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The celebration of the 'curve' has saturated popular culture in recent years, with the likes of the Kardashian sisters, Nicki Minaj, Amber Rose, Beyoncé and Blac Chyna supposedly flying the flag for curvacious women everywhere.

And while rocking a pear-shaped figure might place you in A-list company, it also reportedly does wonders for your physical health.

 

Happy Birthday @steph_shep I love this pic of us!

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According to recent research, women who carry fat in their hips, thighs and bum are at a lower risk of developing a number of different diseases, including heart attacks, strokes and diabetes.

For years, we've known that carrying weight around your middle can contribute to ill health as it impacts the internal organs, but research has now confirmed that storing weight in your lower half helps to draw fat away from those organs.

So, what's the difference between fat around the midriff and fat around the hips and thighs?

Well, the former is known as visceral fat and releases harmful chemicals which, as already stated, can effect the main organs of the body, while the latter is known as subcutaneous fat which doesn't have the same effect and actually indirectly protects the heart.

The findings, which were conducted by researchers at the University of Tubingen, has been published in the journal of Cell Metabolism.
 

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If you have a real fear of needles, you may be happy to know that bracing yourself for that pinch may soon become a thing of the past.

According to emerging reports, researchers in the United States are currently developing technology which may see a small pain-free patch act as an alternative to the traditional jab.

It is understood that the patch is comprised of microneedles, which contain a vaccine, and ultimately allow the wearer to vaccinate themselves.

After approximately 20 minutes, the microneedles will be dissolved by the body's moisture and the patch can then be removed from the wearer's skin.

Commenting on the new technology, Nadine Rouphael, associate professor of medicine at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, explained that the development provides a cheaper alternative.

"Dissolvable microneedle patches could potentially simplify the delivery of influenza vaccines," she said.

"The patch could be safely applied by participants themselves, meaning we could envisage vaccination at home, in the work place, or even via mail distribution.These advantages could reduce the cost of the flu vaccine and potentially increase coverage."

An investigation into the public's response to the technology has been published in The Lancet journal and established that 70 per cent of those who participated preferred the patch to the more traditional syringe application.

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If you're a mosquito magnet, then you'll know the absolute frustration of walking around with itchy red bumps on your legs for days.

And the rest of your family and friends? Not even a mark… SMH.

Well, thankfully we might soon get answers as to why the bugs are attracted to certain people.

Related image

British researchers are conducting an in-depth examination on the matter using… socks.

Yep, the scientists are collecting worn (and smelly) socks from 200 sets of identical and non-identical twins with the aim of finding out what role human genetics plays in the process of getting a mosquito bite.

According to Cosmo, the researchers are going to place the socks in a wind tunnel with the mosquitos to try to break down natural repellent and natural attractive odours.

Lead researcher, James Logan told Scientific American: “We know very little about the genetics of what makes us attractive to mosquitoes.

Close-up of Fly Perching on Leaf

"We hope this study will give us more insights into the mechanisms that help change our body odours to make us more or less attractive to mosquitos.

"If we can identify important genes, perhaps we could develop a pill or medication that would allow the body to produce natural repellents to keep mosquitoes away.”

Now, wouldn't that be nice.

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Most of us know at least one person with a particularly inflated sense of self, right?

But would you simply assume they just ooze confidence from every pore or do you find yourself questioning whether they're a total narcissist?

For those who aren't quite sure where the line lies, narcissism is where an individual constantly seeks adoration while high self-esteem is how the individual evaluates their own self-worth.

And if you ever want to put it to the test and figure out which type of person you're dealing with, there is apparently a very simple way to establish which category they fall under.

Recent research conducted by a group of psychologists established that criticism makes narcissists aggressive whereas those with high self-esteem aren't particularly perturbed by criticism.

With the participation of 540 students, researchers measured self-esteem, narcissism and aggressive behaviour, and concluded that narcissists will lash out verbally when they find themselves the subject of criticism.

"Narcissists mainly want to punish or defeat someone who has threatened their highly favourable views of themselves," researchers explained.

"People who are preoccupied with validating a grandiose self-image apparently find criticism highly upsetting and lash out against the source of it," they elaborated.

In comparison, students with high self-esteem did not become aggressive when faced with criticism in the course of the study.

And there you have it!
 

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No one would blame you for thinking that a tall americano has no place in the gym. After all, weight rooms are usually littered with empty water bottles and sweaty towels, not mugs and cardboard cups.

But why is is not so many fitness types have an unquenchable love for the black stuff?

Well, a new study has claimed that drinking coffee could actually help with workouts.

According to Metro.co.uk, Bruno Gualano, a physiology professor at the University of São Paulo, conducted research to see what effect, if any, caffeine had on physical performance.

