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The Wiggles set sail for their latest venture

<p>The Wiggles have collaborated with an unusual partner to help Aussie families have the ultimate holiday experience.</p> <p>The children's entertainers have teamed up with Royal Caribbean Cruises for a series of exclusive Wiggles Sailings which will begin their voyage in the summer of 2025-2026, with the Wiggly Friends joining in the fun. </p> <p>Taking centre stage on the cruises are the likes of cast favourites Captain Feathersword, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Henry the Octopus, Wags the Dog and Shirley Shawn the Unicorn.</p> <p>Captain Feathersword spoke exclusively to <a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/travel-stories/the-wiggles-nextlevel-move-revealed/news-story/04d9d6be943dda7b66ea25e008a9aad4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>news.com.au</em></a> to reveal what families can expect from the unique cruising experience. </p> <p>“Ahoy there, me hearties! Gather ‘round and listen close. The Wiggles have been sailin’ the seas of family fun for over three decades, and now, we’re settin’ course for an even bigger adventure,” he said. </p> <p>“Prepare yourselves for a tidal wave of excitement. Picture this: me, Captain Feathersword at the helm, Dorothy the Dinosaur dancin’ on the deck, Henry the Octopus wavin’ his tentacles in delight, Wags the Dog waggin’ his tail with joy, and Shirley Shawn the Unicorn prancin’ about in all their splendour." </p> <p>“It’s a cast of characters fit for a tale as legendary as the sea itself. So, me hearties, batten down the hatches and get ready for an adventure of a lifetime with The Wiggles and Royal Caribbean. Ahoy and hooray.”</p> <p>Kathryn Lock, senior marketing director at <a href="https://www.royalcaribbean.com/aus/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Royal Caribbean Cruises</a>, said they wanted to take their family adventures to the “next level” and create a truly unique adventure for current fans, first time cruisers and families alike. </p> <p>“The Wiggles have been entertaining Australian families for over 30 years, it’s one of Australia and the world’s most iconic family entertainment brands,” Ms Lock told <em>news.com.au</em>.</p> <p>“This exclusive partnership will enrich our cruise experience for the whole family and give them an impressive array of Wiggly Friends themed entertainment and trusted friends to guide them on their adventures with Royal Caribbean. We’re extremely excited for this partnership and what’s to come.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

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Sarah Ferguson diagnosed with malignant melanoma – here are the latest treatments for this increasingly common skin cancer

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sarah-allinson-137762">Sarah Allinson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/lancaster-university-1176">Lancaster University</a></em></p> <p>News that Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, has recently been diagnosed with malignant melanoma highlights the dangers of this increasingly common skin cancer.</p> <p>Malignant melanoma affects <a href="https://www.iarc.who.int/cancer-type/skin-cancer/">325,000 people worldwide</a> every year. While it’s not the most common form of skin cancer – typically, for every one diagnosed case of melanoma, up to ten non-melanoma skin cancers are diagnosed – it causes <a href="https://theconversation.com/skin-cancer-more-people-die-from-types-that-arent-melanoma-surprise-new-finding-215378">almost as many deaths</a>. The reason for this is because it’s far more likely to spread, or metastasise, to other sites in the body compared to non-melanoma skin cancers.</p> <p>Melanoma arises in a type of pigment-producing skin cell called a <a href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/melanoma-skin-cancer/about/what-is-melanoma.html#:%7E:text=Melanoma%20is%20a%20type%20of,to%20grow%20out%20of%20control.">melanocyte</a>. These cells produce and export melanin in order to provide a protective layer in the skin which helps to screen out ultraviolet (UV) radiation.</p> <p>Mutations in genes that normally carefully regulate cell growth and survival override the controls that ensure the body only produces the cells it needs. The result is uncontrolled cellular growth, or a tumour, that normally appears as an unusual-looking mole.</p> <p>The mutations that drive the growth of a melanoma usually happen as a result of exposure to UV from the sun or from an artificial source, such as a tanning bed. We know this because when a melanoma’s genome is compared to that of a normal cell we can see a high number of mutations that have a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-1943-3">characteristic “UV signature”</a>. For this reason, melanoma skin cancers occur most frequently in people who have light-coloured skin and who are exposed to high amounts of UV.</p> <p>Non-melanoma skin cancers are also mainly caused by exposure to UV but arise from a different kind of skin cell called a keratinocyte. These are the cells that normally make up the majority of the outer part of our skin, called the epidermis. Cancers that arise from keratinocytes are less likely to spread than those that come from melanocytes – although <a href="https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/non-melanoma-skin-cancer#heading-One">they can still be fatal</a>.</p> <p>In the duchess’s case, the melanoma was discovered during treatment for breast cancer. Her dermatologist recommended that some moles be removed for biopsy during breast reconstruction surgery. After testing, one was identified as malignant melanoma.</p> <p>If the results of the biopsy show that the cancer hasn’t spread, then like the majority of patients with melanoma, the duchess will be treated with surgery. In this case the tumour will be removed along with some of the surrounding normal skin.</p> <p>The amount of normal skin removed depends on the results of the biopsy – in particular, how deep into the skin the tumour has penetrated (called the <a href="https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/melanoma/staging-of-melanoma">Breslow thickness</a>). The normal skin will be checked for any signs that cancerous cells might have spread out of the tumour.</p> <p>For most people diagnosed with melanoma, particularly if it’s at an early stage, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK481850/">surgery will cure the cancer</a> and they will be able to go on with their lives. But for around <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8544364/">20% of patients</a>, additional treatment will be needed. This happens if their cancer has spread further into the body or if their cancer can’t be treated surgically. The <a href="https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/OP.21.00686">good news</a> for these patients is that the past decade has seen huge improvements in treatment.</p> <p>Previously the only options other than surgery were radiotherapy or non-specific chemotherapy treatments. These treatments work by affecting the ability of cells to copy their DNA, which prevents them from duplicating and causes fast-growing cancer cells to die. But because these also affect the patient’s normal cells, they were accompanied by severe side effects – and were often ineffective.</p> <p>But we now have a better understanding of the specific changes melanoma makes to cell growth pathways. This has led to the development of drugs, such as <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/cancer-currents-blog/2022/fda-dabrafenib-trametinib-braf-solid-tumors">dabrafenib</a> and <a href="https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Trametinib">trametinib</a>, that specifically target cells with these altered pathways. In other words, they only target the cancerous cells.</p> <p>These drugs are much more effective and have fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapies – although about half of patients who initially respond to them relapse within a year. In these patients a few of the tumour cells survive by activating other pathways for growth and use these to <a href="https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/cncr.30435">regrow the tumour</a>. Promisingly, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10417341/">a recent study</a> suggests that re-using these drugs after a period off them can have good results in relapsed patients.</p> <p>Another exciting development in the treatment of malignant melanoma has been the use of immunotherapies. These involve harnessing the patient’s own immune system to fight the tumour.</p> <p>One particularly successful immunotherapy approach for melanoma involves the use of drugs called checkpoint inhibitors. These prevent cancer cells from being able to hide from the body’s immune system. A <a href="https://www.ejcancer.com/article/S0959-8049(23)00694-9/fulltext">recent report</a> has highlighted how the introduction of these treatments has led to improved survival for melanoma patients.</p> <p>Although the duchess’s skin cancer was discovered while she was being treated for breast cancer, it’s unlikely that the two are related. A more likely risk factor is the duchess’s famous red hair. People with red hair and pale skin that tends to freckle and burn in the sun are at a greater risk of developing skin cancer because their skin produces <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/gene/mc1r/#conditions">less melanin</a>. This means that their melanocytes are exposed to higher levels of UV and are more likely to undergo cancer-causing mutations.</p> <p>While melanoma is much more common in people with the duchess’s skin type, it’s important to be aware that anyone can get it. It’s a good idea to regularly check your skin for unusual looking moles and to contact a doctor for advice if you have a mole with any of the so-called <a href="https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/melanoma/symptoms">ABCDE characteristics</a>: such as an asymmetrical shape, irregular, blurred or jagged border, uneven colour, is more than 6mm wide and is evolving (either in size, texture or even bleeding).<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/221647/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sarah-allinson-137762">Sarah Allinson</a>, Professor, Department of Biomedical and Life Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/lancaster-university-1176">Lancaster University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty </em><em>Images </em></p> <p><em>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/sarah-ferguson-diagnosed-with-malignant-melanoma-here-are-the-latest-treatments-for-this-increasingly-common-skin-cancer-221647">original article</a>.</em></p>

