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Mum Rachel Hollis Says She Was 'Overwhelmed' By The Response Her Viral Bikini Picture Got

April 1, 2015, 2:42 am
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Last week Rachel Hollis's "flabby" bikini body picture went viral for all the right reasons.

Now, the mum-of-three has released a video to say she has been "overwhelmed" by the reaction her photo received.

"I could have never anticipated this kind of response," she says in the video that was uploaded to YouTube on Monday.

"I'm overwhelmed because this isn't anything that I did, this is something that you did - 12,000 people have commented on that photo."

bikini body

Hollis, 32, uploaded the original picture to Facebook and Instagram last week with an inspirational message on body confidence.

She captioned the picture: "I have stretch marks and I wear a bikini. I have a belly that's permanently flabby from carrying three giant babies and I wear a bikini. My belly button is saggy... (which is something I didn't even know was possible before!!) and I wear a bikini."

After seeing Hollis's picture, men and women from around the world began posting pictures of their unedited bodies online.

The video features quotes from some of those who got involved.

"Seeing this may give me the courage to wear a bikini again. Had my son almost 8 years ago and haven't shown my stomach since," one reads.

Another adds: "You have no idea of how empowering your words are to someone as myself."

Hollis encourages viewers to take the time to read the comments, so they too can realise that they are "good enough".

"Online and in the media, we see so many images of what our bodies are supposed to be," she says.

"There is something so chic about being the real you and putting it out there in the world."

SEE MORE

Meet 'Anti-Fit' Mum Taryn Brumfitt Who's Inspiring Mums To Accept Their Post-Baby Bodies

Parenting and Body Image

Anatomy of a Mum


H/T: people.com.

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What To Do With The Kids This Easter (If You Forgot To Book Activities)

April 1, 2015, 2:57 am
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It's not that you forgot Easter was happening - how could you, what with shopping for chocolate eggs and preparing the roast lamb - it's just that until this moment the reality of the kids' boredom levels after a week of school holidays hadn't dawned on you.

But when they're looking up at you with expectant eyes, waiting to hear what exciting plans you've got up your sleeve, don't panic! We've rounded up lots of fun ideas for activities to keep the whole family happy...


1. Make confetti eggs.

These unassuming glitter bombs are far more fun than your standard decorated eggs. A word of caution, you may want to do this outside or put newspaper down first – it will get messy.




2. Make hatching chick deviled eggs - that are almost too cute to eat.




3. Create a new tradition.

HuffPost blogger Jennifer Irvine explains why Easter is a great time to start a family tradition that will be enjoyed for years to come:

"[Making Easter decorations has become] a tradition with my family every year and it gives the children something to look forward to.

"One of my particular favourites is to place a thick base of straw in a gleaming vase, then fill with bright, multi-coloured eggs. For a stunning spring time feel, I also like to put different-sized vases in clusters around my home.

"Another tradition I like to do at Easter is to source some un-bloomed cherry blossom from my garden (or from the local florist!, place in a tall vase and as the blossom comes into bloom, I hang delicate painted eggs from them with brightly coloured ribbons. This is a lovely tradition to have with children, they get involved and so excited when the flowers start to push through!"


4. Have an Easter egg hunt.

Watch the video below for seven great tips for making your hunt eggstra fun (sorry).



Can't bear to have the children rampaging round the house for a second longer? Mumsnet have a great guide to Easter egg hunts and other fun activities happening across the country over the holidays.


5. Bake an Easter dessert.

Easter eggs are all well and good, but they won't keep your kids busy for long. These chocolaty desserts on the other hand...

We have some delicious recipes from Josh Eggleton, Frances Atkins, Nathan Outlaw and Marcus Wareing.


6. Children who were fans of the Great British Sewing Bee will love making Easter chicks from fabric scraps.




7. Teach the kids the 'real' story of Easter.

Including the role of the Easter bunny and the part where Jesus's resurrection was investigated as a life insurance scam.


8. Make bunny masks.




9. Let them be bored.

They'll thank you for it one day, honestly. As Dr Teresa Belton, HuffPost UK blogger and visiting fellow at the University of East Anglia explains:

"Boredom as a child is something that Meera Syal now appreciates as an important wellspring of her creativity - boredom made her write. She kept a diary from a young age, filling it with observations, short stories, poems, and diatribe. And she attributes these early beginnings to becoming a writer in later life. 'Enforced solitude alone with a blank page is a wonderful spur', she said.

"Recollections such as these can help us to realise that periods of 'having nothing to do' may be required for the development of a capacity to generate and pursue ideas.

"To be creative we need time for thought, free of the bombardment of attention-grabbing external stimuli to the eye and ear."


10. And if all else fails... click here to watch a video of a pug dressed as an Easter bunny.


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Bupa Advert Banned For Suggesting Private Health Care Offers Cancer Patients A 'Better Chance Of Survival'

April 1, 2015, 3:47 am
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An advert for insurer Bupa has been banned for implying that cancer patients have a higher chance of survival if they receive private health care.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received 25 complaints about the television and video-on-demand ad that said: "Growing up my family always had Bupa health insurance. It probably saved my life."

