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Surgery won’t fix my chronic back pain, so what will?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christine-lin-346821">Christine Lin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christopher-maher-826241">Christopher Maher</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/fiona-blyth-448021">Fiona Blyth</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/james-mcauley-1526139">James Mcauley</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mark-hancock-1463059">Mark Hancock</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/macquarie-university-1174">Macquarie University</a> This week’s ABC Four Corners episode <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-08/pain-factory/103683180">Pain Factory</a> highlighted that our health system is failing Australians with chronic pain. Patients are receiving costly, ineffective and risky care instead of effective, low-risk treatments for chronic pain. The challenge is considering how we might reimagine health-care delivery so the effective and safe treatments for chronic pain are available to millions of Australians who suffer from chronic pain. <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/10434b6f-2147-46ab-b654-a90f05592d35/aihw-phe-267.pdf.aspx">One in five</a> Australians aged 45 and over have chronic pain (pain lasting three or more months). This costs an estimated <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/10434b6f-2147-46ab-b654-a90f05592d35/aihw-phe-267.pdf.aspx">A$139 billion a year</a>, including $12 billion in direct health-care costs. The most common complaint among people with chronic pain is low back pain. So what treatments do – and don’t – work? <h2>Opioids and invasive procedures</h2> Treatments offered to people with chronic pain include strong pain medicines such as <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30561481/">opioids</a> and invasive procedures such as <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36878313/">spinal cord stimulators</a> or <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/imj.14120">spinal fusion surgery</a>. Unfortunately, these treatments have little if any benefit and are associated with a risk of significant harm. <a href="https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-021-06900-8">Spinal fusion surgery</a> and <a href="https://privatehealthcareaustralia.org.au/consumers-urged-to-be-cautious-about-spinal-cord-stimulators-for-pain/#:%7E:text=Australian%20health%20insurance%20data%20shows,of%20the%20procedure%20is%20%2458%2C377.">spinal cord stimulators</a> are also extremely costly procedures, costing tens of thousands of dollars each to the health system as well as incurring costs to the individual. <h2>Addressing the contributors to pain</h2> Recommendations from the latest <a href="https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/standards/clinical-care-standards/low-back-pain-clinical-care-standard">Australian</a> and <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240081789">World Health Organization</a> clinical guidelines for low back pain focus on alternatives to drug and surgical treatments such as: <ul> <li>education</li> <li>advice</li> <li>structured exercise programs</li> <li>physical, psychological or multidisciplinary interventions that address the physical or psychological contributors to ongoing pain.</li> </ul> Two recent Australian trials support these recommendations and have found that interventions that address each person’s physical and psychological contributors to pain produce large and sustained improvements in pain and function in people with chronic low back pain. The interventions have minimal side effects and are cost-effective. In the <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2794765">RESOLVE</a> trial, the intervention consists of pain education and graded sensory and movement “retraining” aimed to help people understand that it’s safe to move. In the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37146623/">RESTORE</a> trial, the intervention (cognitive functional therapy) involves assisting the person to understand the range of physical and psychological contributing factors related to their condition. It guides patients to relearn how to move and to build confidence in their back, without over-protecting it. <h2>Why isn’t everyone with chronic pain getting this care?</h2> While these trials provide new hope for people with chronic low back pain, and effective alternatives to spinal surgery and opioids, a barrier for implementation is the out-of-pocket costs. The interventions take up to 12 sessions, lasting up to 26 weeks. One physiotherapy session <a href="https://www.sira.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/1122674/Physiotherapy-chiropractic-and-osteopathy-fees-practice-requirements-effective-1-February-2023.pdf">can cost</a> $90–$150. In contrast, <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/chronic-disease-individual-allied-health-services-medicare-items">Medicare</a> provides rebates for just five allied health visits (such as physiotherapists or exercise physiologists) for eligible patients per year, to be used for all chronic conditions. Private health insurers also limit access to reimbursement for these services by typically only covering a proportion of the cost and providing a cap on annual benefits. So even those with private health insurance would usually have substantial out-of-pocket costs. Access to trained clinicians is another barrier. This problem is particularly evident in <a href="https://www.ruralhealth.org.au/15nrhc/sites/default/files/B2-1_Bennett.pdf">regional and rural Australia</a>, where access to allied health services, pain specialists and multidisciplinary pain clinics is limited. Higher costs and lack of access are associated with the increased use of available and subsidised treatments, such as pain medicines, even if they are ineffective and harmful. The <a href="https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/publications-and-resources/resource-library/data-file-57-opioid-medicines-dispensing-2016-17-third-atlas-healthcare-variation-2018">rate of opioid use</a>, for example, is higher in regional Australia and in areas of socioeconomic disadvantage than metropolitan centres and affluent areas. <h2>So what can we do about it?</h2> We need to reform Australia’s health system, private and <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2020/12/taskforce-final-report-pain-management-mbs-items-final-report-on-the-review-of-pain-management-mbs-items.docx">public</a>, to improve access to effective treatments for chronic pain, while removing access to ineffective, costly and high-risk treatments. Better training of the clinical workforce, and using technology such as telehealth and artificial intelligence to train clinicians or deliver treatment may also improve access to effective treatments. A recent Australian <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38461844/">trial</a>, for example, found telehealth delivered via video conferencing was as effective as in-person physiotherapy consultations for improving pain and function in people with chronic knee pain. Advocacy and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37918470/">improving the public’s understanding</a> of effective treatments for chronic pain may also be helpful. Our hope is that coordinated efforts will promote the uptake of effective treatments and improve the care of patients with chronic pain.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/227450/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christine-lin-346821">Christine Lin</a>, Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christopher-maher-826241">Christopher Maher</a>, Professor, Sydney School of Public Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/fiona-blyth-448021">Fiona Blyth</a>, Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/james-mcauley-1526139">James Mcauley</a>, Professor of Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mark-hancock-1463059">Mark Hancock</a>, Professor of Physiotherapy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/macquarie-university-1174">Macquarie University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/surgery-wont-fix-my-chronic-back-pain-so-what-will-227450">original article</a>.

Body

Police share wild seatbelt pic after fining driver for bizarre DIY fix

A driver has copped a $387 fine over their bizarre seatbelt fix during a random stationary test at Richmond in Sydney's northwest. A photo shared by NSW Police Traffic and Highway Patrol showed the shocking state of the driver's seatbelt, which was tattered and held together by duct tape. The police department have warned other drivers to make sure their seatbelts are in good condition, otherwise they too might cop a fine and demerit points. "Seatbelts help to save lives, except for this one...." they wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday. "Hawkesbury Highway Patrol were recently conducting random stationary testing on Londonderry Road at Richmond when they spoke with a driver about his seatbelt. "Not only was the seatbelt not being worn, an inspection of the seatbelt found it to be dangerously defective," they added. "He was issued a defect notice and infringement in the amount of $387 and three demerit points. Please ensure your seatbelts don't look like this." <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2024/03/SeatbeltNSWPolice.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Many commenters were baffled as to how the vehicle passed the eSafety check, also known as a pink slip inspection, which is required for vehicles over five years old in NSW to be deemed roadworthy. "And who passed the Pink Slip? That’s where I’d be heading," one wrote. "I wonder who did the rego check on this vehicle," another added. "How does it even get to that stage," a third questioned, while others agreed that the seatbelt was no longer safe. Images: Getty / Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, NSW Police Force

Legal

“I’ve got to change this”: The one big fix Robert Irwin is bringing to the jungle

Robert Irwin has shared the one big change he insisted on after he joined the cast of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! The wildlife warrior spoke to Kyle and Jackie O about how he demanded for the show to ditch the eating of native animals for challenges. In past seasons, the show has used body parts of native African animals in challenges for contestants to eat in exchange for prizes and advantages. After agreeing to host the show alongside Julia Morris, the 20-year-old insisted the rule was changed. “The one thing that I was like, ‘Mmm, I’ve got to change this’, was eating the African wildlife…I’m a conservationist at heart,” he said on Tuesday morning when dropping by The Kyle & Jackie O Show. “They have changed it so we’re just doing the cow, and the chicken, and the fish, and the cockroach,” he revealed of the change of challenge menu. Morris said she supported her new co-host’s efforts to stop any consumption of African wildlife on the show. “I think what Robert’s been doing is making people think, ‘Do you need it or not?’ Like if you need it, tell me why you need the wildlife in a place like that?” Morris explained. “And if it doesn’t matter and it was just something that was nice in Africa from Series 1, then we don’t need it – just get a cow!” Irwin added, “Africa’s got such amazing wildlife, and it’s about celebrating it”. Elsewhere in the interview, the young conservationist reflected on the time he first visited the South African set of I’m A Celeb when he was just 10 years old alongside his mum Terri and sister Bindi. “I just kind of got dropped in there with my family and spent the day in there and it was awesome. Since then, it’s been on my radar, I’ve been a fan of the show and I just thought it’s such an amazing thing I was awe-struck, I just loved it. Coming back as a host, is the craziest thing,” he said. Image credits: KIISFM

