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Sketchers To Pay Out $40 Million Settlement For Sketchy Toning Shoe Claims
Customers might eat up Sketchers‘ claims that their Shape-Up toning shoes can make you fit without working out, but the Federal Trade Commission isn’t amused; in fact they’re fining the company to the tune of $40 million for making false claims–to be paid out to customers in the form of refunds for their shoes. More »
Help For Moms: UK Assigns Midwife To Every Pregnant Woman
If you’re pregnant and you live in the UK, you’re in luck. That’s because the National Health Service (NHS) plans to provide expectant moms with a midwife before, during and after labor. The initiative is meant to help combat postpartum depression – and I must say it’s an amazing idea.
Here in North America, many moms I know have hired a midwife or doula for the same reason – many find doctors to be too clinical or simply too busy to give them the attention they crave – and so they’re dishing out thousands of dollars to have someone support them through labor and delivery (and everything that follows). More »
Afternoon Links: Michelle Obama’s Workout Playlist!
•What does Michelle Obama jam to while she works out? Willow Smith, of course! (HuffPost Healthy Living)
• Cooking thermometers are a necessary kitchen tool–here are some good ones (The Kitchn)
• One expert weighs in on how to help kids love their bodies. Awesome! (YourTango)
• Want to run faster? Of course you do. Try out one of these four tips (Fitbie)
• How to live by the “five second rule” and not, surprising, get sick (The Stir)
Natural Models Aren’t Just Good for Self-Esteem, They’re Good For Sales
Vogue‘s recently decision to become “ambassadors for positive body image” sounds, for the most part, like an attempt to patch up their many missteps in the fight against terrible self-esteem and eating disorders. But according to an Elle Canada article by Ben Barry (owner of the Ben Barry Agency, a pro-women talent agency that uses diverse body types), it may also be a savvy business move. Because, despite the firmly-held beliefs of many advertisers, women actually buy more stuff when clothing is modeled on realistic, healthy, and “natural” models. More »
Bull$#*t Study Says 20% ‘Fat Tax’ Would Curb Obesity
New study says 20% fat tax would curb obesity; since fat-shaming is easier than fixing food subsidies that make junk food cheap. More »
Study: Corn Syrup Is Hurting Your Brain
A sugary diet won’t just put on pounds, it could also slow down your brain. A new study from UCLA researchers shows for the first time how a diet high in high-fructose corn syrup can hamper your ability to learn and remember information. But Omega-3s (which are pretty much goddamn magic, right?) can help counteract the effects of too much fructose, the authors say More »
Gendered Pricing: The Irritating Reason Women More For The Same Products
When I was a broke college student, I discovered a giant, money-saving secret in the aisles of Walgreens: gendered pricing. Women’s beauty products, like deodorant and razors, simply cost more than their identical, marketed-for-men counterparts. And according to Forbes and Marie Claire, this isn’t just a small marketing anomaly, in which manufacturers bank on a few extra pennies from the ladies–artificially inflated prices can cost females and female-identified individuals well over $1,000 per year in beauty products and health insurance. More »
Mattresses Might Improve Your Sleep; They’ll Probably Ruin Your Sex Life
Which would you rather have: good sleep or good sex? This is the dilemma that many couples are facing when it comes time to buy a new mattress. It seems that sales of those super-plush mattresses are on the rise, and with good reason–we sleep better on them. But, according to a recent Barron’s report, they also have a serious downside–bad sex. More »
Can We Stop Using ‘Anorexic’ As A Synonym For ‘Thin’?
A few weeks ago, some pictures surfaced of Miley Cyrus in which the young starlet had clearly lost weight. She wasn’t gaunt or bony, but she had inarguably slimmed down.
Rather than simply say that Miley had gotten thinner, though, magazines started running headlines screaming, “IS MILEY ANOREXIC?!”