The voiceover went on: "At 27 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Straight away a specialist Bupa team were there for me ... That was seven years ago and Bupa's still here for me today."

bupa advert
A clip from the Bupa advert


On-screen text stated: "Specialist support teams. Access to latest proven drugs and treatments. Supporting you through your treatment."

The complainants objected that the ad was misleading because it implied that there was a higher chance of survival for cancer patients who received private healthcare.

Bupa said the ad made no such implication, and was based instead on a customer's testimonial of their personal experience of the insurer's support following their diagnosis.

The ad clearance agency Clearcast said it believed that the campaign did not exaggerate the effectiveness of Bupa's treatment services because it did not address the likelihood of success or the rate of recovery for Bupa's cancer patients.

The ASA acknowledged that the ad was based on a customer's testimonial and noted that it did not explicitly state that Bupa's patients had a higher chance of surviving cancer.

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Could Smartphone And Laptop Use At Night Be Raising Our Cancer Risk?


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But it said the references to the benefits of Bupa's services were made in conjunction with the customer's "very prominent" claim that "it probably saved my life".

The ASA said: "They suggested that Bupa's services for cancer patients were superior in those respects to those offered by the NHS or other providers, and that cancer patients who received private healthcare through Bupa consequentially had a better chance of survival."

It concluded that the ad "implied that there was a higher chance of survival for cancer patients who received treatment through the advertiser and because that was not the case, the ad was likely to mislead consumers".

It ruled that the ad must not appear again in its current form, adding: "We told Bupa that their future advertising must not state or suggest that there is a higher chance of survival for patients who received private healthcare unless they held evidence to support the claim."

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Eating An 'Apple A Day' Doesn't Keep The Doctor Away, But It Does Reduce Your Pharmacy Visits, Study Finds

April 1, 2015, 4:02 am
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Eating an apple a day doesn't keep the doctor away, but it does reduce the amount of trips you make to the pharmacy per year.

That's according to a new study that investigates whether there's any truth in the old saying.

A team of researchers led by Dr Matthew Davis, of the University of Michigan School of Nursing, asked 8,399 participants to answer survey questions around diet and health.

apples

A total of 753 were apple eaters, consuming at least 149g of raw apple per day. The remaining 7,646 were classed as non-apple eaters.

When both groups answered questions on trips to the doctor and trips to the pharmacy per year, the apple eaters were found to be 27% less likely to visit the pharmacist for drugs.

Trips to the doctor were not significantly affected by apple consumption, though.

"Evidence does not support that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. However, the small fraction of US adults who eat an apple a day do appear to use fewer prescription medications," the study concludes.

Apple eaters were also found to be less likely to smoke and be more likely to have a higher educational attainment than non-apple eaters.

While apples do not rival oranges, they do contain some immune system-boosting vitamin C, which may be why apple-eaters visit the pharmacist less.

With over 8mg of vitamin C per medium-sized fruit, an apple can provide roughly 14% your daily recommended intake.

Previous studies have also linked apple consumption to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, improved lung function and a lower risk of colon cancer.

Scroll through the slideshow below to find out how else apples could improve your health.



H/T: The Telegraph

SEE ALSO:

Why You Should Follow Popeye's Lead And Eat Spinach Every Day

Eating Fruit Can Reduce The Risk Of Which Disease?

Could Low Sperm Count Be Caused By Non-Organic Fruit And Veg?
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Modesty Could Be The Best Thing For Your Relationship (And Health), Reveals Study

April 1, 2015, 4:23 am
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Looking to make your relationship go the extra mile? Then humility is key - or so says science.

In a study examining modesty in romantic relationships, researchers found that humility could actually have a positive impact on your love life.

(Whoever said 'nice guys finish last' must be kicking themselves right now.)

couple cuddle

Scientists from the University of North Texas examined the effects of humility on the romantic relationships of 459 participants.

They studied humility against other relationship outcomes such as their levels of commitment to relationships, relationship satisfaction and ability to forgive their partners.

Researchers found that "perceptions of humility were positively related to relationship outcomes". In other words, those who showed modest traits were more likely to have a successful, long-term relationship.

SEE ALSO:

You Can Heal A Broken Heart: Scientists Discover We're 'Hardwired' To Move On

Women Find Bravery And Heroism Sexually Attractive, The Same Can't Be Said Of Men


Writing in the Observer column for the Association for Psychological Science, Don Emerson Davis Jr. and Joshua Hook, who co-authored the study, said: "One main benefit of humility is that it appears to strengthen social bonds... We call this the Social Bonds Hypothesis where commitment promotes a sense of 'we-ness' in close relationships so that individuals enjoy sacrificing for a partner.

They explain that viewing others as humble should "facilitate greater commitment", whereas viewing others as egotistical and selfish should decrease commitment.

And, perhaps unsurprisingly, they also suggest that this trait could improve health too.

"We call this the Health Hypothesis. If humility involves self-regulation in situations that generally lead to egotism or conflict, then it ought to be related to long-term health outcomes," they add.

