler说：“很多女性抱怨脖子和头疼，我通常会看看她们的手提包，然后掂量一下。”

    “我们将包放在秤上称重，通常它们都有7到10磅（3.1-4.5公斤）…如果大包热还不退烧的话，女性会遇到更多问题。”

    休斯顿私人理疗师William Case说，颈肩疾病持续恶化会导致上半后背问题，那样在操作电脑或者运动时候会感到疼痛。

    他建议设计师们在所有的包包上都挂一个可爱的指导标签，注明潜在颈肩隐患。

    综上所述，他建议女性们使用正确的姿势，保证头与肩膀处于同一直线。患者还应经常变换包包的大小和重量。

    Case说：“超大的提包很抢眼。女性搭配它们都很漂亮，但是我不确定她们都能意识到潜在问题。”

    时尚预测服务机构颜色时尚委员会主席Ellen Campuzano说：“特大和特小都有可能成为流行风尚。人们得去健身，需要一双替换鞋，还有很多化妆品，总之人们要随身带的东西越来越多。”

    传统妇女的负重姿势更为科学，例如用头顶篮子或者将孩子绑在背上，只用一只肩膀负重的方法是最缺乏效率的。

    他说：“这引起严重的不平衡。你只要看看在商场购物的人们，他们像钟楼怪人一样弯腰驼背。”

    “如果大包的确是时尚元素，那就分场合、象征性地搭配就好。如果不是，越轻越好。”