The coffee lover and avid cyclist, split a group of male cyclists into three catagories – low caffeine intake (less than one cup a day), moderate intake (two cups) and high intake (three or more cups).

The groups then performed a series of trails where they had to cycle until they burnt 450 calories.

For the first trail, the participants were given a 400mg caffeine pill (equal to two cups of coffee).

It was then repeated, after the groups took a placebo pill, and then again after they had taken nothing at all.

The results showed that almost every single cyclist recorded their fastest time after they had taken the caffeine pill.

Infact, they averaged about 3.3 per cent faster when compared to taking no pill at all, and 2.2 per cent faster than taking the placebo.

Bruno reckons the results could translate into several minutes taken off total race times.

What's more, the group who regularly drank more than three cups of coffee a day enjoyed the same benefits from the pill as those with a lower caffeine intake.

But, before you start substituting your usual pre-workout beverage for a grande skinny latté, remember that large quantities of caffeine can be dangerous.

Bruno recommends starting small to see if you fitness regime benefits from the extra lift.

 

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Researchers from the Karolinksa Institutet and the Stockholm South General Hospital in Sweden have investigated the theory that many rape victims are unable to fight off their attacker due to a physiological reaction in a harrowing situation.

With many victims forced to face questions over their apparent 'lack of resistance' during a rape, researchers in Scandinavia sought to analyse the response of women during sexual assaults.

According to their research, the vast majority find themselves unable to move which subsequently blocks their ability to fend off an attacker.

The response is known as 'tonic immobility' and has been described as "an involuntary, temporary state of motor inhibition in response to situations involving intense fear."

Using 298 women, who had visited the Emergency Clinic for Rape Victims in Stockholm within one month of a sexual assault, researchers established that 70 per cent reported significant tonic immobility during their assault while 48 per cent reported extreme tonic immobility.

In the six months following the attack, 189 of the women were assessed for the development of PTSD and depression. Findings indicated that 38 per cent had developed PTSD while 22 per cent had developed severe depression.

The risk of developing PTSD increased by 2.75 if the victim experienced tonic immobility while the risk of depression increased by 3.42.

The study comes as welcome news in both the medical and legal worlds as researchers seek to highlight the importance of the finding.

Speaking to Broadly, the study's lead author, Dr Anna Moller, said: "The courts may be inclined to dismiss the notion of rape [if] the victim didn't appear to resist."

"Instead, what might be interpreted as passive consent is very likely to represent normal and expected biological reactions to an overwhelming threat."

"This information is useful both in legal situations and in the psychoeducation of rape victims. Further, this knowledge can be applied in the education of medical students and law students," she added.

The findings have been published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica.

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According to more than 40 years of research, the contraceptive pill can protect women against certain types of cancer.

The study, which was carried out at the University of Aberdeen, reports that women are less likely to suffer from bowl cancer, endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer after using the pill, and it can protect you for up to 30 years after.

The research, which studied 46,000 women for 44 years, also debunked the myth that taking the pill can lead to breast cancer in later life – it does not.

Image result for the contraceptive pill

The Oral Contraception Study first began in 1968, by the Royal College of General Practitioners to investigate the side effects of taking birth control.

Dr Lisa Iversen, the lead researcher said: "What we found from looking at up to 44 years' worth of data, was that having ever used the pill, women are less likely to get colorectal, endometrial and ovarian cancer.

"So, the protective benefits from using the pill during their reproductive years are lasting for at least 30 years after women have stopped using the pill.

Image result for the contraceptive pill

"We did not find any evidence of new cancer risks appearing later in life as women get older.

"These results from the longest-running study in the world into oral contraceptive use are reassuring.

"Specifically, pill users don't have an overall increased risk of cancer over their lifetime and that the protective effects of some specific cancers last for at least 30 years," she added.

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If you're more than a little partial to an energy drink or two, you're probably well used to hearing people tell you that you'd better off cutting down on the habit.

But if you've always found that a quick can has helped with the mid-afternoon slump, the thoughts of powering through without a caffeine hit can seem as stressful as enduring an entire Honey G concert.

Acknowledging this reliance, researcher, Erwin Johnson, has produced a break-down of our body's reaction to the consumption of an energy drink – from the first ten minutes to 24 hours later.

Within 10 minutes of chugging your can, caffeine will enter your bloodstream causing your heart rate and blood pressure to rise.

Within 45 minutes, your concentration levels will improve as caffeine levels peak, and by the hour mark, your body will have absorbed all the caffeine and your liver will then absorb the sugar.

And then come the pitfalls.

Within one hour of consumption, your body will experience a sugar crash leaving you feeling tired and lethargic.

Six hours after consuming the drink, your body will have reduced the caffeine level by just half while the following six hours will be focussed on eradicating the other half.

If you choose not to consume another drink within a 24-hour period, you will begin to experience withdrawals including headaches, constipation and irritability.