Body

COVID wave: what’s the latest on antiviral drugs, and who is eligible in Australia?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessica-pace-1401278">Jessica Pace</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nial-wheate-96839">Nial Wheate</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p>Australia is experiencing a <a href="https://theconversation.com/were-in-a-new-covid-wave-what-can-we-expect-this-time-216820">fresh wave of COVID</a>, seeing increasing cases, more hospitalisations and a greater number of prescriptions for COVID antivirals dispensed over recent months.</p> <p>In the early days of the pandemic, the only medicines available were those that treated the symptoms of the virus. These included steroids and analgesics such as paracetamol and ibuprofen to treat pain and fever.</p> <p>We now have two drugs called <a href="https://www.health.wa.gov.au/%7E/media/Corp/Documents/Health-for/Infectious-disease/COVID19/Treatment/COVID19-PAXLOVID-Patient-information.pdf">Paxlovid</a> and <a href="https://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/abefa4a4-ecaa-4c26-8713-d80c90388545/COVID-19+Treatment+Fact+Sheet+-+Molnupiravir+-+Prescribers+20220428.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=ROOTWORKSPACE-abefa4a4-ecaa-4c26-8713-d80c90388545-oIRWpvB">Lagevrio</a> that treat the virus itself.</p> <p>But are these drugs effective against current variants? And who is eligible to receive them? Here’s what to know about COVID antivirals as we navigate this <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/a-slightly-more-dangerous-place-australia-is-in-its-eighth-covid-wave-20231030-p5eg5k.html">eighth COVID wave</a>.</p> <h2>What antivirals are available?</h2> <p><a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/resources/artg/389801">Paxlovid</a> is a combination of two different drug molecules, nirmatrelvir and ritonavir. The nirmatrelvir works by blocking an enzyme called a protease that the virus needs to replicate. The ritonavir is included in the medicine to protect the nirmatrelvir, stopping the body from breaking it down.</p> <p>Molnupiravir, marketed as <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/resources/artg/372650">Lagevrio</a>, works by forcing errors into the RNA of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID) as it replicates. As these errors build up, the virus becomes less effective.</p> <p>This year in Australia, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/were-in-a-new-covid-wave-what-can-we-expect-this-time-216820">XBB COVID strains</a> have dominated, and acquired a couple of key mutations. When COVID mutates into new variants, it doesn’t affect the ability of either Paxlovid or Lagevrio to work because the parts of the virus that change from the mutations aren’t those targeted by these two drugs.</p> <p>This is different to the <a href="https://app.magicapp.org/#/guideline/L4Q5An/section/E8kMVn">monoclonal antibody-based medicines</a> that were developed against specific strains of the virus. These drugs are not thought to be effective for any variant of the virus <a href="https://www.who.int/activities/tracking-SARS-CoV-2-variants">from omicron XBB.1.5 onwards</a>, which includes the current wave. This is because these drugs recognise certain proteins expressed on the surface of SARS-CoV-2, which have changed over time.</p> <h2>What does the evidence say?</h2> <p>As Lagevrio and Paxlovid are relatively new medicines, we’re still learning how well they work and which patients should use them.</p> <p>The latest <a href="https://app.magicapp.org/#/guideline/L4Q5An/section/L0OPkj">evidence</a> suggests Paxlovid decreases the risk of hospitalisation if taken early by those at <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/testing-managing/antivirals">highest risk of severe disease</a>.</p> <p>Results from <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2116044">a previous trial</a> suggested Lagevrio might reduce COVID deaths. But a more recent, <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4237902">larger trial</a> indicated Lagevrio doesn’t significantly reduce hospitalisations or deaths from the virus.</p> <p>However, few people at highest risk from COVID were included in this trial. So it could offer some benefit for patients in this group.</p> <p>In Australia, Lagevrio is not routinely <a href="https://app.magicapp.org/#/guideline/L4Q5An/section/L0OPkj">recommended</a> and Paxlovid is preferred. However, not all patients can take Paxlovid. For example, people with medical conditions such as <a href="https://www.paxlovidhcp.com/moderate-renal-impairment">severe kidney or liver impairment</a> shouldn’t take it because these issues can affect how well the body metabolises the medication, which increases the risk of side effects.</p> <p>Paxlovid also can’t be taken alongside some <a href="https://www.cec.health.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/702821/Information-for-patients-family-and-carers-nirmatrelvir-and-ritonavir.PDF">other medications</a> such as those for certain heart conditions, mental health conditions and cancers. For high-risk patients in these cases, Lagevrio can be considered.</p> <p>Some people who take COVID antivirals will experience side effects. Mostly these are not serious and will go away with time.</p> <p>Both <a href="https://www.cec.health.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/702821/Information-for-patients-family-and-carers-nirmatrelvir-and-ritonavir.PDF">Paxlovid</a> and <a href="https://www.cec.health.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/702818/Information-for-patients-family-and-carers-molnupiravir.PDF">Lagevrio</a> can cause diarrhoea, nausea and dizziness. Paxlovid can also cause side effects including muscle aches and weakness, changes in taste, loss of appetite and abdominal pain. If you experience any of these, you should contact your doctor.</p> <p>More serious side effects of both medicines are allergic reactions, such as shortness of breath, swelling of the face, lips or tongue and a severe rash, itching or hives. If you experience any of these, call 000 immediately or go straight to the nearest emergency department.</p> <h2>Be prepared</h2> <p>Most people will be able to manage COVID safely at home without needing antivirals. However, those at higher risk of severe COVID and therefore <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/testing-managing/antivirals#:%7E:text=Both%20are%20available%20in%20NSW,Lagevrio%C2%AE%20(molnupiravir)launch.">eligible for antivirals</a> should seek them. This includes people aged 70 or older, people aged 50 or older or Aboriginal people aged 30 or older with one additional risk factor for severe illness, and people 18 or older who are immunocompromised.</p> <p>If you are in any of these groups, it’s important you <a href="https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/Documents/translated/plan-ahead-covid-flu-english.pdf">plan ahead</a>. Speak to your health-care team now so you know what to do if you get COVID symptoms.</p> <p>If needed, this will ensure you can start treatment as soon as possible. It’s important antivirals are started within <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/testing-managing/antivirals#:%7E:text=Both%20are%20available%20in%20NSW,Lagevrio%C2%AE%20(molnupiravir)launch.">five days of symptom onset</a>.</p> <p>If you’re a high-risk patient and you test positive, contact your doctor straight away. If you are eligible for antivirals, your doctor will organise a prescription (either an electronic or paper script).</p> <p>These medicines are available under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and subsidised for people with a Medicare card. The cost for each course is the standard <a href="https://www.pbs.gov.au/info/about-the-pbs#:%7E:text=Patient%20co%2Dpayments,you%20have%20a%20concession%20card.">PBS co-payment</a> amount: A$30 for general patients and A$7.30 for people with a concession card.</p> <p>So you can rest and reduce the risk of spreading the virus to others, ask your pharmacy to deliver the medication to your home, or ask someone to collect it for you.<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/218423/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessica-pace-1401278"><em>Jessica Pace</em></a><em>, Associate Lecturer, Sydney Pharmacy School, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nial-wheate-96839">Nial Wheate</a>, Associate Professor of the School of Pharmacy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <p><em>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/covid-wave-whats-the-latest-on-antiviral-drugs-and-who-is-eligible-in-australia-218423">original article</a>.</em></p>

Body

Ozempic is in the spotlight but it’s just the latest in a long and strange history of weight-loss drugs