"Namely, relationship conflict is stressful."



[H/T Daily Mail]
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The Best Fashion April Fools Pranks

April 1, 2015, 6:06 am
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Bollywood Actress Deepika Padukone Champions Women's Rights, Gets (Ironically) Attacked On Social Media

April 1, 2015, 6:11 am
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Bollywood Actress Deepika Padukone has starred in a powerful video which calls for society to champion the rights of women everywhere.

The short film by Vogue India, entitled 'My Choice', hopes to instill beliefs that women have the right to make decisions over what they do with their bodies, what they wear, how they approach sexual relationships, who they love, as well as other major life choices such as whether to have children or not.

Sadly, and somewhat ironically, the empowering video has come under fire despite the fact that Deepika constantly reiterates that she has a right to make her own choices.

deepika padukone

"To wear the clothes I like, even as my spirit roams naked - my choice," Padukone says. "To be a size zero or a size 15 - they don't have a size for my spirit, and never will."

"To use cotton and silk to trap my soul is to believe you can halt the expansion of the universe or capture sunlight in the palm of your hand," she says as the video spans across the faces of 99 other women - including some other celebrities.

"My choice: to marry or not to marry. My choice: to have sex before marriage, to have sex outside of marriage, to not have sex. My choice: to love temporarily or to last forever.

"My choice: to love a man, or a woman, or both," she adds.

SEE ALSO:

Feminist Lingerie Is The Body-Positive Underwear We've Been Waiting For

Rap Against Rape: Two Indian Women Speak Out About Sexism And Rape Culture In Viral Video


Directed by Homi Adajania, the film has since racked up a staggering four million views.

But despite her (and Vogue India's) best intentions, people are now questioning whether Padukone is a feminist at all.

The Bollywood star has also faced a severe backlash from both men and women for suggesting that having "sex outside of marriage" is a good choice to make - although it remains unclear whether she was talking about having sex without marrying (and remaining as partners) or having sex while married to another person (extramarital relations).

Some have even suggested that she is a "slut" for appearing in the film.













Additionally, there are those who believe that the video only represents a small segment of more privileged women in India.

Writer for DNA India, Soumonty Kanungo describes the video as a "commendable effort to portray equality". However, she adds: "When it says 'My Body, My Mind, My Choice', what is the video really trying to convey?"

"Whose choice?" she continues. "Urban women? Educated urban women? Educated, working urban women? Is there any choice for those unexposed to this video? No!"

But regardless of the rather foreboding cloud of negativity which hangs over the film - and now Padukone, who's received threats on social media for a video which highlights her freedom of choice - there are those that believe the video can only have a positive impact.

Malikka Narang writes on Twitter: "Do what you like. Say what you think. Its high time we break stupid stereotypes #MyChoice."

Amen to that, Malikka.

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Woman Dumps Boyfriend For April Fools' Prank, Joke Backfires

April 1, 2015, 6:23 am
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That awkward moment when you break up with your boyfriend for an April Fools' prank and then this happens...




When Hayleigh McBay sent her boyfriend a message on WhatsApp this morning reading: "I don't want to be with you anymore. I'm not happy." She never could've imagined what his response would be.

Until he replied: "Thank God you said it first."

Awkward.

But the plot thickens, because it turns out that McBay's beau, David, was actually unleashing his own bit of April Fools' mayhem.




Oh you guys.



SEE ALSO:

April Fools Day 2015 Pranks From Marmite, Richard Branson And The Kim Kardashian Ice Lolly

11 April Fool's Day Pranks You Can Play, No Matter Where You Are


[H/T Mirror]
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Easter Face Paint: Woman Transforms Herself Into Alice In Wonderland's White Rabbit, We Can't Quite Believe Our Eyes

April 1, 2015, 7:17 am
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If you're stuck for something to do this Easter, why not take some inspiration from Maria Malone Guerbaa?

The incredibly talented make-up artist has transformed herself into Alice In Wonderland's White Rabbit, and we can't quite believe our eyes.

Now, it might actually be quite complicated to put into action, but practice certainly makes perfect. And there are four days to fill, after all.





And if you still don't believe this is a woman underneath all of that paint, Maria also uploaded a step-by-step guide to her Instagram account, to help her fans recreate her look.

Frankly it doesn't make the design look any more straightforward to us, but then visual creativity isn't really a strong point.




It isn't the first time Maria has made headlines with her hyper-realistic creations. She's known for her creating incredible wildlife and uncanny celebrity impressions, and has racked up and impressive 148,000 Instagram followers (and counting).

She's certainly one to watch.

SEE ALSO:

These Make-Up Transformations Will Blow Your Mind


What Happens When You Use A Make-Up App On A Baby
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A Third Of Teachers Are Being Bullied Online By Their Students' Parents, NASUWT Reveals

April 2, 2015, 12:31 am
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A teachers' union says it is "deeply worrying" that the number of teachers facing abuse on social media from the parents of pupils appears to have risen sharply in the past 12 months.