Flying home for Christmas? Carbon offsets are important, but they won’t fix plane pollution

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/susanne-becken-90437">Susanne Becken</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brendan-mackey-152282">Brendan Mackey</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Australia is an important player in the global tourism business. In 2016, <a href="https://www.tra.gov.au/research/research">8.7 million visitors arrived in Australia and 8.8 million Australians went overseas</a>. A further 33.5 million overnight trips were made domestically. But all this travel comes at a cost. According to the <a href="http://tourismdashboard.org/explore-the-data/carbon-emissions/">Global Sustainable Tourism Dashboard</a>, all Australian domestic trips and one-way international journeys (the other half is attributed to the end point of travel) amount to 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide for 2016. That is 2.7% of global aviation emissions, despite a population of only 0.3% of the global total. The peak month of air travel in and out of Australia is December. Christmas is the time where people travel to see friends and family, or to go on holiday. More and more people are <a href="http://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/analysis-of-a-119-country-survey-predicts-global-climate-change-awareness/">aware of the carbon implications of their travel</a> and want to know whether, for example, they should purchase carbon offsets or not. Our <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969699716302538">recent study in the Journal of Air Transport Management</a> showed that about one third of airlines globally offer some form of carbon offsetting to their customers. However, the research also concluded that the information provided to customers is often insufficient, dated and possibly misleading. Whilst local airlines <a href="https://www.qantasfutureplanet.com.au/#aboutus">Qantas</a>, <a href="https://www.virginaustralia.com/nz/en/about-us/sustainability/carbon-offset-program/">Virgin Australia</a> and <a href="https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/sustainability-customer-carbon-offset">Air New Zealand</a> have relatively advanced and well-articulated carbon offset programs, others fail to offer scientifically robust explanations and accredited mechanisms that ensure that the money spent on an offset generates some real climate benefits. The notion of carbon compensation is actually more difficult than people might think. To help explain why carbon offsetting does make an important climate contribution, but at the same time still adds to atmospheric carbon, we created an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsh-erzGlR0">animated video clip</a>. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xsh-erzGlR0?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Jack’s journey.</figcaption></figure> The video features Jack, a concerned business traveller who begins purchasing carbon credits. However, he comes to the realisation that the carbon emissions from his flights are still released into the atmosphere, despite the credit. The concept of “carbon neutral” promoted by airline offsets means that an equal amount of emissions is avoided elsewhere, but it does not mean there is no carbon being emitted at all – just relatively less compared with the scenario of not offsetting (where someone else continues to emit, in addition to the flight). This means that, contrary to many promotional and educational materials (see <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGB2OAg5ffA">here</a> for instance), carbon offsetting will not reduce overall carbon emissions. Trading emissions means that we are merely maintaining status quo. A steep reduction, however, is what’s required by every sector if we were to reach the net-zero emissions goal by 2050, agreed on in the <a href="http://unfccc.int/paris_agreement/items/9485.php">Paris Agreement</a>. Carbon offsetting is already an important “<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261517714000910">polluter pays</a>” mechanism for travellers who wish to contribute to climate mitigation. But it is also about to be institutionalised at large scale through the new UN-run <a href="https://www.icao.int/environmental-protection/Pages/market-based-measures.aspx">Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA)</a>. CORSIA will come into force in 2021, when participating airlines will have to purchase carbon credits for emissions above 2020 levels on certain routes. The availability of carbon credits and their integrity is of major concern, as well as how they align with national obligations and mechanisms agreed in the Paris Agreement. Of particular interest is <a href="http://www.carbon-mechanisms.de/en/introduction/the-paris-agreement-and-article-6/">Article 6</a>, which allows countries to cooperate in meeting their climate commitments, including by “trading” emissions reductions to count towards a national target. The recent COP23 in Bonn highlighted that CORSIA is widely seen as a potential source of billions of dollars for offset schemes, supporting important climate action. Air travel may provide an important intermediate source of funds, but ultimately the aviation sector, just like anyone else, will have to reduce their own emissions. This will mean major advances in technology – and most likely a contraction in the fast expanding global aviation market. <h2>Travelling right this Christmas</h2> In the meantime, and if you have booked your flights for Christmas travel, you can do the following: <ul> <li> pack light (every kilogram will cost additional fuel) </li> <li> minimise carbon emissions whilst on holiday (for instance by biking or walking once you’re there), and </li> <li> support a <a href="http://www.co2offsetresearch.org/consumer/Standards.html">credible offsetting program</a>. </li> </ul> And it’s worth thinking about what else you can do during the year to minimise emissions – this is your own “carbon budget”.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/89148/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/susanne-becken-90437">Susanne Becken</a>, Professor of Sustainable Tourism and Director, Griffith Institute for Tourism, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brendan-mackey-152282">Brendan Mackey</a>, Director of the Griffith Climate Change Response Program, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/flying-home-for-christmas-carbon-offsets-are-important-but-they-wont-fix-plane-pollution-89148">original article</a>.

Travel Trouble

A quick and easy guide to the holliest and jolliest Christmas cocktails

When it comes to the holiday season, nothing screams festive like Christmas-themed food and drinks. For your next holiday party, or if you're looking for a festive tipple on Christmas Eve to welcome in the big day, here's a list of our three favourite Christmas cocktails. All easy to make and undeniably delicious, these festive cocktails are guaranteed to have you in the Christmas spirit quicker than you can say "Another round!" Holiday Margarita · 30 ml Cointreau · 30 ml Blanco Tequila · 30 ml Fresh Lime Juice · 6 drops Aromatic Bitters Method: 1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and add ice 2. Shake and strain into a cinnamon sugar-rimmed coupe glass 3. Garnish with rosemary sprig Holiday Cosmopolitan Ingredients: · 20 ml Cointreau · 40 ml Vodka · 20 ml Fresh Lime Juice · 20 ml Cinnamon Clove Cranberry Syrup Method: 1. To make the syrup: Add 1 cup cranberries, 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 1 stick cinnamon, 5 cloves in a saucepan and heat up until boiled 2. Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake until well chilled 3. Strain into chilled glass 4. Garnish with a cinnamon stick Holiday Jam Ingredients: · 20ml Cointreau · 40 ml Vodka · 20 ml Fresh Lime Juice · 10 ml Cranberry Juice · 1 Bar Spoon Blackberries Method: 1. Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake until well chilled 2. Strain into chilled glass 3. Garnish with a blackberry Image credits: Supplied

Food & Wine

"Growing up so quick": Fans delight in adorable snaps of Otto Sandilands

Radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands has delighted fans with adorable new snaps of his son Otto. The official Instagram account for the Kyle and Jackie O Show shared the snaps of the smiling young boy, with many fans quick to point out that the one-year-old is the "spitting image" of his famous dad. “Otto is growing up so fast,” the pictures, showing Otto dressed in a blue T-shirt and playing with a ball outdoors, were captioned on social media. Fans of the show were quick to share their appreciation for the post, and reveal their surprise at how fast the little boy has grown up. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cyttz3JSrKq/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cyttz3JSrKq/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Kyle and Jackie O (@kyleandjackieo)</a> </div> </blockquote> “Here’s one gorgeous little boy. He's growing up so quick,” one fan wrote. “Such a cute and adorable little man. Beautiful picture of Otto,” another added. “He’s a big boy now,” a third wrote. “Spitting image of Kyle. So adorable,” another chimed in. Kyle has been very open about how much he has changed since becoming a father. In an interview in October 2022, he said, “I used to watch hours and hours of TV, and now I just sit there looking at him and he’s really been a joy.” “I’ve just been sitting at home the whole time which I’ve enjoyed. I’m at home now more than I was with lockdowns, so we’re loving every second of it." “I’m pretty happy actually. I can’t imagine being any happier.” Image credits: Instagram