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/laura-dawes-1445353">Laura Dawes</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877">Australian National University</a></em></p> <p>Losing weight conveniently, cheaply, safely. That’s been the holy grail of weight-loss ever since 19th century English undertaker and weight-loss celebrity William Banting’s 1863 <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/57545/57545-h/57545-h.htm">Letter on Corpulence</a> spruiked his “miraculous” method of slimming down.</p> <p>Since then, humans have tried many things – diet, exercise, psychotherapy, surgery – to lose weight. But time and again we return to the promise of a weight-loss drug, whether it’s a pill, injection, or tonic. A “diet drug”.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674281448#:%7E:text=Childhood%2520Obesity%2520in%2520America%2520traces,problem%2520facing%2520American%2520children%2520today.">history of diet drugs</a> is not a glowing one, however.</p> <p>There have been so many popular drug treatments for excess weight over the years. All, however, have eventually lost their shine and some have even been banned.</p> <h2>Ozempic is a recent arrival</h2> <p><a href="https://www.novonordisk.com/our-products/our-medicines.html">Ozempic and its sister drug Wegovy</a>, both manufactured by Novo Nordisk, are the latest offerings in a long history of drug treatments for people who are overweight. They contain the same active ingredient – semaglutide, which mimics a hormone, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1544319118303273">GLP-1</a> (glucagon-like peptide-1) that acts on the hypothalamus (the brain’s “hunger centre”) to regulate appetite.</p> <p>As an obesity treatment, semaglutide appears to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5573908/">work</a> in part by reducing appetite.</p> <p>These are injections. And there can be <a href="https://www.novonordisk.com.au/content/dam/nncorp/au/en/pdfs/Ozempic-1mg-cmi-v3.0.pdf%22%22">side effects</a>, most commonly nausea and diarrhoea.</p> <p>Although marketed as treatments for chronic obesity and diabetes, they have <a href="https://www.forbes.com/health/body/ozempic-for-weight-loss/#footnote_1">exploded in popularity</a> as diet drugs, largely thanks to social media.</p> <p>This has helped drive a <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/safety/shortages/information-about-major-medicine-shortages/about-ozempic-semaglutide-shortage-2022-and-2023#:%7E:text=Why%2520the%2520Ozempic%2520shortage%2520happened,label%2520prescribing%2520for%2520weight%2520loss.">shortage of Ozempic</a> for diabetes treatment.</p> <h2>From ‘gland treatment’ to amphetamines</h2> <p>But Ozempic is not the first weight-loss drug. For example, organotherapy (gland treatment) was <a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674281448#:%7E:text=Childhood%20Obesity%20in%20America%20traces,problem%20facing%20American%20children%20today.">hugely popular</a> in the 1920s to 1940s.</p> <p>It rode on a wave of enthusiasm for endocrinology and specifically the discovery that “ductless glands” – such as the thyroid, pituitary and renal glands – secreted chemical messengers (or “hormones”, as they came to be known).</p> <p>These hormones coordinate the activities and growth of different parts of the body.</p> <p>Doctors prescribed overweight people extracts of animal glands – either eaten raw or dried in pill form or injected – to treat their <a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674281448#:%7E:text=Childhood%20Obesity%20in%20America%20traces,problem%20facing%20American%20children%20today.">supposedly “sluggish glands”</a>.</p> <p>For slaughterhouse companies, this was a lucrative new market for offal.</p> <p>But organotherapy soon fell from favour. There was no evidence excess weight was usually caused by underperforming glands or that gland extracts (thyroid in particular) were doing anything other than <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21741-thyrotoxicosis">poisoning you</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://nyupress.org/9780814776391/on-speed/">Amphetamines</a> were first used as a nasal decongestant in the 1930s, but quickly found a market for weight-loss.</p> <p>Why they worked was complex. The drug operated on the hypothalamus but also had an effect on mental state. Amphetamine is, of course, an “upper”.</p> <p>The theory was it helped people feel up to dieting and gave pleasure not found on a plate. Amphetamines too, <a href="https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2007.110593">fell from treatment use</a> in the 1970s with Nixon’s “war on drugs” and recognition they were addictive.</p> <h2>Another decade, another drug</h2> <p>Each decade seems to produce its own briefly popular weight-loss drug.</p> <p>For example, the popular <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/23/science/how-fen-phen-a-diet-miracle-rose-and-fell.html">diet drug</a> of the 1980s and 90s was fen-phen, which contained appetite suppressants fenfluramine and phentermine.</p> <p>During the height of its craze, vast numbers of users testified to dramatic weight loss. But after users experienced heart valve and lung disease, fen-phen was <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9688104/">withdrawn</a> from the market in 1997. Its producer allocated a <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-08-23/pfizer-asks-end-to-fen-phen-suits-linked-to-lung-ailment">reported US$21 billion</a> to settle the associated lawsuits.</p> <p>The hormone <a href="https://www.webmd.com/obesity/features/the-facts-on-leptin-faq">leptin</a> aroused excitement in the mid-1990s. Leptin seemed, for a brief moment, to hold the key to how the hypothalamus regulated fat storage.</p> <p>Pharmaceutical company Amgen <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.7732366">wagered millions</a> buying the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30532682/">rights</a> to the research in the hope this discovery could be turned into a treatment, only to discover it didn’t translate from mice into people. Far from not having enough leptin, people with obesity tend to be <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/leptin-101">leptin-resistant</a>. So taking more leptin doesn’t help with weight-loss. Amgen <a href="https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2009/01/obesity-reviving-the-promise-of-leptin/">sold</a> the rights it had paid so much for.</p> <p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ephedra-sinica">Ephedra</a> was popular as a weight-loss treatment and as a stimulant in the 1990s and 2000s, finding buyers among athletes, body builders and in the military.</p> <p>But the US Food and Drug Administration <a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Ephedra.aspx">banned</a> the sale of dietary supplements containing ephedra in 2004 after it was linked to <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmc1502505">health problems</a> ranging from heart attacks and seizures to strokes and even death, and in Australia ephedra is <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2023L00864">prescription-only</a>.</p> <p>Now we have Ozempic. Just because the history of diet drugs has <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3362858/">been so dire</a>, we shouldn’t jump to conclusions about new ones – Ozempic is not a drug of the 1920s or 1960s or 1990s.</p> <p>And as <a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674281448#:%7E:text=Childhood%2520Obesity%2520in%2520America%2520traces,problem%2520facing%2520American%2520children%2520today.">history recognises</a>, multiple complexities can combine to push a drug into popularity or damn it to history’s rubbish bin.</p> <p>These include patients’, physicians’ and industry interests; social attitudes about drug treatment; evidence about safety and efficacy; beliefs and knowledge about the cause of excess weight.</p> <p>One noticeable contrast with past diet drug experiences is that now, many people are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/22/well/ozempic-diabetes-weight-loss.html">happy to talk</a> about using Ozempic. It seems to be increasingly socially acceptable to use a drug to achieve weight-loss for primarily aesthetic reasons.</p> <p>(Due to Ozempic shortages in Australia, though, doctors have been <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/safety/shortages/medicine-shortage-alerts/ozempic-semaglutide-supply-update">asked</a> to direct current supplies to people with type 2 diabetes who satisfy certain criteria. In other words, it’s not really meant to be used just to treat obesity).</p> <h2>Our enduring search for weight-loss drugs</h2> <p>Ozempic is predicted to earn Novo Nordisk <a href="https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/comment/novo-nordisk-ozempic/">US$12.5 billion this year alone</a>, but it’s not just industry interests stoking this enduring desire for weight-loss drugs.</p> <p>Patients on an endless cycle of dieting and exercise want something more convenient, with a more certain outcome. And doctors, too, want to offer patients effective treatment, and a drug prescription is a workable option given the constraints of appointment times.</p> <p>The body positivity movement has not yet ousted anti-fat bias or stigma. And despite <a href="https://www.who.int/teams/health-promotion/enhanced-wellbeing/first-global-conference">decades of recognition</a> of the major role our physical and social environment plays in human health, there’s little political, public or industry appetite for change.</p> <p>Individuals are left to personally defend against an obesogenic environment, where economic, cultural, social, health and urban design policies can conspire to make it easy to gain weight but hard to lose it. It is no wonder demand for weight-loss drugs continues to soar.<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/209324/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/laura-dawes-1445353"><em>Laura Dawes</em></a><em>, Research Fellow in Medico-Legal History, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877">Australian National University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>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/ozempic-is-in-the-spotlight-but-its-just-the-latest-in-a-long-and-strange-history-of-weight-loss-drugs-209324">original article</a>.</em></p>

