chriscam@observer-reporter.com

It may affect upward of 80 percent of all women. It's such an issue that Oprah devoted two of her one-hour television shows to it.

The problem? The majority of American women are wearing the wrong bra size.

Are women really that clueless when it comes to this part of their anatomy? Do they not know if their breasts are not properly strapped, cupped or wired?

Are we such boobs?

According to a 2006 survey conducted by the lingerie company Wacoal America in Lyndhurst, N.J., eight out of 10 women were indeed wearing a brassiere that did not fit correctly.

But Paula Eisenberger, owner of Custom Comfort in Lakewood, N.Y., says there's a perfectly reasonable explanation: Not enough choices exist for American women. In Europe, Eisenberger said, it's not unusual to see G or H cup sizes. But in the United States, most brassieres run no wider than DD.

The result? Thou cup runneth over, though the technical term seems to be spillage.

"The majority of women are wearing a cup too small and a band size that's too big," explained Eisenberger.

While many women believe the straps support the breasts, it's really the band. Straps simply position a bra in place. When a bra does not fit right, women often pull the straps tighter believing it will give them a better fit. Instead, the band rides up the back.

Many women then opt for an underwire bra, but Eisenberger said the wire provides more bra shape than actual breast support.

Liz Smith, director of retail services for Wacoal, said a cross-sample of women shows most are still wearing a size close to what their mothers first bought them.

"I'm astounded this still holds, with all the media we've done and Oprah doing the (bra intervention) shows," she said.

Don't knock the need for proper fit. According to Smith, Wacoal's bra fitters are so well trained many can tell a woman's size just by looking at her bosom.

Eisenberger, a representative for Norvell bras, a family-owned business in Lebanon, Tenn., customizes a bra to fit a woman's bust and her body size. Cup sizes run as wide as N or O.

Eisenberger believes a great many women don't know how a proper bra feels. If it feels right, you shouldn't notice those puppies at all.

"I've had customers who have come to me and say 'I never thought a bra would make me feel so good,'" she said.

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