Can Your Breasts Get Bigger From Gaining Weight?

Only three things make a woman's breasts larger -- weight gain, pregnancy or surgery. One is unhealthy, one is temporary and the other is risky, painful and expensive. Your other option is to make the most of what you have, with the assistance of a pushup bra and a good gym routine.

Breast Structure

Most of the breast is made up of fat tissue that protects the structures that produce milk. In fact, the amount of fat you have in your breast directly determines their size, because the size of the working parts is generally the same in all women. Younger women may have denser breast tissue with a smaller proportion of fat, but the tissue becomes more diffuse as you age, and the fat takes over the space.

Fat Gain

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Gaining fat can definitely increase your breast size, because fat cells in the breasts will fill up just like the fat cells everywhere else. The only problem is that you cannot gain fat only in your breasts -- you must gain it all over. When you consume more energy than you expend, your body holds on to whatever fuel it doesn't use. It stores this energy in the fat cells in the form of triglycerides for later use in case future fuel supplies become scarce. As the fat cells fill, they plump up. This happens all over your body at the same rate, so although your breasts may increase by a cup size they won't look proportionally larger compared to the rest of your body because the rest of your body will be larger, too. Unless you are underweight, gaining fat is not a healthy way to increase the size of your breasts.

Muscle Contribution

Although gaining muscle won't increase your cup size, it can make your breasts look larger than they currently do. By building your chest muscles, you provide a sort of platform for your breast to rest upon. The result will be a more forward-pointing chest, with perkier breasts perched on the end of your pectoral muscles. The muscle tone will uplift the fatty part of the breast, making them appear perkier and more bouncy. Even though you'll still wear the same bra size, the contrast between your chest and your waist will be larger. This will in turn make your breasts appear larger. Add pushups, chest presses and chest flyes to your workout to enhance your natural curves.

The Surgical Alternative

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The only thing that has ever been proven to increase breast size is breast augmentation surgery. Although it is a common cosmetic procedure, it is not for everyone -- it is an invasive process and involves pain and recovery time, not to mention a considerable financial outlay. If you decide to have the surgery, find a surgeon through the recommendation of friends or your doctor, and make sure the surgeon is board-certified in cosmetic surgery.