Body

“Only an Irwin!”: Bindi’s latest update on Grace stuns fans

<p dir="ltr">The Wildlife Warrior cannot hide her pride in the latest update showing just how well Grace is following the family’s nature-loving footsteps.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bindi Irwin took to Instagram to share a video of Grace exploring a beach in Australia as the proud parents watched on.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Winter #Beachday” she captioned the photo.</p> <p dir="ltr">There was one tiny detail in the video that caught everyone’s attention, and it was the moment Grace said "Like a plesiosaur” as she walked through the water.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bindi echoed her daughter’s statement, and fans were stunned at the two-year-old’s knowledge of animals.</p> <p dir="ltr">Plesiosaurs are aquatic reptiles which were common during the Jurassic period and went extinct around 66 million years ago.</p> <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/reel/CuiUsdWhOAi/?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/CuiUsdWhOAi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Many fans were impressed that the two-year-old knew about the Plesiosaurs existence, while others were stunned at her articulation.</p> <p dir="ltr">“How many two-year-olds know about plesiosaurs or even how to say that word, only an Irwin!!” wrote one fan.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I don’t even know what it is!” one fan commented to which another one added: “Same 😂🤣I was like a please?..”</p> <p dir="ltr">“That’s very impressive, you’re raising her to appreciate nature and every living thing on the planet 🌎 even the species that don’t exist anymore aww 🥰,” commented another.</p> <p dir="ltr">A few others commented on the “magical” view and how proud the late Steve Irwin would be of his granddaughter.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You know Grampa Steve is looking down on you with a happy smile on his face,” one commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So sweet your Dad is beaming from above,” wrote another.</p> <p dir="ltr">Just last month Bindi posted an adorable <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/irwin-genes-are-strong-bindi-shares-adorable-candid-snap" target="_blank" rel="noopener">candid snap</a> of her daughter cuddling a giant tortoise, and Grace’s love for animals only seems to grow.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

Calling drag queens ‘groomers’ and ‘pedophiles’ is the latest in a long history of weaponising those terms against the LGBTIQA community

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/timothy-w-jones-11557">Timothy W. Jones</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/la-trobe-university-842">La Trobe University</a></em></p> <p>Drag queens around the world are currently being accused of “grooming children” through <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drag_Queen_Story_Hour">drag storytime events</a>. These accusations curiously associate public book reading with child sex offending.</p> <p>We know from <a href="https://publishing.monash.edu/product/the-sexual-abuse-of-children/">decades of research and inquiries</a> the places that young people are most at risk of sexual victimisation are their home or an institution of care (such as a school, orphanage or church). The people that most often offend against children are family members and care providers.</p> <p>However, this recent panic about drag queens reading in public libraries is actually typical in the history of child sexual abuse. This history has involved repeated moral panics that distract from the alarming data regarding child sexual abuse in the home. Instead, these narratives locate the threat to children outside of the home - to gay men, “stranger danger” and even satanic ritual abuse - rather than confronting the situations and protecting children where they are most at risk.</p> <h2>Moral panic</h2> <p>In the 1970s, feminist attention to domestic violence, sexual assault and the patriarchy created the conditions that enabled the sexual assault of children in the home to be put in the spotlight.</p> <p>It wasn’t long, however, before attention was shifted elsewhere. In the 1980s, fears about a new form of abuse spread. <a href="https://theconversation.com/satanic-worship-sodomy-and-even-murder-how-stranger-things-revived-the-american-satanic-panic-of-the-80s-186292">Satanic ritual abuse</a> was thought to involve large numbers of victims and perpetrators, but was <a href="https://guilfordjournals.com/doi/pdf/10.1521/jscp.1997.16.2.112">“so cloaked in secrecy and involve such precise concealment of evidence that almost no one knew about it”</a>.</p> <p>Satanic ritual abuse captured headlines and people’s imaginations with tales of particularly painful, depraved and degrading practices. Research has shown that reports of abuse initially came from adults who “regained memories” of experiences of satanic abuse in their childhoods. Additional reports clustered in the periods after media attention on initial cases.</p> <p>The consensus in medical literature that emerged in the 1990s was there was a tendency of some individuals, especially clients of particular psychotherapists, to manufacture memories of abuse which never occurred. Corroborating evidence of abuse was not found, leading sceptics to account for these <a href="https://journals-sagepub-com.ez.library.latrobe.edu.au/doi/epdf/10.2466/pms.1994.78.3c.1376">“pseudomemories” through “misdiagnosis, and the misapplication of hypnosis, dreamwork, or regressive therapies”</a>.</p> <p>Subsequently, the <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Organised-Sexual-Abuse/Salter/p/book/9781138789159?gclid=CjwKCAjwjYKjBhB5EiwAiFdSflzGRpk-QL7yO8HrAOZbbtD-okQbGIOYC47WI3m-obre71DXVhs7_hoCfwcQAvD_BwE">satanic ritual abuse controversy</a> and “<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924933816020824">false memory syndrome</a>” have been used to discredit hard-fought feminist recognition of the gravity of child sex offending</p> <h2>A deviant lifestyle</h2> <p>There is also a long history of using paedophilia and ideas about child grooming in homophobic and transphobic ways to oppose the recognition of the civil rights of LGBTIQA people.</p> <p>Campaigns to decriminalise homosexuality often struggled against attempts to impose unequal ages of consent in reform legislation. In 1967, for example, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_Offences_Act_1967">homosexuality was decriminalised in England and Wales</a>, but men had to wait until they were 21 to legally consummate their love, five years longer than straight lovers.</p> <p>In Tasmania, <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books/about/The_Pink_Triangle.html?id=Wp6cPAAACAAJ&redir_esc=y">the last Australian state to decriminalise sex between men</a> (in 1997), a heated public debate frequently raised issues of child protection. Letters to newspapers claimed that decriminalisation “would only open the floodgates and allow the very young to become prey to those who have chosen to lead this deviant lifestyle”.</p> <p>The idea was that young people are vulnerable to becoming homosexual and shouldn’t be allowed to consent to sexual activity until they were much older than their heterosexual peers.</p> <p>Sitting behind this notion of the vulnerability of young queer people is the <a href="https://www.apa.org/topics/lgbtq/orientation">false idea</a> that LGBTIQA status is a sign of moral failing, illness or perversion.</p> <p>Further, it perpetuates the myth that queerness or transness is somehow transmissible. This is the somewhat fantastical idea that everybody has the latent potential to become queer or trans, and all that is needed to convert is exposure to a queer or trans person.</p> <p>These fears have fuelled repressive legislation, such as the notorious <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/27/section-28-protesters-30-years-on-we-were-arrested-and-put-in-a-cell-up-by-big-ben">Section 28</a> in Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s Britain, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/graphics/UGANDA-LGBT/movakykrjva/">Ugandan</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_gay_propaganda_law">Russian</a> laws banning the promotion of homosexuality, and the “<a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/02/17/florida-advances-dont-say-gay-bill?gclid=Cj0KCQjwsIejBhDOARIsANYqkD1-IyOtYIl1WefomHHCyNZ0t88GRQTVciS7iJFoUslPSu4In5ayS3IaAqadEALw_wcB">don’t say gay</a>” laws in the United States.</p> <p>Ironically, these strange and harmful ideas are also behind the ineffective, discredited and dangerous attempts to change or suppress LGBTIQA people’s sexuality or gender identity.</p> <p>In these instances of so-called “conversion therapy”, it is <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Issues/SexualOrientation/IESOGI/Academics/Equality_Australia_LGBTconversiontherapyinAustraliav2.pdf">often religious conservatives</a> who <a href="https://www.latrobe.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/1201588/Healing-spiritual-harms-Supporting-recovery-from-LGBTQA-change-and-suppression-practices.pdf">“groom” young LGBTIQA people</a> in attempts to make them straight and cisgendered.</p> <p>Such change and suppression practices are now thankfully <a href="https://www.humanrights.vic.gov.au/change-or-suppression-practices/about-the-csp-act/#:%7E:text=Practices%20that%20seek%20to%20change,preventing%20and%20responding%20to%20them.">against the law</a> in many jurisdictions around the world.</p> <h2>A kinder and gentler future</h2> <p>Despite periodic moral panics, the history of gender and sexuality since 1970 tends towards a kinder, gentler future. People have generally become more accepting of LGBTIQA people’s human rights, and are more welcoming and celebrating of sexual and gender diversity.</p> <p>The pace of change has been fast, however, and some groups of people haven’t gotten used to contemporary community standards of acceptance, such as the move towards marriage equality around the world.</p> <p>Because of this history of growing acceptance, young people are feeling more comfortable and safer to explore their identities at younger ages. They are thus more visible than they used to be in the past.</p> <p>However, they’re also more vulnerable as they explore sensitive aspects of their inner selves at younger and potentially less resilient ages. <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13178-021-00615-5">Research shows</a> the impacts that homophobic and transphobic messaging can have on young people, proving they need to be protected from this harmful rhetoric – not from drag queens.</p> <p>Drag storytime events are an age-appropriate way to celebrate diversity. They benefit all children – gay, straight, transgender and cisgender – with education about consent, human dignity, self determination and human rights.</p> <p>This <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14681811.2021.1978964">knowledge is one of the best protective factors</a> against child victimisation.<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/205648/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/timothy-w-jones-11557">Timothy W. Jones</a>, Associate Professor in History, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/la-trobe-university-842">La Trobe University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>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/calling-drag-queens-groomers-and-pedophiles-is-the-latest-in-a-long-history-of-weaponising-those-terms-against-the-lgbtiqa-community-205648">original article</a>.</em></p>