The teaching union NASUWT has found that 40% of teachers have been abused online by their students' parents in the last year, compared to 27% in 2014.

School staff are being confronted with sexist, racist and homophobic remarks from parents and students, as well as offensive comments about their appearance, competence in the classroom and malicious slurs, according to the union.

In one case, a photo of a teacher was posted online with the word "bitch" underneath, while in another, pupils used the name of a heavily-pregnant school worker to post insults, the teaching union said.

teachers
Rates of parents bullying teachers online have shot up in the last year


In a third of cases, parents were making comments about teachers online, sometimes hurling abuse including personal comments about teachers or their families. The report found 15% of teachers had threats made against them by a parent, compared to 7% in 2014.

One parent told a teacher through social media that they were "rubbish" and a "bitch" while another was told by a pupil's family that they were ugly


The NASUWT said the figures, released the day before the union meets for its annual conference in Cardiff, were "deeply worrying".

Overall, 60% of the almost 1,500 NASUWT members polled said they have had comments or information posted about them on social networks, related to their work as a teacher. This is up from 21% in 2014.

Of these, nearly half (48%) said these remarks were posted by pupils, 40% said they were put up by parents, and 12% said both parents and pupils were responsible.

SEE ALSO:


The findings show that 62% said pupils had posted insulting comments, while just over a third (34%) said students had taken photos or videos without consent, a third (33%) received remarks about their performance as a teacher, nine per cent had faced allegations from pupils about inappropriate behaviour and eight per cent had been subjected to threatening behaviour.

While over half (57%) of pupils responsible were aged between 14 and 16, 38% were aged between 11 and 14, the teachers' poll found, a fifth were 16 to 19, and five per cent were seven to 11.

Among the examples published by NASUWT was the case of a student uploading a teacher's photo and then, along with classmates, writing "bitch" and "twat" underneath. One teacher said they were harassed for nine months by students who sent sexually explicit messages and set up a fake social media account in their name.

teachers
Swear words, videos taken without consent and comments on teacher performance were all reported


The union said it had been told of a teacher receiving the comment "I hope she gets cancer", while the heavily-pregnant worker had faced remarks such as "ugly f****** bitch" as well as having an account established in her name.

Of those who said they had been abused online by parents, the vast majority (64%) received insulting comments or remarks about their performance in the classroom (65%).

One parent told a teacher through social media that they were "rubbish" and a "bitch" who tried to kill their daughter by making her do PE and not allowing her to use her inhaler. The teacher concerned said this was untrue.

Another school worker faced comments from a pupil's family member about how they looked and that they were ugly.

NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates said: "It is deeply worrying to see that the abuse of teachers has risen by such a huge margin this year.

uk school
The abuse is taking its toll on teachers' health, some claim


"Equally concerning is that it appears that more parents are the perpetrators of the abuse.

"The vile, insulting and personal comments are taking their toll on teachers' health and wellbeing and undermining their confidence to do their job.

"Many teachers tell us that they suspect they are being abused online but dare not look, for fear they could never walk into their school again to have to face their abusers.

"While there has been some improvement in action taken on reported abuse, there are still too many cases where no appropriate action is taken and teachers are being left devastated, humiliated and traumatised."

She called for the next government to take the issue seriously and to require schools to have a zero-tolerance policy and use all sanctions available to address abuse of staff.

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World Autism Awareness Day: 10 Things Parents Of Children With Autism Want To Tell You

April 2, 2015, 1:30 am
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What is autism? This was the fifth most Googled 'what is' question of last year.

More than one in every 100 people in the UK is diagnosed with autism according to The National Autistic Society, and if you include their families, autism touches the lives of 2.7 million people every day.

Yet there is still a lot of misunderstanding surrounding the condition.

So for World Autism Awareness Day here are 10 things HuffPost UK bloggers, who are parents of children with autism, want to tell you:

parents child backs

1. My child does not suffer with autism.

"I very much dislike the word 'suffer' and its association to individuals on the spectrum," writes Jo Worgan.

"This conjures up images of bleakness and more importantly I feel creates a link to the medical model, making autism appear as a disease which it is not.

"Autism is a neurological and developmental 'disorder' in which it is all persuasive. Therefore, yes it is disabling, but it is not a disease.

"Autism is entwined into an individual's life but this does not equate to suffering. It is simply a different way of life.

"My little boy is on the autistic spectrum and although I cannot truly speak for him as only he knows how he feels, I do feel that he is a happy, energetic and fun-loving little boy.

"We have our daily challenges it is true, but we adapt and make changes, we enjoy life. He is a little boy who is on the autistic spectrum; he is not an 'autism sufferer'.

"Children on the autism spectrum when all said and done are still children, they play, laugh and have fun just as any other child."

2. Something my child DOES suffer from is bullying.

"Trying to protect a child with special needs from being bullied is like trying to stop ice melting in the desert," writes Kathy Lette.

"There were calls to the school, meetings, promises of closer scrutiny in the playground. But basically, when it comes to defeating bullying - particularly when your child is an obvious target - a parent might as well be standing up to Voldermort with a butter knife."