Family & Pets

Renaming obesity won’t fix weight stigma overnight. Here’s what we really need to do

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ravisha-jayawickrama-1457644">Ravisha Jayawickrama</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873">Curtin University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/blake-lawrence-1452739">Blake Lawrence</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873">Curtin University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/briony-hill-1041619">Briony Hill</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a> The stigma that surrounds people living in larger bodies is pervasive and deeply affects the people it’s directed at. It’s been described as one of the last acceptable <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-australias-discrimination-laws-and-public-health-campaigns-perpetuate-fat-stigma-80471">forms of</a> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6592337">discrimination</a>. Some researchers think the term “obesity” itself is part of the problem, and are calling for a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27967229/">name change</a> to reduce stigma. They’re <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/obr.13590">proposing</a> “adipose-based chronic disease” instead. We study the stigma that surrounds obesity – around the time of <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/obr.13147">pregnancy</a>, among <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/oby.23266">health professionals</a> and health <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(23)00071-8/fulltext">students</a>, and in <a href="https://www.phrp.com.au/issues/october-2022-volume-32-issue-3/weight-stigma-in-australia/">public health</a> more widely. Here’s what’s really needed to reduce weight stigma. <h2>Weight stigma is common</h2> Up to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26596238/">42% of adults</a> living in larger bodies experience weight stigma. This is when others have negative beliefs, attitudes, assumptions and judgements towards them, unfairly viewing them as lazy, and lacking in willpower or self-discipline. People in larger bodies experience <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1038/oby.2008.636">discrimination</a> in many areas, including in the workplace, intimate and family relationships, education, health care and the media. Weight stigma is associated with <a href="https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-018-1116-5">harms</a> including increased cortisol levels (the main stress hormone in the body), negative body image, increased weight gain, and poor mental health. It leads to decreased uptake of, and quality of, health care. Weight stigma may even pose a <a href="https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-018-1116-5">greater threat</a> to someone’s health than increasing body size. <h2>Should we rename obesity?</h2> Calls to remove or rename health conditions or identifications to reduce stigma are not new. For example, in the 1950s homosexuality was classed as a “<a href="https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp-rj.2022.180103">sociopathic personality disturbance</a>”. Following many years of protests and activism, the term and condition <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4695779/">were removed</a> from the globally recognised classification of mental health disorders. In recent weeks, European researchers have renamed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease “metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease”. This occurred after <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/382/bmj.p1587">up to 66%</a> of health-care professionals surveyed felt the terms “non-alcoholic” and “fatty” to be stigmatising. Perhaps it is finally time to follow suit and rename obesity. But is “adiposity-based chronic disease” the answer? <h2>A new name needs to go beyond BMI</h2> There are two common ways people view obesity. First, most people use the term for people with a body-mass index (BMI) of 30kg/m² or above. Most, if not all, public health organisations also use BMI to categorise obesity and <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(22)00138-9/fulltext">make assumptions</a> about health. However, BMI alone is not enough to accurately summarise someone’s health. It does not account for muscle mass and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/downloads/bmiforpactitioners.pdf">does not provide</a> information about the distribution of body weight or adipose tissue (body fat). A high BMI can occur <a href="https://theconversation.com/using-bmi-to-measure-your-health-is-nonsense-heres-why-180412">without</a> biological indicators of poor health. Second, obesity is sometimes used to describe the condition of excess weight when mainly <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/obr.13590">accompanied by</a> metabolic abnormalities. To simplify, this reflects how the body has adapted to the environment in a way that makes it more susceptible to health risks, with excess weight a by-product of this. Renaming obesity “adiposity-based chronic disease” acknowledges the chronic metabolic dysfunction associated with what we currently term obesity. It also avoids labelling people purely on body size. <h2>Is obesity a disease anyway?</h2> “Adiposity-based chronic disease” is an acknowledgement of a disease state. Yet there is still no universal consensus on whether obesity is a disease. Nor is there clear agreement on the definition of “disease”. People who take a biological-dysfunction approach to disease <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25336733/">argue</a> dysfunction occurs when physiological or psychological systems don’t do what they’re supposed to. By this definition, obesity may <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37279872/">not be classified as a disease</a> until after harm from the additional weight occurs. That’s because the excess weight itself may not initially be harmful. Even if we do categorise obesity as a disease, there may still be value in renaming it. Renaming obesity may improve public understanding that while obesity is often associated with an increase in BMI, the increased BMI itself is not the disease. This change could move the focus from obesity and body size, to a more nuanced understanding and discussion of the biological, environmental, and lifestyle factors <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/obr.13590">associated</a> with it. <h2>Workshopping alternatives</h2> Before deciding to rename obesity, we need discussions between obesity and stigma experts, health-care professionals, members of the public, and crucially, <a href="https://www.phrp.com.au/issues/october-2022-volume-32-issue-3/weight-stigma-in-australia/">people living with obesity</a>. Such discussions can ensure robust evidence informs any future decisions, and proposed new terms are not also stigmatising. <h2>What else can we do?</h2> Even then, renaming obesity may not be enough to reduce the stigma. Our constant exposure to the socially-defined and acceptable idealisation of smaller bodies (the “thin ideal”) and the pervasiveness of weight stigma means this stigma is deeply ingrained at a societal level. Perhaps true reductions in obesity stigma may only come from a societal shift – away from the focus of the “thin ideal” to one that acknowledges health and wellbeing can occur at a range of body sizes.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209224/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ravisha-jayawickrama-1457644">Ravisha Jayawickrama</a>, PhD candidate, School of Population Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873">Curtin University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/blake-lawrence-1452739">Blake Lawrence</a>, Lecturer, Curtin School of Population Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873">Curtin University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/briony-hill-1041619">Briony Hill</a>, Deputy Head, Health and Social Care Unit and Senior Research Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/renaming-obesity-wont-fix-weight-stigma-overnight-heres-what-we-really-need-to-do-209224">original article</a>.