Caring

John Farnham’s sons share latest health update

<p>John Farnham’s sons have shared an update on the Aussie icon’s cancer battle amid the release of a documentary about his life and career.</p> <p>Robert and James Farnham said their father, 73, still has a “long road to recovery” ahead of him after having a cancerous tumour in his mouth removed.</p> <p>However, they said “he is a fighter” and is staying positive.</p> <p>Speaking to <em>Sunrise</em>, Robert said, “It's a fairly long road, as cancer is, but he is doing well and we get to spend a lot of time with him and his spirits are up, so that's all we can ask for.”</p> <p>James added his father is yet to watch the documentary Finding the Voice, but is “proud” of the feature.</p> <p>“He's pretty proud of it but he hasn't seen it yet,” James revealed.</p> <p>“He doesn't really like to listen or watch himself so it's going to take a bit for him to watch it, but he's proud of the whole situation and very happy with it all.”</p> <p>The brothers are also very proud of the documentary, and believe it tells the story of their father’s career - the good and the bad - in a “real and raw way”.</p> <p>Robert said, “The producers and the popular director did such an amazing job. It was so true and real and really raw and for us we were at arm's length with it, but we got to see a rough cut of it and it was just phenomenal.</p> <p>“It wasn't fluff; it was real. And that's what we loved about it.”</p> <p>Farnham was <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/cruel-and-brutal-john-farnham-s-sons-provide-health-update" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rushed to hospital</a> with a chest infection in March, which came seven months after his cancer removal surgery.</p> <p>The legendary singer is now home and has made a <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/john-farnham-s-happy-health-update" target="_blank" rel="noopener">full recovery</a> as he continues his cancer treatment.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

Caring

Could buccal massage – the latest celebrity beauty trend – make you look older, not younger?

<p>Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2018/05/meghan-markle-royal-wedding-prep">reportedly</a> had it before marrying Prince Harry. Jennifer Lopez is also <a href="https://www.eonline.com/news/917768/jennifer-lopez-is-a-fan-of-meghan-markle-s-pre-wedding-facial-too">apparently</a> a fan. We’re talking about a type of facial called a “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2023/jan/30/why-celebrities-love-buccal-massage-mouth-facial">buccal massage</a>”.</p> <p>But what exactly is a buccal massage? Does it really sculpt the face, <a href="https://www.skincarebyamypeterson.com/buccal-sculpting-facial">as claimed</a>? Are there risks? Could it actually make your skin look “looser” and older?</p> <p>You probably won’t be surprised to hear there isn’t evidence from rigorous controlled scientific studies to show buccal massage gives you a more contoured look. </p> <p>But talking about it can raise awareness about our facial muscles, what they do, and why they’re important.</p> <h2>What is buccal massage? Does it work?</h2> <p>Buccal massage (pronounced “buckle”) is also called “intra-oral” massage. The term “buccal” comes from the Latin “bucca” meaning “cheek”. </p> <p>In buccal massage, a beautician inserts their fingers into the buccal cavity – the space between your teeth and the inside of your cheeks – <a href="https://www.instyle.com/beauty/skin/buccal-facials">to</a> “massage and sculpt your skin from the inside”. </p> <p>They apply pressure between the thumb (on the outside the mouth), and pinch and move fingers (inside the mouth), to stretch and massage the muscles. </p> <p>You can also <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPpPEG7ZX2w">perform it on yourself</a>, which may give you better control over stopping if <a href="https://www.dazeddigital.com/beauty/article/44445/1/buccal-massage-sharpen-cheekbones">it hurts</a>.</p> <p>But could all of this (rather expensive) action really change the shape of your face, or how it looks, feels, or moves?</p> <p>It’s extremely unlikely, since the shape of your face is influenced by a lot more than your muscles. Any claims of buccal massage providing any lasting impact or “uplift” on the contours of the face are purely anecdotal.</p> <p>In the absence of controlled trials reporting on the effects of buccal massage, it’s unlikely stretching your skin and oral or facial muscles in this way will provide any lasting benefit.</p> <p>That’s possibly because buccal massage is “passive” – the muscles are only moving by the effort of the beautician.</p> <p>In contrast, “active” movement of face muscles, through a program of face exercises, was associated with some improvements to facial appearance in a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5885810/">small study</a> of middle-aged women.</p> <h2>But facial massage and stretching can help some</h2> <p>External massaging or stretching muscles in the face, however, can help some people with certain medical conditions affecting the jaw, or how the mouth opens.</p> <p>This includes people with <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24086-trismus">trismus</a>. This is when the temporomandibular joint – where the jawbone meets the skull – can be so tight it’s <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493203/">hard to open your mouth</a>. </p> <p>Face massage can also provide <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5237268/">some relief</a> for people with jaw clenching or <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bruxism/symptoms-causes/syc-20356095">bruxism (teeth grinding)</a> when it relaxes the muscle and reduces tension. </p> <p>Health professionals might also <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0305417915000546?via%3Dihub">prescribe</a> mouth and face stretches and exercises for someone recovering from <a href="https://www.vicburns.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Face-and-mouth-exercises_020419.pdf">facial burns</a>. This is to make sure that, as someone heals, their skin is flexible and muscles mobile for the mouth to open wide enough and move properly. Being able to open your mouth wide enough is vital for eating and tooth brushing.</p> <h2>Is buccal massage safe?</h2> <p>As there is no scientific research into buccal massage, we don’t know if it’s safe or if there are any risks.</p> <p>The firm touch, squeezing and movement of another person’s fingers on the sensitive mucous membrane (moist lining) inside your mouth could be both uncomfortable and off-putting. This action will also <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/odi.12867#:%7E:text=Stimulation%20of%20mechanoreceptors%20in%20the,%2C%20%26%20Berg%2C%201987">stimulate your salivary glands</a> to produce saliva, which you’ll need to spit or swallow. </p> <p>As buccal massage involves a beauty therapist’s fingers being inside your mouth, infection prevention and control measures, including <a href="https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/factsheets/Pages/beauty-treatment.aspx">excellent hand hygiene</a>, is essential. </p> <p>It would also be interesting to know whether or not buccal massage could actually further <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-is-buccal-face-massage_l_6352be32e4b03e8038debf83">loosen your skin</a> and make you look older, sooner.</p> <h2>Your face muscles are important</h2> <p>Regardless of whether buccal massage has any effect, it’s a chance to talk about our face muscles and why they’re important.</p> <p>We often take them for granted. We may not think about keeping these muscles “supple”, and they don’t usually feel “stiff” unless we hold a smile for long periods, grind our teeth, or have a medical condition affecting the face, jaw or mouth.</p> <p>There are more than <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493209/">two dozen</a>, muscles in our face, most in pairs, one on either side of the face.</p> <p>They’re a vital part of who we are, shaping our appearance, and allowing us to make facial expressions, lower and raise our jaw and the corners of our mouth, smile, blow a kiss, speak, suck and swallow.</p> <p>Face muscles help define the shape of our face and our identity. It’s no wonder we can struggle with age-related changes that affect how our face looks.</p> <h2>3 cheers for our buccinators</h2> <p>The <a href="https://www.healthline.com/human-body-maps/buccinator#1">buccinator muscles</a>, which buccal massage moves, are vital to our survival. The buccinator is one of the first muscles <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546678/">to contract</a> when a baby suckles.</p> <p>These muscles lie deep beneath the skin of the cheeks and are important for a number of reasons:</p> <ul> <li> <p>their main function is to help us eat. They contract to help move food between the teeth for chewing. We can squeeze our buccinator muscles to push food back into the mouth from the sides</p> </li> <li> <p>they help us puff out our cheeks, blow out a candle, or blow a trumpet </p> </li> <li> <p>when they contract, they move your inner cheek out of the way of your teeth. Without them, you’d bite your cheek every time you closed your jaw</p> </li> <li> <p>they help keep your teeth in place.</p> </li> </ul> <h2>In a nutshell</h2> <p>Buccal massage mightn’t make your face look “sculpted”. It probably comes with infection risks, and we know little about its safety. </p> <p>But if nothing else, the buccal massage trend has highlighted just how important our face muscles really are.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/could-buccal-massage-the-latest-celebrity-beauty-trend-make-you-look-older-not-younger-198990" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Beauty & Style