According to the National Autistic Society over 40% of children with autism have been bullied at school.

3. Children with autism are individuals, so generalisations like 'children with autism lack empathy' simply aren't true.

"[My daughter is] incredibly empathetic but you may not realise it as she feels her own and others' emotions so deeply she can't bear it, and so sometimes she has to just shut down. Forget about a hug," writes Jill Finch.

"She is also desperately trying to come to terms with having a hidden disability that few people can understand.

"This is just one story among thousands of different stories of autism, not everyone is like Rainman or like my daughter."

4. A diagnosis is nothing to fear.

"I am not so naive as to say that a diagnosis solves everything, but what it does do is open doors to funding, help and support. It is not as many people have told me a 'label'," writes Jo Worgan.

SEE MORE

I Stand Quietly: A Letter to My Daughter and to Everybody

What Parents of Autistic Children Will Never Tell You


5. We don’t have the answers.

"It's hard to express how difficult it can be when your child is diagnosed with something you have no knowledge of - there just simply isn't enough information out there for parents and the fear of the unknown can be overwhelming," writes Sadia Nakimera.

"I decided to educate myself, not about autism, but about Jayden. I needed to look beyond his autism and concentrate on Jayden as a person, not his disability. However, it was hard to find out how to do this."

6. It's a myth that all autistic children are antisocial - did you ever think that perhaps it is the children who avoid them who are being antisocial?

"A big misconception with autistic children is that they don't like being in social situations," writes Kerry Gibb. "They often would love to socialise with friends they just find it harder.

"Maybe your child could grow up to be the one to make this easier for them. Let your child be that one person who makes a difference.

"I am urging you as parents to look beyond what you may initially see in a child. Look beyond what your child is telling you about them.

"Lead your child by example and teach them that not all of us are the same and they should accept peoples different ways and embrace them for their individuality."

7. Autism is NOT ‘just an excuse for naughty children’.

"I first heard the words, 'autism is an excuse for naughty children' a year ago and I honestly thought that I would never hear them again, that this was just a one off ignorant comment made by an uneducated and 'nasty' person, but how wrong was I?" writes Jo Worgan.

"I am surrounded by people who know and understand Tom, so it is always a shock to the system when comments are made like this.

"It was upsetting because she questioned my ability as a parent, and as a parent of a special needs child I constantly question myself, I am not the confident and self assured mother that many people think I am, I too am vulnerable.

"Secondly, and more importantly in my eyes, her insult was aimed at Tom, whom she has no understanding or knowledge of, she judged him without knowing him."

8. If you are not a parent of an autistic child, please don't try to tell me about 'all' autistic children.

"There is still very little understanding of autism and when it is mentioned, people often know a friend of a friend whose child has autism," writes Hannah-Jane Miles.

"The mythical autistic child is often very 'naughty' and these horror stories can be hard to listen to on a regular basis.

"It is much like being subjected to strangers' birth stories once you are noticeably pregnant."

9. One phrase I never want to hear again is: 'But he seems so normal'.

"Did my son seem 'normal' to you in the 10 minutes you spent with him? Well, that's nice, because he is normal... he's a sweet, normal, beautiful boy with autism," writes Lauren Casper.

"If you're trying to tell me that you didn't notice any signs of autism in your limited experience with him, that's OK, too. Please keep in mind that Mareto has good days and bad days, and sometimes he has good hours and bad hours.

"But if what you're really trying to tell me is that you don't think he has autism, then please consider how hurtful that might be to us, his parents.

"Please consider how that might invalidate all our efforts, all our battles and all our triumphs.

"What you are really implying is that we've wasted all of our time for the last 2 1/2 years because he's just 'normal'."

10. Having a child with autism is life changing - and that can be a good thing.

"It's important parents realise the new world that a child with a disability can give to you. You see the world differently and in a way you never could have imagined," writes Sadia Nakimera.

"The rewards are immense and I wouldn't change a thing."


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#FitNotThin: Top Instagram Fitness Accounts Will Motivate You To Exercise Like Never Before

April 2, 2015, 1:39 am
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We all know exercise is good for our health and wellbeing, but finding the motivation to get out and do it can sometimes be difficult.

If you're stuck in an exercise rut, you need to check out these top fitness accounts on Instagram.

From graceful ballet and flexible yoga, to energetic running and powerful weightlifting, you're bound to find the #Fitspiration you need.





A photo posted by @boysofyoga on







A photo posted by patrick beach (@patrickbeach) on






A photo posted by CrossFit (@crossfit) on












A photo posted by Jen Selter (@jenselter) on







A video posted by Colin Burns (@burnscolin) on




A photo posted by @tarastiles on
















A photo posted by @charlottegshore on





Been inspired to up your fitness game?

Throughout HuffPost UK Lifestyle's Fitspiration month, you can share your fitness pictures with us on Instagram. Just tag them #HPFitness and we'll regram some of our favourites from @HuffPostUKLifestyle.