Commenting on the research, nutritionist Ella Allred explained: "Energy drinks are a bad way to get caffeine. Many people drink energy drinks every day to help them survive busy week."

"However, relying on those drinks, push our bodies to the limit," she told the Daily Star. "We still need to sleep and eat properly, but if we won’t do it on time and ignore our needs, most likely we will crash later on."

Taking issue with the criticism, Gavin Partington, British Soft Drinks Association Director General reminded the public that a reliance on energy drinks is no different to a reliance on coffee,

"In fact, this year the European Food Safety Authority reaffirmed the safety of energy drinks and their ingredients." he said. "It’s worth remembering that a 250 ml can of energy drinks contains the same amount of caffeine as a typical cup of coffee."

Irritability and constipation or falling asleep and drooling on your employer's lap – oh, what a time to be alive.

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Every girl knows the horror of the public toilet but unfortunately when nature calls sometimes you’ve just got to brace yourself and chance the nearest loo.

So over the years people have developed a number of defence mechanisms to help make this dreaded scenario as bearable as possible and one such coping strategy involves lining the toilet seat with loo roll to protect your bottom from any nasties which may be on the seat.

But according to The Sun, this very exercise could actually expose you to more unwanted bacteria than if you chanced it and went bare-bummed.

As it turns out, toilet seat design is a lot cleverer than you’d expect because the shape and smooth surface of the potty not only creates a comfortable place to sit but also makes it extremely difficult for germs to attach themselves to the seat with the result that the average public toilet seat cleaner than the average kitchen sink.

Toilet paper on the other hand is designed to be absorbent which makes it the ideal substance for bacteria to grab on to.

When a toilet is flushed germs terrifyingly are launched into the air and therefore land on whatever toilet roll is available – which means that by picking up the bog roll to line your throne, you are actually lining it with the very germs you were trying to avoid.  Horrible, we know.

So next time you're tempted to go public, remember to leave the loo roll where it is and perhaps give hovering a go!

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Ever get told off at work for not concentrating? Do you have a daily struggle to prioritise one thing over another?

Well according to a new study, workers who regularly find it difficult to focus in the workplace may actually just be incredibly intelligent. 

And why do these employees find it so difficult to concentrate? Because of all the BRILLIANT ideas they have whizzing around their brains, of course. 

"Employers are always on the lookout for the brightest people available," said the vice president of Steelcase, who published the research. 

"However the difficulty to withstand multiple tasks and distractions in the office affects smart people in the same way as everyone else, if not more.

"The ways in which we work are changing more rapidly than ever before and the brain is being subjected to stresses and distractions which can lead to overload and statistics show that distractions in the workplace are on the rise."

The study surveyed 10,000 workers in 17 different countries and found that the top cause of distraction in the workplace is technology. 

But perhaps worst of all, a lack of concentration in the workplace can cause a worker to feel inadequate and diminish his value in the eyes of the employer.

When in fact, they could simply just be a total genius. 

Yep, we'll be more than happy to pass off our procrastination as intelligence in the future. 

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Though little is still known about the long-lasting effects of electronic cigarettes, they are often peddled as less harmful versions of cigarettes or as an effective form of helping smokers to quit. 

This is because e-cigarettes simulate the feeling of smoking but don't actually burn tobacco.

Instead, smokers consume aerosol vapours. 

But, according to a study published by Environmental Health Perspectives today, it turns out that e-cigarettes may actually pose their own health risks. 

The study draws attention to a certain chemical that is identified in over three quarters of e-cigarettes currently on the market. 

This chemical is called Diacetyl and is linked to a number of serious respiratory conditions including lung cancer. 

Not only this, but apparently e-cigarettes contain other harmful ingredients such as formaldehyde. 

This is definitely not good news for the industry. 

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We may be battling flu season, the common cold and the dreaded annual throat infection this winter, but scientists believe we have another contagion to be worried about: Rudeness. 

Yep, studies conducted at the University of Florida have concluded that people who regularly witness rude behaviour amongst their peers are more susceptible to adopting rude behaviour themselves. 

Even more dangerously perhaps is that the study also revealed that a person who witnessed a lot of negative behaviour in their day to day life tended to also interpret normal behaviour as rude. This, in turn, can result in them reacting rudely.

We are talking about a never ending cycle of meanness people! 

The studies involved showing test subjects videos of co-workers interacting both positively and negatively towards each other. The viewers were then asked to respond to customer service emails. 

The participants who had viewed the rude interaction video were more likely to interpret a moderately worded email as extremely rude and respond accordingly. 

Another study paired individuals with rude team members to test their reaction. The experiment showed that the subject tended to be increasingly rude in their further interactions after being paired with a not so nice person. 

So, we think the lesson here y'all is to just be nice. Simples! 

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