Warning against latest egg-stremely restrictive diet trend

<p>A viral “egg diet” is the latest weight loss trend taking over TikTok as people continue to find ways to drop a few kilos.</p> <p>The #eggdiet has attracted over 68.5 million views, with a lot of people sharing their weight-loss success. Nutritionists warn the egg-stremely restrictive diet is simply unsustainable and just another eggs-ample of why most diets fail.</p> <p>According to TikTok users, the egg diet consists of eating only eggs for every meal, alongside low-carb snacks such as fruit, veggies, and some additional protein.</p> <p>While this diet is capable of boosting your metabolism and burning fat in the short term, it can then slow the metabolism and make it more difficult to lose weight in the future.</p> <p>One TikTok user trying the diet admitted she had broken it, writing, ”I think the last nine days of eating the bare minimum has caught up with me today. The whole day I just felt nauseous.”</p> <p>A diet focused on one food eggs-cludes many healthy food groups that are otherwise beneficial for your body. This can lead to nutritional deficiencies, an unhealthy amount of weight loss, mood changes, muscle weakness, and hair loss.</p> <p>A nutrition eggs-pert from Fitness Volt says most people fail to stick with their diet long enough for it to work sustainably. They make fast progress, but egg-ventually, they fall off the wagon and return to their previous diet plan.</p> <p>"That's why so many of us lose weight only to regain it shortly afterwards, and it seems long-term, sustainable weight loss is rare nowadays," Saini said.</p> <p>"Fortunately, healthy eating doesn't have to be complicated or unpleasant, and weight management doesn't have to take over your life.</p> <p>"You don't even have to give up your favourite foods. However, you will need to quit looking for short-term fixes and adopt healthier long-term habits.”</p> <p>It is clear the #eggdiet is not sustainable and the lack of nutrition is likely to leave your brain scrambled.</p> <p>The idea is a bit of a crack-up, but don’t <em>whisk</em> it.</p> <p><em>Image credit: TikTok</em></p>

Body

"Cherish life": Tears over Johnny Ruffo’s latest heartfelt advice

<p>Johnny Ruffo has shared his words of wisdom on living life to the fullest as he continues his brave fight against a terminal brain cancer diagnosis. </p> <p>The singer and former actor, best known for his time on <em>The X Factor</em> and <em>Home and Away</em>, was chatting to the hosts of the <em>Kicpod </em>podcast when he divulged his life philosophies. </p> <p>Johnny’s top tip? “Don’t sweat the small things”. </p> <p>“Cherish life,” he told fitness influencers Steph Claire Smith and Lauren Henshaw. “Don’t sweat the small things and make sure the last conversation you have with people that you love is a good one.”</p> <p>Expanding on that, Johnny explained that he never leaves a conversation with his partner, Tahnee Sims, on a negative note. </p> <p>“You know, I may have a seizure, or something might happen,” he said. “And I just want her to know that the last thing she spoke to me about was that I loved her.</p> <p>“Every time Tahnee and I leave one another... I always tell her I love her.”</p> <p>Johnny was first diagnosed in 2017, and revealed in 2022 that the cancer was terminal. The couple have been together since 2015, and Tahnee has been at his side throughout his ongoing treatment. Johnny has been no stranger to praise for his partner, and her continued devotion and bravery in the face of the fight against cancer. .</p> <p>Last year, Johnny spoke to <em>Now to Love</em>, where he declared that Tahnee was his “everything”. Throughout the interview, he stressed that they were a team in life and all that comes with it. </p> <p>"I'd be lost without her," he said. "She's just everything.</p> <p>"She comes home from work and she's probably so tired and just wants to have a break, and then she has me. She wants to try and make me smile.</p> <p>"I don't know how she does it. I really don't.”</p> <p><em>Kicpod</em> Lauren was brought to tears by Johnny’s tribute, and both agreed that he has a “beautiful outlook on life”.</p> <p>Johnny, who by all accounts lives by his own heartfelt advice, has spent the past few months with friends and loved ones, enjoying some of Australia’s stunning scenery. </p> <p>Over Christmas, the couple made their way back to Western Australia to see Johnny’s family, and to enjoy the sun on Rottnest Island. </p> <p>Last month, Johnny celebrated friend and former co-star Lynne McGranger’s 70th birthday in Sydney. A picture of the pair beaming in front of a display of balloons prompted an outpouring of love and support from Johnny’s fans, who were delighted to see him in such good spirits.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

"More babies!": Robert Irwin's latest family pic causes a stir

<p>Australia’s sweetheart Robert Irwin has sent fans into a frenzy after posting two new family photos at Australia Zoo. </p> <p>The black-and-white photographs, captioned “My favourite days”, feature the whole bunch: Robert, his sister Bindi, and mother Terri, as well as Bindi’s husband Chandler and their young daughter, Grace. </p> <p>Fans from around the world wasted no time in sharing their love for the Irwins, delighted with the insight into their happy family moment, with one reminiscing, “Steve’s real legacy.” </p> <p>“Steve would be proud of all of you,” agreed another. </p> <p>“That look in Terri's eyes says it all,” said one comment, “Steve would be so proud.”</p> <p>The references to the late legend Steve Irwin didn’t stop there, with some suggesting vacant spots in the pictures for a Photoshop opportunity, and one even drawing a likeness between Grace and her grandfather, “first pic she looks like she just finished wrestling crocs after a long day.”</p> <p>“Love these photos! They capture just how much joy your family has and it warms my heart ,” said one, with a wave of similar comments to follow. </p> <p>A near echo of Robert’s own caption came with the comment, “days with the family are always the best”. </p> <p>In the images posted to Instagram, the Irwins are gathered around a pool of water at Australia Zoo, with Grace playing while the others watch on. However, many eagle-eyed viewers took note of what couldn’t be seen instead. </p> <p>Bindi’s pose - crouched, with her arms resting on her knees to cover torso - led many to speculate about a future addition to the family.</p> <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/Cnf3KhJJaRT/?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/Cnf3KhJJaRT/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Robert Irwin (@robertirwinphotography)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Bindi and Chandler’s first child, Grace Warrior Irwin Powell, was born early in 2021, and fans took to the comments to share their enthusiasm at the prospect of another Irwin. </p> <p>“Absolutely precious! Can't wait for #2 baby! Grace will be a good big sissy,” gushed one fan.</p> <p>Many shared such excitement, with one supporter suggesting that it was “maybe time for another bub to share the limelight. Crikey, we would all love that!” </p> <p>Pregnancy rumours have followed Bindi ever since Chandler’s birthday in November, when Bindi’s placement in pictures from the event saw her standing behind an extravagant 26th birthday cake.</p> <p>Neither Bindi or her family have made an official announcement, but fans are keen for news, and thrilled for any glimpse into the lives of the Irwin family. </p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