Body

Is the Barbie movie a bold step to reinvent and fix past wrongs or a clever ploy to tap a new market?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lauren-gurrieri-5402">Lauren Gurrieri</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a> After a months-long marketing blitz, the much-hyped Barbie movie is released this week. From a <a href="https://news.airbnb.com/barbies-malibu-dreamhouse-is-back-on-airbnb-but-this-time-kens-hosting/">Malibu Barbie dreamhouse</a> listed on AirBnB, an AI tool that <a href="https://www.barbieselfie.ai/au/">transforms selfies into Barbie movie posters</a> and multiple Barbie-themed brand collaborations ranging from nail polish to roller skates, Barbie is everywhere. She has even gone viral as a fashion trend known as <a href="https://www.elle.com.au/fashion/barbiecore-27286">Barbiecore</a>, exploding across social media with people embracing vibrant pink hues and hyper feminine aesthetics. A Barbie world is upon us. Although some have criticised this <a href="https://twitter.com/MosheIsaacian/status/1673415496929267712">saturation</a> strategy, it is a very deliberate marketing ploy to revitalise and redefine a brand with a contested position and history. As well as attracting adults who grew up with Barbie and are curious to see what’s changed, the reinvention is drawing in those younger fans swept up by the tsunami of marketing and merchandise. Despite being one of the <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/brandspark-most-trusted-brands-america-2022">most trusted brands</a> with a value of approximately <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1009126/barbie-brand-value-worldwide/">$US700 million</a>, Barbie has long attracted feminist criticism for fuelling outdated and problematic “plastic fantastic” sexist stereotypes and expectations. <h2>The Barbie backlash</h2> Only a few years back, Barbie was a brand in crisis. <a href="https://time.com/3667580/mattel-barbie-earnings-plus-size-body-image/">Sales plummeted</a> across 2011 to 2015 against the cultural backdrop of a rise in body positivity and backlash against a doll that represented narrow ideals and an impossible beauty standard. After all, at life-size Barbie represents a body shape held by <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF01544300#page-1">less than 1 in 100,000</a> real people. In fact, she is so <a href="https://rehabs.com/explore/dying-to-be-barbie/#.UWs-5aKyB8F">anatomically impossible</a> that, if she were real, she would be unable to lift her head, store a full liver or intestines, or <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/305/6868/1575">menstruate</a>. The backlash has also been in response to growing concerns about how she influences child development, particularly how and what children learn about gender. Barbie has been identified as a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144521000243#!">risk factor</a> for thin-ideal internalisation and body dissatisfaction for young girls, encouraging <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S174014451630208X">motivation for a thinner shape</a> that damages body image and self esteem. And despite the multiple careers Barbie has held over the decades, research highlights that girls who play with Barbie believe they have <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-014-0347-y">fewer career options than boys</a>. This speaks to the power of toys to reinforce gender stereotypes, roles and expectations, and how Barbie has imported narrow ideals of femininity, girlhood and womanhood into young girls’ lives. <h2>Reinventing a long-established icon</h2> In response to this backlash, Mattel launched a new range of Barbies in 2016 that were promoted as <a href="https://shop.mattel.com/collections/fashion-dolls#filter.ss_filter_tags_subtype=Fashionistas">diverse</a>, representing different body shapes, sizes, hair types and skin tones. This was not without criticism, with “curvy” Barbie still considered thin and dolls named in ways that drew attention foremost to their bodies. From a white, well-dressed, middle-class, girl-next-door with friends of a similar ilk, Barbie has since been marketed as a symbol of diversity and inclusion. To signify the extent of the transformation, Mattel’s executives gave this project the code name “Project Dawn”. Mattel - like many other brands joining the <a href="https://theconversation.com/victorias-secret-joins-the-inclusive-revolution-finally-realizing-diversity-sells-163955">“inclusivity revolution”</a> - knew that diversity sells, and they needed to make their brand relevant for contemporary consumers. Diversity initiatives included a line of <a href="https://shop.mattel.com/pages/barbie-role-models">female role model dolls</a>, promoted as “introducing girls to remarkable women’s stories to show them you can be anything”. Barbie was also given a voice in the form of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5BsRl9zFaeSKIL4XD-pdGHGbJRvkfe8S">Barbie Vlogs</a>, where she expressed her views on issues including depression and the <a href="https://www.bustle.com/p/barbies-vlog-about-the-sorry-reflex-is-the-feminist-pep-talk-all-90s-babies-need-to-hear-9852366">sorry reflex</a>. A gender neutral collection called “creatable world” was added in 2019 to open up gender expression possibilities when playing with Barbies. Such efforts were crucial to undoing missteps of the past, such as a “Teen Talk Barbie” that was programmed to say “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSL2-rbE9AM">Math class is tough!</a>”, or the compulsory heterosexuality that Barbie has long advanced. <h2>The latest step in Barbie’s transformation</h2> Barbie the film is simply the next step in an evolution to make brand Barbie inclusive. And with a rumoured film budget of $100 million, the supporting marketing machine provides a critical opportunity to reset the Barbie narrative. With Greta Gerwig, acclaimed director of female-led stories such as Little Women and Lady Bird at the helm, and a diverse cast of Barbies of different races, body types, gender identities and sexual preferences, the film and its creators have sought to assure audiences of the film’s feminist leanings. Addressing the complicated history of Barbie is crucial for audiences who grew up and played with the doll and are grappling with introducing her to the next generation of doll consumers. Yet, Robbie Brenner, executive producer of Mattel Films, has explicitly stated that Gerwig’s Barbie is “not a feminist movie”. Indeed, the main character still represents a narrow beauty standard - tall, thin, blonde, white - with diverse characters in place to support her narrative. Which begs the question: are these inclusion initiatives simply emblematic of diversity washing, where the language and symbolism of social justice are hijacked for corporate profit? Or do they represent a genuine effort to redress the chequered history of a brand that promotes poor body image, unrealistic ideals and rampant materialism? What is clear is that in today’s climate where brands are increasingly rewarded for taking a stand on sociopolitical issues, brand Barbie’s attempts to reposition as inclusive have paid off: sales are now booming. Seemingly, Barbie’s famous tagline that “anything is possible” has shown itself to be true.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209394/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lauren-gurrieri-5402">Lauren Gurrieri</a>, Associate Professor in Marketing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-the-barbie-movie-a-bold-step-to-reinvent-and-fix-past-wrongs-or-a-clever-ploy-to-tap-a-new-market-209394">original article</a>.

Movies

Why quick health fixes are never the solution

When it comes to diet and exercise, there are no shortcuts. Weight loss, muscle gain, addressing nutritional deficiencies, lowering of things like cholesterol... none of these things can be done quickly. All efforts must have a cumulative effect to work. We love a "quick fix" because we don't like hard work. When a study breaks the news that, for example, a glass of red wine a day is equivalent to going to the gym, people change their approach to their health without understanding what was actually a very flawed, limited study. But the messages from quick fixes are catchy. "I don't have to go to the gym!", "If I eat this, I'll lose weight in three weeks!", "I can get a six-pack without doing crunches!", and so the beliefs go. Knowledge, hard work and discipline is the only secret to achieving health goals. But that doesn't stop people trying to seek out an easier way. Quick fixes are appealing for many reasons. The world of health is complex and often unclear (and even contradictory). Quick fixes are clear cut. They give you explicit instructions that are easily followed, and they're usually one-dimensional, e.g. "don't eat anything except chicken and broccoli". They also often give you a hint of success early on, which gives you confidence. If you dramatically drop your regular diet for a juice cleanse that is only 25 per cent of your regular calorie intake, of course you're going to lose weight. Until you don't. The unsustainable – and usually unhealthy – nature of quick fixes is that they normally come with a yo-yo effect. You'll lose weight dramatically in the first few weeks but then you'll plateau, and then that weight will pile back on with a vengeance. The yo-yo effect is actually called "weight cycling", and is largely psychological. You embark on a reduced calorie diet and/or energy-intensive exercise regimen that is extreme from the outset, and initially you experience pride and elation over your efforts. The effects of fatigue soon set in and force you back to old ways (and often, backwards) in your health-related endeavours. Any kind of quick fix diet will also slow your metabolism down, because when you cut calories you're also cutting macronutrients. The result? Muscle loss instead of fat loss. This unhelpful quick fix mentality applies to "superfoods" and any kind of "ground-breaking" ingredients (think chia seeds, kale, blackcurrants, nut oils and the like) too. No single food can speed up your progress when it comes to your health goals. We're obsessed with quick fixes because they have a cult value to them. They're based around creating a fear of something – whether it's going to the gym or sugary foods – and telling you that if you follow a certain, easily-prescribed doctrine, you can be free of that fear. As a consumer, scepticism is your greatest tool when thinking about supposedly revolutionary health studies and claims made by so-called experts. When reading about a scientific study that claims a quick fix concerning the miraculous benefits of one type of food, specific exercise activity, or diet, there are a few important things to know. Firstly, that study might be taken from a minute group of subjects (e.g. only 10 people), which doesn't provide reliable evidence. Studies also can use unnaturally high concentrations of a "miracle" ingredient, enabling researchers to produce a desirable result that will get published in journals and mainstream media. A great example in recent times of this has been goji berries, and their purported effect on heart disease prevention. It's also vital to know what many studies are funded by corporations that stand to benefit from those desirable results. You, as a consumer, should be wary of any quick fix backed up by a single scientific source, because that research might have solely been conducted with a view to use it to sell a product. When it comes to health fixes, if it's easy and revolutionary, it's too good to be true. Take to Google with a sceptical eye, and you'll find it's easy to discover how misleading any quick fix can be. Image credit: Shutterstock Written by Lee Suckling. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stuff.co.nz.</a>

Body

A list of the germiest items in your home (and how to fix them)