SEE ALSO:

Fitspiration Month: Why We're Tackling Taboos With Positivity

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Every Hour Spent In Front Of The TV Could Increase Diabetes Risk, Study Warns

April 2, 2015, 1:47 am
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Those who choose to spend their evenings sat in front of the TV could be inadvertently increasing their risk of diabetes, research suggests.

Scientists have warned that every hour spent watching television increases the chance of developing the condition by 3.4% in high-risk individuals.

couch potato

An American study looked at data from more than 3,000 overweight adults participating in a Diabetes Prevention Programme (DPP) who were given either a placebo, metformin drug (used for diabetes) or took part in a lifestyle intervention scheme.

Researchers looked at whether, as well as increasing activity levels, the lifestyle intervention also made those taking part spend less time sitting.

Prior to the trial all three groups had reported spending an average of around two hours and 20 minutes a day watching TV.

SEE ALSO:

Obesity Can Shorten Life By Eight Years And Cause Two Decades Of Ill-Health, Say Scientists

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But the team found that while the placebo and metformin groups spent an average of just nine and six minutes less in front of the TV respectively, those taking part in the lifestyle scheme sat and watched it for 37 minutes less per day on average.

The authors then investigated the impact of sedentary behaviour over time on diabetes incidence and found for all participants, the risk of developing diabetes increased approximately 3.4% for each hour spent watching TV after adjustment for age, sex, intervention and time-dependent leisure physical activity.

"Future lifestyle intervention programmes should emphasise reducing television watching and other sedentary behaviours in addition to increasing physical activity," the study said.

Story continues below...


Researchers also found that subsequent changes in body weight may account for some of the relationship between sitting behaviour changes and diabetes development.

Senior author Dr Andrea Kriska, of the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, said: "These findings are particularly noteworthy because a decrease in sitting occurred, despite the absence of programme goals aimed at reducing sitting.

"It is likely that a lifestyle intervention programme that incorporates a specific goal of decreasing sitting time would result in greater changes in sitting and likely more health improvements than are demonstrated here.

"Finally, these results should inform future intervention efforts that already focus on goals of increasing activity and reducing weight to also consider emphasising sitting less."

The study is published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes).
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Scientists Claim To Have Created A Perfume That Smells Better The More You Sweat

April 2, 2015, 2:09 am
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Despite spraying perfume or aftershave first thing in the morning, come mid-afternoon (or even earlier) the scent has often worn off.

But hope is on the horizon. Scientists claim to have developed a perfume that smells better the more the wearer sweats.

Researchers from Queen's University, Belfast have created a liquid that releases more of its fragrance when it comes into contact with moisture.

The perfume designed by Queen's Ionic Liquid Laboratories (QUILL) is made up of a raw fragrance that scientists "tagged" on to an odourless ionic liquid (salt in the form of liquid).

perfume
Dr Nimal Gunaratne (right) showing one of his students the method of producing the perfume he developed which smells better the more you sweat


The resultant "perfumed ionic liquid" emits aroma when it comes into contact with water, allowing more of the perfume's scent to be released on to a person's skin.

The scientists say the perfume also has the ability to remove the bad odours that come from sweat, as compounds responsible for the smell are attracted to the ionic liquid, attaching themselves to it and losing their potency.

The university believes the breakthrough could have major commercial possibilities, potentially providing a new way to develop products for the huge personal care market.

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Sweating a Serious Issue


QUILL researchers are working with a perfume development company to identify a number of product ideas that could eventually be sold in shops.

Project leader Nimal Gunaratne, from the QUILL research centre, said: "This is an exciting breakthrough that uses newly-discovered ionic liquid systems to release material in a controlled manner.

"Not only does it have great commercial potential, and could be used in perfumes and cosmetic creams, but it could also be used in other area of science, such as the slow release of certain substances of interest.

"This innovative development demonstrates the drive of researchers at Queen's to advancing knowledge and achieving excellence for the benefit of society as a whole."

The research was carried out by Dr Gunaratne, Professor Ken Seddon and Dr Peter Nockemann.
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Karl Lagerfeld's Cat, Choupette, Earned £2 Million From Two Jobs Last Year - That's Nearly The Same As Cara Delevingne Earned In A Year

April 2, 2015, 3:08 am
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You know something in the world isn't quite right when a cat's bringing in more than one of the world's top models.

But that's exactly what's going down in the fashion industry right now, as Karl Lagerfeld's fluffy feline friend, Choupette, earned over £2 million last year - from just two jobs.

Meanwhile, model and actress Cara Delevingne reportedly earned £2.4 million in a year after travelling the globe and attending various fashion weeks.





The fashion designer's beloved cat lives the life of Riley and has somewhat expensive taste - when she's not flying First Class with her two maids in tow, she's attending photo shoots for the cover of Lucky magazine. She also has over 54K followers on Instagram.

But now Lagerfeld has let slip that she raked in £2,172,625 last year from a collaboration with cosmetics brand Shu Uemura and photo shoot for the Vauxhall Corsa car calendar.