Camilla "astounded" by Prince Harry's latest attack

<p>Camilla has reportedly been left reeling after Prince Harry's latest attack on the royal family in two high profile interviews. </p> <p>The Duke of Sussex's latest onslaught of allegations include that his stepmother leaked stories to the British tabloids in an attempt to rehabilitate her image after her marriage to King Charles, following a highly publicised affair.</p> <p>Camilla’s close friend told <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2023/01/what-palace-insiders-think-of-prince-harrys-latest-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Vanity Fai</em>r</a> that the former Duchess of Cornwall is “just astounded by the whole thing.”</p> <p>Sources close to King Charles III also told the magazine that the monarch refuses to tolerate any comments made about his wife and believes his son crossed a line when mentioning her. </p> <p>In an interview with Britain's <em>ITV</em>, Harry said, “Certain members have got in bed with the devil to rehabilitate their image, but that rehabilitation has come at the detriment of others.”</p> <p>Prince Harry also took aim at Camilla in his autobiography <em>Spare</em>, writing that he and his brother, Prince William, urged their father not to marry their “wicked stepmother.”</p> <p>“Despite Willy and me urging him not to, Pa was going ahead. We pumped his hand, wished him well. No hard feelings,” he wrote.</p> <p>“We recognised that he was finally going to be with the woman he loved, the woman he’d always loved.”</p> <p>The Duke of Sussex said he has not spoken with Camilla, or his other family members, in “a long time.”</p> <p>“I love every member of my family, despite the differences,” he said on Good Morning America on Monday.</p> <p>“When I see [Camilla], we’re perfectly pleasant with each other. … I don’t look at her as an evil stepmother. I see someone who married into this institution and has done everything that she can to improve her own reputation and her own image for her own sake.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

News

5 things the latest season of The Crown got right and 3 things that were inaccurate

<h2>Separating fact from fiction</h2> <p>Season 5 of <em>The Crown</em> finally aired on Netflix after two years of waiting. The first season of <em>The Crown </em>aired in 2016, telling the story of all the major players in the royal family trees starting just before Queen Elizabeth II’s ascension to the throne. Every season since has covered roughly a decade or so in the lives of the royals.</p> <p>The new season of <em>The Crown</em> takes place between 1991 and 1997 and sees Charles and Diana nearing the end of their tumultuous marriage, securing their position as global tabloid fodder. (And, as season five points out, coverage of their lives would often blur the line between journalism and salacious gossip.)</p> <p>Despite the fact that there was so much real-life royal drama during this time, there are elements of <em>The Crown </em>that are not based on real events – so much so that Netflix added a disclaimer when releasing the trailer for this season that stated, ‘Inspired by real events, this fictional dramatisation tells the story of Queen Elizabeth II and the political and personal events that shaped her reign.’</p> <p>It can be confusing to parse fact from fiction. Here’s a fact check of <em>The Crown</em> season five to help understand what’s real and what’s not.</p> <h2>Here’s what was actually true in The Crown – and what wasn’t</h2> <p>Most of the historical events that have appeared on <em>The Crown</em> are based on true events. Let’s start with a few things that definitely happened.</p> <div> </div> <h2>Truth: Martin Bashir did use false evidence to convince Princess Diana to appear on Panorama</h2> <p>On <em>The Crown</em> Season 5 Episode 7, BBC journalist Martin Bashir (played by Prasanna Puwanarajah) is shown fabricating fake bank statements to convince Charles Spencer and his sister, Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki), into believing that members of their trusted teams were being paid off by British intelligence services for information about them. In turn, Bashir played into their fears and earned Diana’s trust enough to convince her to appear on his TV show, Panorama, giving one of the most explosive interviews of the decade.</p> <p>In 2020, an independent inquiry did find Bashir guilty of wrongdoing, and the BBC apologised to Charles Spencer for Bashir’s deception.</p> <h2>Truth: Prince Philip was a world-class carriage driver</h2> <p>Season 5 Episode 2 is when we learn of Prince Philip’s obsession with carriage driving. In fact, Philip (played by actor Jonathan Pryce) was not just a hobbyist in the sport, but he competed internationally as a member of the British Diving Team. He also wrote several books and served as the president of the Fédération Équestre Internationale.</p> <h2>Truth: Windsor Castle sustained massive fire damage in 1992</h2> <p>In Season 5 Episode 4, Queen Elizabeth (Imelda Staunton) referred to 1992 as an “annus horribilis,” or, a horrible year. It was the year that marked the separation of Charles and Diana as well as Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. Adding to the heartbreak, 1992 was also the year that Windsor Castle caught fire when a spotlight ignited a curtain, destroying dozens of rooms and several priceless works of art.</p> <h2>Truth: Mohamed Al-Fayed hired the Duke of Windsor’s former valet, Sydney Johnson, to work for him</h2> <p>In Season 5 Episode 3, we are introduced to Mohamed Al-Fayed (Salim Daw), the Egyptian businessman who would build up an empire that included the Ritz Hotel in Paris and Harrods Department Store in London. As the show depicts, Al-Fayed was a lifelong Anglophile and did meet and hire Sydney Johnson, a Bahamian man who previously spent three decades as Edward, Duke of Windsor’s valet after Edward abdicated the throne. Johnson began working for Al-Fayed in 1977, five years after Edward passed away. After Edward’s wife, Wallis Simpson died, Al-Fayed purchased their Paris estate and, along with Johnson, helped restore it.</p> <p>With regard to the end of this episode, when Mohamed Al-Fayed met Princess Diana, while we’re not sure if they really did bond instantly at a polo match, it’s true that the two became friends years before Diana began dating Mohamed’s son, Dodi Al-Fayed. Dodi would later die in the 1997 car crash that also took Diana’s life.</p> <h2>Truth: tampongate really did happen</h2> <p>In 1989, when Charles and Camilla’s affair was not yet public, the two engaged in a phone conversation where Charles compared himself to a tampon. The conversation was later released to the public in 1993 after Diana and Charles separated.</p> <h2>And now for a few things that appear on The Crown season 5 that didn’t actually happen… Fiction: The Sunday Times poll</h2> <p>Throughout the season, Prince Charles (Dominic West) is seen as a man who is ready for new responsibilities. Specifically, the responsibility of being king. In Episode 1, a poll revealing that half the British population thinks that his ageing mother Queen Elizabeth, should abdicate her role is published in the Sunday Times, and Charles takes that as a sign that he should start preparing himself to be king. He even goes so far as to meet with Prime Minister John Major (Jonny Lee Miller) to seek his support.</p> <p>But, none of that happened. There was no such poll published in 1991 by the Sunday Times, and no such conversation between Major and the Prince of Wales. In fact, Major is one of this season’s biggest detractors. He has called the series “a barrel-load of nonsense.”</p> <h2>Fiction: Prince Philip and Penny Knatchbull’s affair</h2> <p>It’s true that Prince Philip and his godson’s wife, Penny Knatchbull, were both invested in the sport of carriage driving, and it is also true that their friendship was fodder for speculation that there was something more to it. But alas, there is no concrete evidence that Prince Philip engaged in an affair with Penny.</p> <h2>Fiction: Diana warning the queen about her Panorama interview</h2> <p>Everyone involved in Princess Diana’s Panorama interview knew it was a giant risk to let the estranged princess speak so candidly on the most revered broadcasting network in the country. While it’s true that Marmaduke Hussey, then-chairman of the BBC, felt that it was a disgrace to air the interview, the queen herself was not actually given a heads-up by Diana before the inflammatory program aired in 1995. The conversation between Diana and the queen was pure fabrication, confirmed by Patrick Jephson, Diana’s press secretary at the time.</p> <p>While it can be confusing parsing out what <em>The Crown</em> gets wrong about the royal family and what the show gets right, season 5 remains as engrossing as ever thanks to its excelling writing and cast. What we do know for sure is that season six, which tackles the final months of Diana’s life and the years after, can’t come soon enough.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/culture/5-things-the-latest-season-of-the-crown-got-right-and-3-things-that-were-inaccurate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.</strong></p> <p> <em>Image: Netflix</em></p>