Even when you think your house is clean, bacteria can be lurking in everyday items around the house. Check out our guide for finding the trouble spots and getting rid of them. The culprit: Kitchen sponge It’s scary to think that the item that we use to clean our dishes and benches can be harbouring some serious nasties. Think E. coli and Staphylococcus, mould, and even the influenza virus. The cure: Each time you use your sponge, rinse it out in hot water, wring and allow to air dry. Once a day, sterilise it by wetting it and placing in the microwave for 60 seconds. Change your sponge every 2 weeks to keep the germs at bay. The culprit: Kitchen sink Did you know that your sink is most likely dirtier than your toilet seat? Any fruits, vegetables, cutlery and chopping boards that may have come into contact with raw meat are potentially contaminating your sink. The cure: Three times per week, dampen the sink and spray with surface spray. Scrub the sink to remove any bacteria, especially around the drain where nasties can lurk. Use an antibacterial product to then spray the taps, sink, draining board and your scrubbing brush. Leave for ten minutes before rinsing. The culprit: Toothbrushes Each day germs move from your mouth to your toothbrush, and are then left next to any other family member’s toothbrushes to mingle and spread. Your toothbrushes are also often kept near the toilet and are possibly being contaminated with airborne bacteria from every flush. The cure: Keep your toothbrushes in an upright container (not resting on the sink) so that they can have air circulating around them. Try to reduce the germs moving from the toilet to your brush by always closing the toilet lid before flushing. If you are ill, replace your toothbrush, and treat yourself to a new brush every three months. The culprit: Electronics We touch the remote, our computers and our phones all day long – but how often do we clean them? Rarely, if ever, is the common answer. And the scary part is they can be as filthy as your kitchen sponge. The cure: Use a disinfecting wipe to go over your (switched off) electronics. Think laptops, mobile phones, and remote controls. The culprit: Bath towels We often “dry” our towels on the back of the door in a damp bathroom where they never get completely dried properly. This can cause mould, mildew and bacteria to thrive, making it possible to get a nasty rash or infection. The cure: Allow your towels to spread out and air dry. Instead of a hook it’s best to use a rack where they can be completely spread out. Change your towels every 3-4 days as this will help keep the levels of bacteria down. If your towels still smell after washing, it’s time to toss them out. Image credit: Shutterstock Related links: <a href="../lifestyle/at-home/2015/01/dirty-home-items/">5 surprisingly dirty things in your house</a> <a href="../lifestyle/at-home/2014/12/home-cleaning-tips/">10 amazing cleaning tips everyone should know</a> <a href="../lifestyle/at-home/2014/10/how-to-homemade-laundry-powder-and-softener/">How to make homemade laundry powder</a>

Home Hints & Tips

Get-rich-quick schemes, pyramids and ponzis: five signs you’re being scammed

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bomikazi-zeka-680577">Bomikazi Zeka</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra-865">University of Canberra</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/abdul-latif-alhassan-1390159">Abdul Latif Alhassan</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-cape-town-691">University of Cape Town</a> Consumers are under a lot of financial strain. The <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/09/cost-of-living-crisis-global-impact/">World Economic Forum</a> reports that the cost-of-living crisis is affecting people across the globe. With food and fuel prices rising, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep financially afloat. On top of that, salaries <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/workers-pay-globally-hasnt-kept-up-with-inflation-e6df92d">aren’t keeping up with inflation</a>, making it more difficult to save and build wealth. It’s during such times of economic difficulty and uncertainty that fraudsters lure unsuspecting consumers into “<a href="https://www.sabric.co.za/">get-rich-quick</a>” schemes, offering <a href="https://www.sabric.co.za/stay-safe/ponzi-pyramid-schemes/">an avenue to make easy money</a> by investing in a “lucrative” financial opportunity. Nothing beats the prospect of making easy money, and every now and again there seems to be a “get-rich-quick” scheme circulating on WhatsApp or on social media that seems legitimate. But it’s not. Our research interests centre on financial systems in emerging economies, and we advocate for financial inclusion and empowering marginalised communities through financial literacy and financial planning. We use our academic platform to share our expertise on finance, including common financial traps people should steer clear of. “Get-rich-quick” schemes are one such trap. They’re also sometimes called ponzi or pyramid schemes. The schemes are a form of <a href="https://www.lawinsider.com/dictionary/financial-fraud">financial fraud</a>. The people running them take money through deception: the misrepresentation of information and identity. They promise financial benefits that don’t exist. You should avoid them because, more often than not, they are bogus and fraudulent business ventures. There have been some massive fraud schemes over the past 30 years. In the early 1990s, <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/mmm-global-russian-ponzi-scheme-from-1990s-reborn-and-now-spreading-like-wildfire-in-africa-a7333366.html">MMM Global</a> - one of the world’s largest and most notorious ponzi schemes - defrauded up to 40 million people, who lost an estimated $10 billion. Ponzi schemes have since resurfaced in different forms in <a href="https://www.iol.co.za/weekend-argus/news/ponzi-scheme-investigated-as-some-victims-lost-as-much-as-r200-000-c3c3633c-2abb-4dd4-b668-a5ea608deb41">South Africa</a>, <a href="https://guardian.ng/business-services/nigerians-lose-over-n911b-to-ponzi-schemes-related-fraud-in-23-years/">Nigeria</a>, <a href="https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/zimbabwe-money-pyramids-ponzi-schemes/6305100.html">Zimbabwe</a>, <a href="https://allafrica.com/stories/202105170964.html">Kenya</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/JFC-09-2020-0177">Ghana</a> and several other African countries. There are five tell-tale signs of a “get-rich-quick” scheme. Watch out for them. <h2>The five tell-tale signs</h2> Firstly, they offer exaggerated and above-market returns within a short period of time, with the promise of little to no risk. There are two golden rules when it comes to investing. The first is that it takes time to make money. Amassing a small fortune within a short space of time should raise questions about the scheme. The second rule is: the higher the risk, the higher the return. In other words, no investment is risk free or can guarantee significant returns. There is always some risk involved. An investment that promises substantial returns tends to be quite risky, which repels most people with a low appetite for risk. Secondly, new members are constantly recruited to join the scheme. Typically, such schemes are sustained by relying on the investments of new members to pay existing members. Once the number of existing members exceeds new members, the scheme goes “belly-up”. At best you lose out on the returns you were promised. At worst you lose all the money you’ve invested. When the scheme collapses, it is almost impossible to recover the money you’ve lost because you’ve technically given it to a stranger (remember, the definition of financial fraud encompasses the misrepresentation of identity). Thirdly, there is urgency to join the scheme and no clarity on how the scheme works. This is a classic characteristic of a “get-rich-quick” scheme. There is usually no clear answer about the nature of the scheme, what it invests in, how it generates its returns or the credentials of the organisation. Legitimate investments are transparent and can provide investors with all the information they need to help them decide whether to invest. Unsurprisingly, a proper check of “get-rich-quick” schemes will unmask their fraudulent nature. This is why there’s always the urgency and coercion to make an immediate financial commitment under the guise of missing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get rich. Fourthly, the scheme is not registered with or regulated by any recognised authority. Regulatory authorities are important because they monitor the conduct of financial service providers and protect consumers by keeping their best interests in mind. The protection provided by financial regulators also instils confidence in financial systems. “Get-rich-quick” schemes are not registered and operate outside the framework of regulatory bodies. This makes investors more vulnerable to loss and makes it more difficult to seek legal recourse when the loss occurs. Legitimate investments in South Africa are offered by authorised financial service providers and regulated by the <a href="https://www.fsca.co.za/Pages/Default.aspx">Financial Sector Conduct Authority</a>. You can search for any authorised financial service provider on the authority’s <a href="https://www.fsca.co.za/Fais/Search_FSP.htm">website</a>. Fifthly, they use the testimonies from existing members who’ve earned big bucks to promote the scheme. At the initial stages, the scheme tends to pay out to those who have invested early, and these members are encouraged to share the news of their wealth (which travels fast and far) to promote the scheme. But this is a tactic used to create the impression that you too can earn returns in the double digits. These schemes are both unsustainable and unethical as one person gets wealthy through someone else being deceived. <h2>Too good to be true</h2> It’s worth repeating that if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Wealth comes from a sound investment strategy and decisions made over time. Any promise to “get rich quick” should be treated with the cynicism it deserves. It will ultimately reveal its fraudulent nature. Recognising the signs of “get-rich-quick” schemes can save you from unnecessary financial distress. It’s always a good idea to do your own investigation before committing your finances into any investment. You can find more information on the various types of scams through the <a href="https://www.sabric.co.za/">South African Banking Risk Information Centre</a>’s website and report them to the <a href="https://www.safps.org.za/Home/Contact">South African Fraud Prevention Service</a>.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205798/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bomikazi-zeka-680577">Bomikazi Zeka</a>, Assistant Professor in Finance and Financial Planning, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra-865">University of Canberra</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/abdul-latif-alhassan-1390159">Abdul Latif Alhassan</a>, Associate Professor in Development Finance & Insurance, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-cape-town-691">University of Cape Town</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/get-rich-quick-schemes-pyramids-and-ponzis-five-signs-youre-being-scammed-205798">original article</a>.