This no doubt doesn’t seem strange. After all, we’re so used to seeing the word “anorexic” slapped across every newly slim celebrity’s photo that it doesn’t register anymore. Even when we know exactly how and why a star is dropping pounds (hi, Anne Hathaway!) we love to wonder whether what she isn’t just dieting, but actually has a legitimate psychological disorder. More »
Bollywood Star Aishwarya Rai Shows Post-Baby Body Obsession Thrives In India, Too
According to the New York Daily News, Bollywood actress and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai holds “a place in Indian popular culture akin to Kate Middleton or Victoria Beckham” in the U.K. And like Middleton, Beckham or any number of American equivalents, Rai is now being ridiculed for not losing weight quick enough after having a baby. More »
Morning Links: Why You Should Take A Coffee Break (Even If You Hate Coffee)
• 4 reasons to take an afternoon coffee break, even if you don’t drink coffee (FitSugar)
• Maya Angelou takes on the cause of women’s health. (HuffPost Women)
• Healthy and delicious: Green bean, barley, and wheatberry salad recipe. (Well & Good)
• 3 better brands to quench your soda cravings. (Vital Juice)
• More debate over how much weight you should be lifting (Q Blog)
• Are organic oils good for your skin? (Divine Caroline)
• 5 ways to customize your tennis shoes (Yahoo! Shine)
Rosie Pope’s Advice To Jessica Simpson: Lose The Baby Weight ‘Hard and Fast’
Pregnant in Heels star Rosie Pope recently offered some advice for new mom Jessica Simpson in an interview with US Weekly, encouraging her to take her time…but not too much More »
Biking Hurts Our Vaginas–And Our Sex Life; Study Proves We’re Not Just Wimps.
To all of you out there who think women just need to toughen up on the bike, there is now research that explains exactly what we’ve been trying to tell you all these years–biking hurts our vagina. And, not only that, it can hurt our sex life, too. More »
Weight Watchers’ Weigh-Ins Need To Stop
I recently attended a local Weight Watchers meeting to speak about an upcoming charity walk/bike ride. Much to my surprise, when I walked in, the receptionist at the front table asked if I “needed to be weighed”. No, I don’t “need” to be weighed, I told her. No one “needs” to be weighed. To me, weighing people in public is just offensive and humiliating. And it goes against everything I believe in about how to get people healthy. More »
7 Must-Have Apps For Bike To Work Week
Whether you’re thinking about biking to work for weight loss, to save money, or because you just can’t help but covet tricked-out cycling equipment, making the switch to two wheels isn’t as painful as you think. And with the assistance of one (or three, or five) of these awesome apps, it’s even easier. Who knew technology could be so helpful for a healthier commute? More »
Daily Fail: Shaming Stella McCartney For Looking Old Without Makeup
The Daily Mail is among the media outlets most obsessed with the no-makeup “trend”—headlines proclaiming shock over a new barefaced celebrity seem to surface on their website hourly—but unsurprisingly, they’ve also been using it as an opportunity to shamelessly bash female celebrities’ looks; especially the ones who happen to be older than 23. First, there was their embarrassing focus on Hilary Clinton‘s pared-down look (while discussing nuclear weapons); now, they’re bashing Stella McCartney for looking “older than her years” without makeup. More »
Afternoon Links: 50 Awesome Pre- And Post-Workout Snacks
• Fuel your body with these yummy snacks for both before and after your workout (Greatist)
• Achieve the perfect lunge with this tutorial (HuffPost Healthy Living)
• What’s the favorite clothing line for athletic celebs? Hint: it’s not lululemon (Well & Good)
• True or false: the best facial cleansers really sold on drugstore shelves (Vital Juice)
• Yes, it’s true–you really do eat more junk food in the wee hours (Grist)
• These common running ailments can sideline your workouts–learn more about them to keep yourself healthy (FitSugar)
FDA Pushes Back New Sunscreen Guidelines (So Consumers Will Be Protected…Next Winter)
Last summer, the FDA gave sunscreen manufacturers a new set of sunscreen label guidelines—which included updates to better protect consumers—but last week, they announced that they’d pushed back the deadline another six months. So labels should be more accurate by…next winter. More »
Tyra Banks Likes Vogue‘s New Rules (But Likes Her Own Advice More)
Well, that settles it. Those of us who were skeptical about Vogue‘s vague new “rules” for becoming “ambassadors of positive body image” can now rest assured that positive change is coming, because Tyra Banks said so. In an open letter today, the model-turned-entrepreneur-turned-talk-show-host congratulated the fashion/media giant on their decision…and offered plenty of Tyra-centric advice of her own. Because, you know, she’s Tyra. And while much of it was questionable, she did have some pretty smart things to say. More »
