Tag Archives: medical health

Shocker! You Can’t Turns Gays Straight With Therapy

Nikki DowlingAugust 6, 2009 //

The American Psychological Association has finally gotten around to saying that therapy aimed at turning gays straight is totally bogus. Good job, guys. We’ve only known that for, like, ever. In a vote of 125-to-4, the APA adopted a resolution saying that mental health personnel shouldn’t recommend so-called “repairative therapy” or similar treatments to gay clients. In fact, the effects of this bogus therapy could actually be harmful, leading to suicidal tendencies and depression. Keep reading »

Eight Reasons We’re OK With Being Less Healthy Than Women Twice Our Age

Catherine StrawnAugust 3, 2009 //

If your mom is anything like mine, she’s in better shape than you are. Instead of feeling bad about having a mother who is more fit than yourself, know that this isn’t uncommon these days, according to a U.K. study of 4,000 people. Researchers found that the average 25-year-old consumes more than 2,300 calories a day, exercises three times a week, and consumes 12 types of junk food each month. The average 50-year-old, on the other hand, takes in 1,990 calories a day, does at least four different types of exercise on a weekly basis, and eats just one piece of junk food each week. But these findings aren’t all that surprising to us. Aren’t you supposed to be reckless when you’re young? After the jump, why we think it’s OK to be unhealthy in your 20s. [Marie Claire U.K.] Keep reading »

Nightmare Journal Makes Your Bad Dreams History

Susannah BreslinAugust 3, 2009 //

The always lovely Kingdom of Style points to Sarah Jane’s Nightmare Snatchers, a series of furry journals for logging bad dreams in hopes of a better night’s sleep. “The world can be a scary place,” RISD grad and designer Jane writes, “full of nightly noises, menacing monsters, and dreadful dreams. But not every monster wants to scare and terrify. With the help of a magical spell and an appetite for troubles, a monster can be your dearest friend.” Keep the Nightmare Snatcher diary by your bed, and when you wake up from a nightmare, read the spell at the beginning of the journal, write down your bad dream on its pages, and the monster Snatcher will eat your nightmares as a midnight snack. The one-eyed Hugmitten is my favorite. [Kingdom of Style] Keep reading »

Weird Food News: Blue M&Ms Can Heal Your Spine And More

Nikki DowlingAugust 2, 2009 //
  • Everyone always goes for the green M&Ms (horndogs!), but perhaps you should consider reaching for the blue. Turns out, the compound “Brilliant Blue G,” which makes blue M&Ms blue, can be used to treat spinal cord injuries. Injecting just the right amount of this dye appears to make recovery much faster. The downside? The stuff makes your skin bright blue for a little while. How Smurfy. [Telegraph UK]
  • Coca-Cola’s newest drink “Vio” is one part milk and one part seltzer water—and we’re just not sure how that combo could possibly end well. Even more questionable—it comes in flavors like citrus burst, peach mango, tropical colada, and very berry. It has no artificial crap in it but, um, it’s carbonated milk. Gross. [Daily Mail UK]
  • The New York Times is up in arms because a number of the characters in the newest “Harry Potter” flick are shown gulping down butterbeer. They say the scenes are all about underaged drinking, but Warner Bros claims that’s “open to different interpretations.” My interpretation? This is like saying root beer is bad news. [NY Times]

Keep reading »

Summer Is Bad For Women’s Health

Nikki DowlingJuly 31, 2009 //

Damn, it seems like us gals just can’t catch a break! First we found out about summer on-set depression. Now a bunch of new studies are saying that summer is hazardous to women’s health in other ways. And I mean, legitimately dangerous. Sorry to be a downer, but researchers have linked the sunny season to higher levels of autoimmune diseases in women. It seems that us gals are more likely to develop these icky diseases in places where the UV intensity is high. But that’s not all. Research also claims that warm weather decreases amniotic fluid levels in pregnant chicks. This condition, known as oligohydramnios, is a lot more common in the summer because more people get dehydrated. Great, so I guess I can add “summer” to my ever-growing list of health concerns. So is summer still your favorite season? [LA Times] Keep reading »