Money & Banking

5 simple tips to fix dry hair

As we age, our hair is just one of the parts of our body that goes through a drastic change. Aside from the obvious (going grey), it also becomes thinner, drier, duller, and you may experience some hair loss. But thankfully, you can take steps to ensure your hair looks as healthy as possible no matter what your age. Here are five tips to help you rejuvenate and re-moisturise dry, dull hair. 1. Get the temperature right You might like your showers extra hot, but too much heat can force the hair shalt open, and if your hair is dry or damaged, the shaft won’t be able to close fully and the moisture will seep right out. Instead, keep the water warm during washing then finish with a cool rinse to make your hair look shinier. 2. Don’t over-wash Using shampoo every day will strip your hair of its healthy natural oils, thus drying it out. Try to use it only every second day, using conditioner in between to add some moisture. 3. Raid the kitchen The secret to healthy, shiny hair could be lying in your kitchen. For a rejuvenating, vitamin-packed hair mask, simply mash a super ripe avocado with some olive oil. Apply to your hair, leave for 20 minutes and then rinse off – it’s an easy, natural way to restore moisture and shine. 4. Turn off the tools Your hair dryer or straightener may make life easier when it comes to styling, but it’s not doing damaged hair any help. If you absolutely can’t live without them, at least invest in the best tools you can afford. And when choosing a straightener or hair iron, don’t go any hotter than 185 degrees – any higher and your hair may become more damaged. The same goes for hair dryers – avoid the temptation to switch it up to the hottest setting, and before subjecting your hair to any dryers or straighteners, treat it with a heat protectant spray. 5. Book a trip to the salon It might not be that your hair is dry, but rather that the ends of your hair are dry, split and in need of a cut. A good way to judge how much you need to trim is by seeing how quickly your hair dries. If the ends air-dry almost immediately while the rest of your hair remains wet, those ends need to go. Images: Getty

Beauty & Style

Century-old typo at Melbourne train stop finally fixed

One of Melbourne’s oldest public spelling errors will be fixed after almost a century. In 1937, the suburb of "Glen Huntly" was incorrectly written as a one-word sign at the train station and has remained that way ever since. The southeast suburb is finally getting an updated sign, as two level crossing removals are about to take place. “That’s a historical spelling error ... It’s taken us nearly a century to fix that,” Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said at a press conference. “But the local historical society and others who have an eye for detail will be very pleased to see us remedying that error.” Glen Huntly was named after a ship that arrived in Port Phillip all the way back in 1940, but there has been confusion surrounding the spelling ever since. Some local businesses in the suburb still have the spelling as 'Glenhuntly' and the name of the railway station has been changed three times. The stop was called ‘Glen Huntly Road’ when it was opened in 1881, before being changed to ‘Glen Huntly’ in 1882 and then ‘Glenhuntly’ in 1937. Andrews unveiled the new train station signage with the correct spelling as works to remove the level crossings and upgrades to the station commence. Those congested level crossings are at Neerim and Glen Huntly roads with expected closures in the area from May 5 until mid-July. Buses will be replacing trains on the Frankston line between Caulfield and Moorabbin during this time. The new, typo-free Glen Huntly train station will open in August 2023. Image credit: Facebook

Travel Trouble

Super has become a taxpayer-funded inheritance scheme for the rich. Here’s how to fix it – and save billions

Australia’s A$3.3 trillion superannuation system is supposed to boost people’s retirement incomes. The government says as much in its <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-02/c2023-361383.pdf">proposed leglislated objective</a> for superannuation. The system is supported by billions of dollars of tax breaks each year, ostensibly to that end. But there’s just one problem – increasingly, much of what is saved is never spent. Our new report, <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/super-savings-practical-policies-for-fairer-superannuation-and-a-stronger-budget">Super savings: Practical policies for fairer superannuation and a stronger budget</a>, points out that without an overhaul, super tax breaks are set to do little more than boost the inheritances of Australians with well-off parents. Super contributions and super earnings are both taxed more lightly than other income. These tax breaks cost the budget about $45 billion (2% of Australia’s gross domestic product, or GDP) each year. Treasury predicts that figure will hit 3% of GDP by 2060, and that the cost of super tax breaks will overtake the cost of the age pension by as soon as 2036. Super tax breaks are also unfair: about two-thirds go to the top 20% of earners. This means the tax breaks provide the biggest boost to the super accounts of high earners, who will almost all have a comfortable retirement regardless, and who tend to save the same regardless of the tax rate imposed. The wealthiest 10% of Australians get a bigger boost to their retirement savings from super tax breaks than poorer Australians get from the age pension. But much of what is saved for retirement never actually gets spent in retirement. Earlier research by <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/news/balancing-act/">Grattan Institute</a> and the <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-02/p2020-100554-udcomplete-report.pdf">2020 Retirement Income Review</a> found that, for a variety of reasons, spending falls substantially during retirement. Retirees often end up leaving much of their nest egg untouched, bequeathing it to their children. This means billions of dollars in super tax breaks simply end up boosting the inheritances received by the children of well-off parents. It makes super a taxpayer-funded inheritance scheme. This problem is set to get worse. With the rate of compulsory superannuation legislated to rise from 10.5% of wages to 12% by 2025, future generations of retirees are set to retire with even larger nest eggs that they will never spend. Treasury projects that by 2059, one in every three dollars paid out of the super system will be a bequest, up from one in every five today. Big inheritances boost the jackpot from the birth lottery. They help richer children get richer. Among the Australians who received an inheritance over the past decade, the wealthiest fifth received on average <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/news/the-great-australian-nightmare/">three times</a> as much as the poorest fifth. To help reverse this, the government needs to rein in the super tax breaks. <h2>How to make super fairer</h2> The government’s policy, <a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/jim-chalmers-2022/media-releases/superannuation-tax-breaks">announced in February</a>, of taxing the earnings on balances bigger than $3 million at 30%, instead of 15%, will help. But the threshold ought to be lowered to $2 million. Balances between $2 million and $3 million are very unlikely to be spent in retirement, so winding back tax breaks on earnings on balances bigger than $2 million would further wind back taxpayer-funded bequests. And there’s more. Currently, many wealthier Australians receive a larger tax break per dollar contributed to super than many low income earners. Yet low earners have more to be compensated for. Putting money into their super cuts their age pension in retirement, and they live shorter lives, meaning less time to enjoy their super in retirement. The pre-tax contributions of people earning more than $220,000 a year should be taxed at 35%, instead of the 30% charged to those earning more than $250,000 currently. That would still offer a 10% tax break on super contributions for high earners (given the top marginal rate of 45%) and at least a 15% break on the contributions of low and middle earners. And the annual pre-tax contributions cap should be lowered from $27,500 to $20,000. Contributions above this level tend to be made by people close to retirement with already-high balances. <h2>Tax earnings in retirement the same as while working</h2> On the earnings side, the tax-free earnings enjoyed by retirees on their first $1.7 million ($1.9 million from 1 July this year) of their super should go. Superannuation earnings in retirement should be taxed at 15%, the same as superannuation earnings before retirement. This would save the budget at least $5.3 billion a year, and much more in future, and make taxing super more simple. More than 70% of this revenue would come from the top 20% of retirees. The top 10% would pay an extra $7,000 to $7,500 a year on average, whereas the poorest half would no more than $200 more each. Both sides of politics say they agree that super shouldn’t be a taxpayer-funded inheritance scheme. But there’s a long way to go before that vision is reality. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/super-has-become-a-taxpayer-funded-inheritance-scheme-for-the-rich-heres-how-to-fix-it-and-save-billions-202948" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Retirement Income

Three years into the pandemic, it’s clear COVID won’t fix itself. Here’s what we need to focus on next