The creative director for Chanel and Fendi, who previously admitted he'd marry his cat if it was legal, revealed to The Cut: "She did two jobs and made 3 million euros last year. One was for cars in Germany and the other was for a Japanese beauty product."

Lagerfeld says he is picky when it comes to the jobs that Choupette takes on: "I don’t allow her to do foodstuffs and things like this. She’s too sophisticated for that."

SEE ALSO:

Karl Lagerfeld: 'I've Fallen In Love With Cat Choupette And Would Marry Her'

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But the Siamese cat, who provides endless inspiration for her 81-year-old owner, is a very particular puss. In a book entitled 'The Private Life of a High-Flying Fashion Cat' it's revealed that Choupette eats from fine Goyard china and even has her own iPad.

“She hates other animals and she hates children," exclaims her besotted owner. "She stays always with me and she has two personal maids. They play with her, they have to take care of her beautiful white hair, the beauty treatments for her eyes, and they entertain her."

"She is the centre of the world," Lagerfeld adds. "If you saw her, you would understand.”

Gosh, just imagine what she'd be able to achieve if she had thumbs...



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What Is Lyme Disease? Avril Lavigne Speaks About Battle With Illness For The First Time

April 2, 2015, 3:25 am
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Avril Lavigne has spoken about her battle with Lyme disease for the first time, after she revealed she had been diagnosed with the disease in December last year.

"I felt like I couldn't breathe, I couldn't talk and I couldn't move," the 30-year-old singer said in an interview with People magazine. "I thought I was dying."

The singer went on to say she was "bedridden for five months", due to the symptoms of Lyme disease.

avril lavigne

What Is Lyme Disease?

Public Health England estimates there are 2,000 to 3,000 cases of Lyme disease in England and Wales each year.

According to the NHS, the disease is caused by a type of bacteria that is present in many animals, including mice, deer and pheasants.

If a tick bites one of these animals, it becomes infected. Ticks then pass the bacterial infection on to humans if they bite them, causing Lyme disease.

Lavigne believes she was bitten by a tick last spring.

However, it may be useful to know that being bitten by a tick doesn't immediately lead to infection.

"You think it bites you and you get the infection but actually you have about 36 hours from the time of the bite to remove it before you get sick,” Dr. Richard Besser said, according to ABC News.

What Are The Symptoms Of Lyme Disease?

One of the first signs of an infected tick bite is a rash. The rash that appears around the bite is commonly described to look like a bull's eye on a dart board.

Lavigne told People she was feeling lethargic and lightheaded - these are also common symptoms of Lyme disease, which can often be mistaken for flu in its early stages.

Other early symptoms include aching joints and muscles, plus a stiff neck and fever.

Symptoms are thought to begin showing at around 30 days after a person has been bitten.

If the condition is left untreated, symptoms can progress to numbness of the limbs and temporary paralysis of your facial muscles - this may be way Lavigne felt that she "couldn't move".

"There were definitely times I couldn't shower for a full week because I could barely stand," she added. "It felt like having all your life sucked out of you."

In rare cases, Lyme disease can lead to inflammation of the heart muscles, which can cause the heart to beat irregularly.

SEE ALSO:

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What Treatment Is Available For Lyme Disease?

Oral antibiotics are the most common treatment used for Lyme disease. Antibiotic injections are sometimes used in severe cases.

But prevention is better than treatment - if you're walking in long grass, wear long clothes and tuck your socks into your trousers to avoid being bitten in the first place.

The good news is that if Lyme disease is spotted early, treatment can be effective.

After months of being bed-bound, Lavigne is now feeling "80% better".


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Ikea's New Vegetarian Swedish Meatballs Will Cut The Product's Carbon Footprint In Half

April 2, 2015, 3:44 am
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Swedish flat-pack giant Ikea has announced plans to roll out vegan meatballs which will help drastically reduce the company's carbon emissions.

The new version of the classic Swedish meatball (or Köttbullar) will be bulked out with chickpeas, kale, carrots, peppers and peas.

The original Köttbullar, made with pork and beef, will remain on sale in the warehouse stores where customers often spend so long shopping they eat at least one meal. Sometimes several. They are really tasty meatballs.

ikea meatballs

IKEA chief executive Peter Agnefjall told the Daily Mail: "We are launching a vegetarian meatball. We see a big opportunity.

"The vegetarian meatball will go global in April and have 50% less carbon dioxide than a normal meatball. It’s healthier and better for the planet."

The veggieball will be hitting UK Ikea stores this May after a two year development process, allowing a significant reduction in carbon and methane emissions from the farming process.

ikea meatballs

The Swedish firm sells one billion meatballs every year, with five million selling in the UK alone.

This decision to sell a vegetarian alternative comes after years of petitioning from Peta, the animal welfare charity.

A spokesperson said there will be no animal product in the meatless meatballs, making them suitable for vegans.

Good news for anyone who was put off by the horsemeat scandal, when traces of pony and horse were found in Ikea's Köttbullar.

