Today the big handbags are a key fashion accessory for working women, and not only. That's why health experts are warning they can also be a reason of neck, shoulder and back problems.

Bags for women have become bigger and heavier as designers combine briefcases with handbags and straps have become longer.

"We take it over to the scale and weigh it and usually they're anywhere from 3-4.5 kgs...We're really going to see women with more and more problems later on if we continue the big purse craze" said Jane Sadler, a family practice physician on the medical staff at Baylor Medical Center in Garland, Texas.

"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.

Professor Alan Hedge, an ergonomics specialist at Cornell University in New York state, said similar health problems arose when laptops were first introduced.

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

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