On March 11 2020 the World Health Organization classified COVID as a <a href="https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020">pandemic</a>. Three years on, it remains just that. As much as we don’t want it to be, and as much as it is off the front pages, COVID is still very much with us. But how bad has it really been? And, more importantly, what have we learned that could help us accelerate a real and sustained exit? <h2>COVID has hit us hard</h2> There was a <a href="https://theconversation.com/too-late-already-bolted-how-a-faster-who-response-could-have-slowed-covid-19s-spread-160860">slow initial</a> global response to what we now call SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID. This allowed the virus to get a foothold, contributing to unexpectedly rapid <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-there-so-many-new-omicron-sub-variants-like-ba-4-and-ba-5-will-i-be-reinfected-is-the-virus-mutating-faster-182274">viral evolution</a>. Three years into the pandemic, with the removal of almost all mitigation measures in most countries, it’s clear the virus has hit the world very hard. <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/">So far</a>, almost 681 million infections and more than 6.8 million deaths have been reported. This is perhaps best visualised by its impact on life expectancy. There were <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/padr.12477">sharp declines</a> seen across the world in 2020 and 2021, reversing 70 years of largely uninterrupted progress. The excess mortality driving this drop in life expectancy has continued. This includes in Australia, <a href="https://www.actuaries.digital/2023/03/06/almost-20000-excess-deaths-for-2022-in-australia/">where over 20,000 more lives</a> than the historical average are estimated to have been lost in 2022. <h2>Not just COVID deaths</h2> The indirect impacts on the health systems in rich and poor countries alike continue to be substantial. Disruptions to health services have led to <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(21)00079-6/fulltext">increases</a> in stillbirths, maternal mortality and postnatal depression. Routine <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/15-07-2022-covid-19-pandemic-fuels-largest-continued-backslide-in-vaccinations-in-three-decades">child immunisation coverage</a> has decreased. Crucial malaria, tuberculosis and HIV programs have been <a href="https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/2021/2021-09-08-global-fund-results-report-reveals-covid-19-devastating-impact-on-hiv-tb-and-malaria-programs/#:%7E:text=GENEVA%20%E2%80%93%20The%20COVID%2D19%20pandemic,history%20of%20the%20Global%20Fund">disrupted</a>. A paper out this week highlights the <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1107560/full">severe impact</a> of the pandemic on mental health globally. <h2>Then there’s long COVID</h2> Meanwhile, more evidence of long COVID has emerged around the world. At least <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-022-00846-2">65 million people</a> were estimated to be experiencing this debilitating syndrome by the end of 2022. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/covid-19/long-covid-in-australia-a-review-of-the-literature/summary">estimates</a> 5-10% of people who are infected with SARS-CoV-2 will develop long COVID, with symptoms persisting more than three months. That’s between 550,000 and 1.1 million Australians, based on the more than 11 million cases reported <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/australia/">so far</a>. <h2>COVID highlighted inequalities</h2> The pandemic has also had a huge economic impact, both directly and indirectly. The United States alone spent <a href="https://impact.economist.com/perspectives/economic-development/understanding-economic-consequences-covid-19-pandemic">US$4 trillion</a> on its response. Economists have estimated the pandemic will contribute an average 0.75% reduction in GDP in countries with high infection rates and high productivity in 2025. Studies in the <a href="https://www.local.gov.uk/health-inequalities-deprivation-and-poverty-and-covid-19">United Kingdom</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/04/us-covid-devastating-toll-poor-low-income-communities">US</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/25/disease-of-disadvantage-melbournes-lower-socioeconomic-areas-suffer-most-covid-deaths-amid-omicron">Australia</a> show COVID has had a disproportionate impact – including higher death rates – in disadvantaged communities and ethnic minorities. The causes range from high exposure in low-paid jobs to inadequate access to health care. And <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2021/05/27/covid-19-is-a-developing-country-pandemic/">poorer countries</a> have fared terribly on all fronts from COVID, including inequitable access to vaccines. <h2>There’s no end in sight</h2> We cannot assume there will be a natural exit to the pandemic, where the virus reaches some benign endemicity, a harmless presence in the background. In fact, there is little indication anything like that is imminent. In Australia, since the beginning of January, <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/australia/">more than 235,000 COVID cases</a> have been reported, almost as many as in 2020 and 2021 combined. Since the start of January, there have been 2,351 COVID-related deaths, more than twice as many as in the whole of 2020 and around the same as in the whole of 2021. <h2>What needs to happen next?</h2> The future response can be practically distilled into three overlapping actions. 1. Politicians need to be frank Our political leaders need to communicate frankly with the public that the pandemic is not over. They need to stress we still have an exceptional problem on our hands with acute disease as well as worrying concerns about long COVID. It’s crucial politicians acknowledge sufferers and those who have died. They need to do this while delivering the good news that addressing COVID does not require lockdowns or mandates. If our politicians did this, the public would be more likely to have their booster vaccines, get tested and treated, and adopt measures such as improving indoor ventilation and wearing high-quality masks. The health system also needs to be greatly strengthened to deal with long COVID. 2. Avoiding infections is still important Suppressing the virus is still important. We still can and should reduce the burden of newly acquired COVID and, therefore, long COVID. We have the tools to do this. We need full recognition that COVID is transmitted largely through the air. As this just-published article in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00642-9">Nature</a> discusses, there are things we can do right now to ensure we all breathe air that is safer, not just from SARS-CoV-2 but from other respiratory viruses. 3. Adopt new knowledge and technology We should be focusing on the science and be ready to adopt new knowledge and products rapidly. Just a few days ago we had trials of a <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4375620&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email">promising new approach</a> to treat long COVID with the diabetes drug metformin. There is also intriguing research that has identified <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-022-00846-2">persistent infection</a> as a potential underlying cause of organ damage and disease after COVID and in long COVID. This suggests anti-viral drugs such as Paxlovid may have an important role to play in reducing the impact of chronic disease. Many types of new COVID vaccines are being trialled, such as <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-02824-3">versions administered by nasal sprays</a>, which may be game changers. <h2>The virus won’t fix itself</h2> As we enter the fourth year of the pandemic, we must not leave it up to the virus to fix itself. The biggest lesson of the past three years is there’s little chance that is going to work, at least without an intolerably high cost. Rather, we can end the pandemic by choice. We know <a href="https://theconversation.com/from-covid-control-to-chaos-what-now-for-australia-two-pathways-lie-before-us-174325">what to do</a>. But we are simply not doing it. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/three-years-into-the-pandemic-its-clear-covid-wont-fix-itself-heres-what-we-need-to-focus-on-next-201181" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Caring

"He saved lives": Pilot praised for his quick thinking during helicopter collision

Pilot Michael James has been praised for his quick thinking which saved a lot of lives during a <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/investigation-launched-after-helicopter-crash-sees-four-dead" target="_blank" rel="noopener">collision</a> with another helicopter on the Gold Coast. The 52-year-old was flying the chopper when it collided with another near Sea World in a crash that claimed the lives of <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/helicopter-crash-victims-identified" target="_blank" rel="noopener">four people</a>. James was injured during the collision, and yet managed to land the damaged aircraft safely with his passengers only sustaining manageable injuries. Mr James is now recovering from his surgery and is yet to comment on the harrowing experience. Aviation expert Geoff Thomas said the pilot’s actions were lifesaving as he performed “an extraordinary feat of airmanship”. “It’s just amazing, it’s an incredible feat to do that given the level of damage and that he would have been hurt with glass and perspex everywhere,” he told The Gold Coast Bulletin. “It was an extraordinary feat of airmanship and he saved lives, there is no doubt about it." “When I looked at the images, I was astonished at the damage and that he was able to land it at all." “We could have had a far worse situation here.” Australian Transport Safety Bureau Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell also praised Michael James as a lifesaver. “It was a remarkable job considering the damage that was done to the front-left hand part of the aircraft where the pilot was sitting,” he said on Tuesday. “We could have had a far worse situation here. “What we do need to know now is, what was occurring inside those cockpits.” Mr Thomas went on to suggest the collision between the two helicopters had occurred because they were in each other’s blind spot. “People do not appreciate that, when looking down, you can’t see a helicopter up from the surroundings. My sense is that was a factor given both pilots were highly regarded and highly experienced. It may have been a blind spot situation. It is just a terrible tragedy.” Image credits: Gold Coast Bulletin