SEE ALSO:


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Sunny Days And Blue Skies May Not Make Us Happier, Suggests New Wellbeing Study

April 2, 2015, 3:53 am
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It's official: more sunshine won't make you happier. Or that's what new research suggests anyway.

A study presented at the Royal Economic Society’s 2015 annual conference has dispelled the popular notion that weather impacts our mood and health - which is just as well really, because right now the weather sucks.

sunshine

The study, by Dr Franz Buscha from the University of Westminster, examined the relationship between weather and measures of wellbeing using UK data spanning nearly 20 years.

Looking at whether dismal weather conditions affect wellbeing, Dr Buscha found that there was no "causal relationship" between daily weather patterns and self-reported wellbeing.

His research did, however, find that there's a significant negative relationship between job satisfaction and sunshine, which suggests that people are less happy with their jobs on sunny days.

Although, he admits, this effect remains small.

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There was also significant evidence of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) whereby individuals become markedly less happy during winter periods.

"The commonly believed notion that good weather puts people in better moods is not supported by my research," revealed Dr Buscha. "Indeed, the UK population seems relatively resilient at dealing with daily and short-run weather fluctuations.

"Extrapolating these results suggests that the increase in extreme type weather events, such as higher global temperatures or more rain, are unlikely to affect the wellbeing of the UK population directly."

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He added: "But it is possible that extreme weather events will indirectly affect measures of wellbeing via droughts, floods or other personal life events. This as an important avenue for future research."

The study used data from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS), which provides access to approximately 150,000 observations of 10,000 UK households over the period 1991 to 2008.

The results suggested that the effect of temperature, sunshine, wind speed and rain over a one-day period, three-day period and five-day period have very little effect on individual measures of wellbeing.

We're a hardy bunch, us Brits. But a bit more sunshine wouldn't go amiss, right?

[H/T Telegraph]
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Grandmother Poisons Her Family By Serving Them Hot Chocolate That Expired 25 Years Ago

April 2, 2015, 5:52 am
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It's all too easy to forget about cans and sachets of food that languish at the back of our kitchen cupboards.

But one grandmother from Italy got a nasty surprise when she served up some old hot chocolate to her family.

The 77-year-old woman, known only as as Mrs Rosetta, poisoned herself, her partner, her son, her two grandchildren and their friend when she gave them hot chocolate which expired 25 years ago, Il Mattino reports.

The group were taken to hospital after they began experiencing severe stomach pain and vomiting.

It didn't take long for the cases of food poisoning to be traced back to the hot chocolate sachets.

Upon inspection, the sachets were found to have expired in June 1990.

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Rosetta is reported to have said she bought the sachets "a few years earlier" in the 1980s.

She forgot about them for years, but stirred them into hot milk for her family when her grandchildren requested a drink of hot chocolate.

According to The Independent, one of the woman's grandchildren was hospitalised for almost three weeks due to the severe reaction.

If you're a food hoarder, hot chocolate isn't the only thing that could be cause for concern in your pantry.

Did you know spices, brown rice and cooking oil also expire earlier than many people think?

Check out the slideshow below to find out what foods you need to throw out to avoid food poisoning.

(Plus anything that's 25 years old, obviously).







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Powerful 'Line Series' Photography Project Show How Ridiculous Female Beauty Standards Can Be

April 2, 2015, 6:25 am
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As women, we're constantly over-evaluating our bodies and berating ourselves for being anything less than 'perfect'.

Standing in front of the mirror, we wish we could nip and tuck, uplift and firm. In short, we've become brainwashed by media and society as to what the ideal woman should look like.

But one 24-year-old is hoping to change that.

Last year, Sarah Coffman teamed up with three friends and photographer Terrance Smalls to create 'Line Series', a photography project that challenges our rigid notions of female beauty.

The series, which has gone viral, shows three models sat in a beauty parlour in their underwear. But instead of perfect poses and pouts, the women have dotted lines and arrows all over their bodies - in a similar fashion to the markings plastic surgeons marking pre-surgery.

SEE ALSO:

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"We live in a society where women are constantly being stripped down and evaluated, without physically being stripped down," explained Smalls on his website.

"Well, what does it look like when we actually strip women down and evaluate their physical 'shortcomings'? How insane does it look? How uncomfortable does it make us feel? The purpose of this series was to find out."

Speaking to Buzzfeed, Coffman said that becoming the 'perfect woman' was a difficult balance: "As women we try to fit inside of 'young enough', 'thin enough', 'pretty enough', ‘nice enough’, 'tough enough', 'able enough', without ever becoming 'too much'."

"If you want to be socially acceptable, you need to keep yourself inside the lines," she added.

The message? Whatever your body hang-up - a wish for a flatter tummy, perkier breasts, firmer thighs - life's too short.



Models: Sarah Coffman (@nerdygypsy), Rose Duquette (@fractured_euphoria), Tiffany Stevens (@t.steezie), and Ashley Arce.
Hair: Connie Novello (@connienovello)
Makeup: Tiana Smalls (@tsmallsmakeup/@tsmallsphoto)
Photography by Terrance Smalls
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