Caring

"Keeping it together!" Nat Barr's hilarious tailoring fix

Nat Barr has shared her hilarious last-minute fashion fix before appearing live on Sunrise. The morning show host took to Instagram to share the behind-the-scenes reality from her ultra-glamorous role as a TV presenter. Nat posed next to a Christmas tree in a seemingly fitted pale blue pantsuit, before turning around to show the thrown-together tailoring job. The back of the blazer was haphazardly pulled together with a series of sewing pins, with Nat seeing the funny side of the DIY tailoring, writing, "Keeping it together before holidays," while adding a laughing emoji. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cl64wbYAP3Q/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cl64wbYAP3Q/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sunrise (@sunriseon7)</a> </div> </blockquote> A number of Nat's diehard fans told her to watch out for the dressmaker pins in case she injures herself. "Gorgeous, but be careful with those pins though!" one fan wrote. Another added, "You won't slouch with those pins!!", while another appreciated her honesty of the showbiz world, writing, "Keeping it real!" Nat's alterations come just weeks after she <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/beauty-style/never-say-never-nat-barr-considers-cosmetic-enhancements" target="_blank" rel="noopener">admitted</a> she would be open to plastic surgery, saying she would "never say never" to a nip and tuck. "I think never say never. I haven't had anything yet. I've been a bit scared, to be honest. But as I get older, I'm open to ideas," she told <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">The Daily Telegraph. </a> Image credits: Instagram

Beauty & Style

6 fixes for the most annoying beauty issues

When beauty blunders pop up – think flat hair, pigmentation issues or yellow teeth – it’s likely that your first instinct is to try to get a handle on the issue immediately. Taking matters into your own hands can be quite effective – but only if you know how to do it correctly. Here we tell you exactly what to do. The issue: Smudged lipstick The fix: The reason for smudged lipstick usually stems from your lips being dry or flakey before you apply your lippie. You need an ideal surface to start with. So, how do you get one? First, grab your toothbrush and lightly rub it over your lips to gently exfoliate any flakes. Then, apply a thin layer of hydrating primer – the one you use on your face will do the trick – to remove moisture and flatten fine lines so the surface of your lips is smooth and ready for colour. Fill in your lips with liner in the same shade as your lipstick, and dab on a couple thin coats of your lipstick. Finally, set your look by blotting lightly with a tissue and using a large make-up brush to lightly dust a thin layer of powder over your lips. The issue: Flat hair The fix: Whether you have thick or thin hair, at one point or another I am sure we can all say we’ve suffered from hair that just doesn’t sit how you want to it too. Furthermore, a do that just looks lifeless. If flat hair is a concern for you, you’ll want to try a root-lifting blow-drying trick. First, work a palm full of mousse from your roots through to the ends, then flip your head over and dry your hair upside down and away from the scalp. Hair should be slightly damp before you flip it back up. Voila, volume! The issue: Hair breakage The fix: Try as you might to care for your hair with the right products and washing it every two days or so, there are some other factors that can wreak havoc to your locks – like hair breakage. To avoid this, there are a few things you can do. For instance, after a shower, gently squeeze and blot the hair (rather than rubbing) with an old cotton T-shirt instead of a towel. It'll still soak up excess moisture, but won't cause breakage. When its time to comb, remember this: Being rough can cause the cuticle of the hair to fray, exposing the fragile inner shaft and making it more likely to snap. Detangle with a wide-tooth comb, working your way up from the end of your hair, using the least amount of strokes as possible. And if you like to tie your hair back, use a gentle tie, like a smooth, all-fabric one. The pressure of a super-tight band around a ponytail can wear away at your hair’s cuticle and cause the strands to break. The issue: Fading hair color The fix: If you splash out and get your hair colour done at the salon, chances are you’ll want to ensure it lasts as long as possible. Annoyingly, there are some factors that are out of your control. For instance, the water that comes out of your showerhead often contains minerals like copper and chemicals like chlorine that can alter your hair’s hue. Some people like to have a purifying showerhead filter installed. Failing that, use an at-home glaze or gloss like John Frieda's Colour Refreshing Gloss to add high-wattage shine and boost the hue, like a topcoat does for nail polish. The Issue: Brown spots The fix: Skin pigmentation is an extremely pesky beauty concerns. And getting rid of brown spots entirely is a long-term project that calls for diligent use of brightening products. But if you're looking for quick a fix, artfully applied make-up is your best option. First, dab concealer that's one or two shades lighter than your foundation onto the spot with a concealer brush, then follow with a dot of foundation that exactly matches your skin tone, and blend it well for a seamless look. The issue: Yellow teeth The fix: Luckily, booking in for teeth whitening with your dentist isn’t your only option when it comes to teeth whitening. Brushing with a paste made of baking soda and water a few times a month removes superficial staining and whitens teeth by a shade or two. Just don't do it more frequently than that, as baking soda is too abrasive for your everyday brush. For an immediate fix, lipsticks with blue undertones can also make teeth appear brighter. Image credits: Getty Images

Beauty & Style

Garden fixes after heavy rain

Better Homes and Gardens’ resident landscaper, Jason Hodges, shares his advice for tending to the garden after heavy rain. When it comes to the garden and heavy rain, you need to be prepared. Where does water sit? What gets washed away? How are your drains working or failing? All things you can repair and get working for the future success of your garden. The heavy rain has saturated our soil, and strong winds have toppled over trees all week, but long-term, the saturated soil can hurt all plants in the garden. When the soil is water-logged the root system can drown from lack of oxygen. The first thing I would do is rake some mulch away allowing for some evaporation, either with a garden fork or even something like a cricket stump. Make some holes to allow air in and for the water to fill and again evaporate. Snails and slugs are opportunists and thrive and reproduce when times are good – they love the rain and the wet conditions afterwards. To control them I like to use a take-away container with a splash of beer in it. Placed level with the garden bed the snails go in and never leave. If your garden was flooded don’t be too quick to think the water’s gone down and everything’s fine. If they’re in the garden, avoid eating leafy vegetables such as lettuce, kale and spinach. They may have been contaminated by the flood water. Fruit trees such as citrus should be fine within a short period of time. Now that it has stopped raining it’s never too late to clean the gutters. Overflowing gutters can damage gardens and undermine the footings of your house. When you’re up a ladder either doing the gutters or any other job in the garden I recommend you have a second person with you, an extra set of hands to hold the ladder, spot problems and just pass you tools. It makes the process a lot safer and quicker. Look out for mould, moss and mildew that might grow on shady, damp paths over the next few weeks. A blast with a pressure washer will be a quick fix and a lot more enjoyable than slipping A over Z. A weak solution of vinegar and water will kill mould and mildew if you don’t have a pressure washer. Look for branches that may have been damaged but are still hanging in the tree. They will become more obvious as the foliage browns off and dies. Cleaning up the tear and damage will give the tree a better chance of recovery. If you have a watering system, override it and turn it off for a couple of weeks. The last thing the garden needs is a drink. If your pots were full of water remove the saucers and allow them to drain. It’s a hard time to garden after heavy rain, but let’s be thankful for it and hope we can enjoy the long-term benefits of having moisture deep down in our soil. Written by Jason Hodges. First appeared on <a href="http://www.domain.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Domain.com.au.</a> Image: Getty

Home & Garden

"Kids are quick": Romantic proposal takes wild turn

What was meant to be a beautiful proposal took a turn for the worst when the engagement ring plunged right through the jetty cracks and into the ocean below. Luke was down on one knee ready to propose to his pregnant girlfriend Stephanie on the Hervey Bay jetty while two-year-old Harper Jane watched on. But before they saw what was happening, Harper Jane quickly grabbed the engagement ring from the box and it slipped out of her hands. “Kids are quick, much quicker than you think - I didn’t actually realise she had grabbed it,” Luke said in a TikTok. Luke called out Harper Jane's name before immediately throwing off his thongs and taking his phone and wallet out of his pocket, ready to jump into the water. <div class="embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; vertical-align: baseline; width: 619px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7141170167098117402&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40alarcon_sinverguenza%2Fvideo%2F7141170167098117402%3Fis_from_webapp%3D1%26sender_device%3Dpc%26web_id%3D7070374670839465473&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, Rubik, 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;">Blindsided in the moment, his friend called out that he couldn’t jump because it was too shallow causing him to change his landing mid way through which left him with an earache. But Luke was on a mission to find the ring and was excited when he heard Stephanie’s dad call out to say that he could see it. “I can see it! Stop there, by your right hand,” he could be heard calling out. Thanks to the crystal clear waters of Hervey Bay, Luke was able to find the ring quickly and get back to shore. The ring eventually ended up on Stephanie’s finger, with the couple then revealing that Luke also wanted to ask Harper if he could be her step-dad. “I’m committing to them both so I felt like both of them should be present,” he said. “It’s just funny. Even if we had lost (the ring), there would have been humour in it - just sadness, too. “That will go down in the history books for us.” Images: TikTok

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