"I broke down": Emma Watkins opens up on emotional meaning behind latest outfit

<p dir="ltr">While spotting celebrities in gorgeous gowns isn’t unusual, Emma Watkins’ latest appearance in a pink and gold dress has more meaning than it seems.</p> <p dir="ltr">The former yellow Wiggle revealed that the frock was designed with a particular person in mind, which she wore as an ambassador for Frocktober.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The dress that I'm wearing isn't just a pretty dress. [It was] actually created by a beautiful designer, Jaimie Sortino, and it's in honour of his cousin Jenna that passed away,” she told <em>9Honey</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jenna Crierie was 33 and eleven years into her battle with ovarian cancer, the most lethal gynaecological cancer, when she passed away.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I never actually had a chance to meet her, but I've met Jaimie a few times, that's why those pictures and the dress are quite special," Watkins said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It really is another reminder of the lives that we've lost due to this disease… even though half of us didn't actually get to meet her, it felt like she was there."</p> <p dir="ltr">Endometriosis, a condition which affects one in nine Australian women including Watkins, is among the known risk factors for ovarian cancer, though there are no early detection tests.</p> <p dir="ltr">Watkins recalled how she was brought to tears when she met Leanne Flynn, one of millions of women who had ovarian cancer that was caught too late, for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation’s Frocktober campaign.</p> <p dir="ltr">"She was telling her story about what she's been going through for the last five years, the multiple surgeries and tests. I basically just cried," Watkins said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I broke down in front of the audience, I wasn't expecting to hear such a poignant and connected story to do with the disease itself. Ever since then, I've been highly involved."</p> <p dir="ltr">As a Frocktober ambassador this year, Watkins is fighting to ensure that experiences like Crierie’s and Flynn’s are no longer as common.</p> <p dir="ltr">Even pap smears can’t catch ovarian cancer early, which the 33-year-old said said frustrated her.</p> <p dir="ltr">"That's why it's frustrating, because normally women don't get to pick this up early on. That's the issue," she continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">"When I found that something wasn't right with me, I was already stage four endometriosis. And the same thing with Flynn, you're just too far along."</p> <p dir="ltr">With vague symptoms - think abdominal and pelvic pain, boating, appetite loss, unexplained weight changes and tiredness - and nowhere near the same publicity as diseases such as breast cancer, it can be hard for women to find out before it’s too late.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I think women should be more cautious," Watkins said. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Even for endometriosis, that wouldn't have been picked up with a pap smear."</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b4a53489-7fff-ddd3-653c-7c5df5314124"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">While it might be too late for women who have been diagnosed with late stage cancer, Watkins hopes that campaigns like Frocktober can spark change in the years to come.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: @emmawatkinsofficial (Instagram)</em></p>

Body

"Absolute legend": Johnny Ruffo’s latest health update from hospital

<p dir="ltr">Johnny Ruffo has given another update into his health as he continues to undergo chemotherapy.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 34-year-old was first diagnosed with brain cancer in 2017 after struggling with multiple headaches.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ruffo then announced in 2019 that he was in remission, but by November 2020 the cancer had returned, before confirming in 2022 that his illness is terminal.</p> <p dir="ltr">A new photo of the former <em>Home and Away</em> actor has emerged, showing Ruffo in hospital asleep on the bed following a round of chemo to treat his cancer.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Catching up on some zzz’s whilst getting my chemo today,” the image was captioned.</p> <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/CiwxyA6Lv0p/?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/CiwxyA6Lv0p/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Johnny Ruffo (@johnny_ruffo)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The post was quickly flooded with well-wishes from family and friends, with his girlfriend Tahnee Sims posting three angel emojis beneath the post.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You are stronger than any of us can ever imagine,” someone else wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Ur an absolute legend,” another commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Stay strong Johnny!” another read.</p> <p dir="ltr">Johnny has recently released a memoir called No Finish Line, dedicated to his girlfriend, in which he details his experiences recording music, acting, his family and loved ones.</p> <p dir="ltr">The title, he explains, is that “it wasn’t the end”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

The latest polio cases have put the world on alert. Here’s what this means for Australia and people travelling overseas

<p>Until recently, polio had only been detected in a handful of countries, thanks to global eradication efforts.</p> <p>But this year’s polio alerts in the United States, United Kingdom and Israel are a reminder that as long as poliovirus is found anywhere, it is a potential problem everywhere. </p> <p>That could include Australia.</p> <p>Here’s what the latest polio cases mean for Australia – including under-vaccinated communities and people travelling internationally.</p> <h2>The US case</h2> <p>In July this year, a young man in Rockland County, New York, developed paralysis and was diagnosed with polio, the <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2022/07/21/n-y-state-detects-polio-case-first-in-the-u-s-since-2013/">first US case since 2013</a>.</p> <p>He had never been vaccinated against polio, which is not uncommon among <a href="https://forward.com/news/512089/polio-rockland-county-new-york-vaccine-orthodox-jew/">Orthodox Jewish people</a> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8549591/">in some countries</a>. Rockland County has the highest percentage of Orthodox Jewish people in the US. Currently, only <a href="https://health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/polio/county_vaccination_rates.htm">about 60%</a> of children in the county are vaccinated against polio, compared with <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/immunize.htm">more than 90%</a> nationally.</p> <p>As of August 12, poliovirus was <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/about/press/pr2022/nysdoh-and-nycdohm-wastewater-monitoring-finds-polio-urge-to-get-vaccinated.page">still being detected</a> in sewage in New York City and other counties in New York State, indicating the virus is still circulating in the community.</p> <p>The reason there have been no further cases of paralysis reflects the fact that only around <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/poliomyelitis">one in 200 people</a> infected by the virus develops paralysis.</p> <h2>A child in Israel</h2> <p>One <a href="https://twitter.com/propublica/status/1558140096028737539">indirect link</a> to the New York man may be in Jerusalem where, in March 2022, poliovirus <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2022-DON366">was found</a> in sewage and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-022-01201-0">one case</a> of paralysis occurred in an unvaccinated child.</p> <p>Vaccination rates among Ultra-Orthodox Jewish people in Israel have been historically low, including <a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-middle-east-religion-israel-557e9d18f3f78f4fc141eeddaaefb8eb">low uptake</a> of COVID vaccines.</p> <h2>UK ramps up vaccination</h2> <p>In June this year, the UK government <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/poliovirus-detected-in-sewage-from-north-and-east-london">reported</a> wastewater surveillance in north and east London between February and May had identified poliovirus on consecutive occasions. </p> <p>This indicated a provisional “silent” outbreak and prompted health officials to instigate catch-up vaccination campaigns. No cases of paralysis have been reported.</p> <p>This is reminiscent of an earlier “silent” outbreak of polio in 2013-2014 when, after decades without a case, Israel <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1808798115">detected</a> poliovirus in wastewater samples in many areas, mainly in southern regions.</p> <p>Stool surveys indicated the outbreak was restricted mainly to children under the age of ten in the Bedouin population of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27334457/">southern Israel</a>. The virus originated in Pakistan and arrived in Israel via Cairo and then, probably, through Bedouin communities in Egypt and Israel.</p> <h2>Hang on, hasn’t polio been eradicated?</h2> <p>It’s tempting to think polio has been eradicated. </p> <p>The last case of locally acquired polio in Australia <a href="https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/cda-pubs-cdi-2002-cdi2602-cdi2602l.htm">was in 1972</a>. Australia was declared polio-free on October 29, 2000, along with the other 36 countries in the Western Pacific Region of the World Health Organization. The last case reported in Australia <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2660702/">was in 2007</a>, when a student contracted the infection in Pakistan.</p> <p>The <a href="https://polioeradication.org/">Global Polio Eradication Initiative</a>, launched in 1988, successfully eliminated wild poliovirus from all but two countries – Pakistan and Afghanistan – where in recent years there have been very few cases. </p> <p>In <a href="https://polioeradication.org/where-we-work/afghanistan/">Afghanistan</a>, there were four cases last year and one so far this year. In <a href="https://polioeradication.org/where-we-work/pakistan/">Pakistan</a>, there was one case in 2021 and 14 so far this year.</p> <p>The recent cases and wastewater detected polioviruses in the UK, US and Israel are not the wild variety. Instead, they are derived from the oral polio vaccine.</p> <p>When a child receives a dose of the oral vaccine, they excrete the virus in the stool for several weeks. In very rare cases, the vaccine-derived virus mutates to a form that causes paralysis. This form is called a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV). This occurs only in populations where polio vaccine coverage is low.</p> <p>Just recently, cVDPV was reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique and Yemen, as well as in wastewater in five other countries.</p> <p>Australia, like all high-income countries, does not use the oral polio vaccine. Instead, children receive <a href="https://immunisationhandbook.health.gov.au/contents/vaccine-preventable-diseases/poliomyelitis">injectable inactivated polio vaccine</a>, which prevents paralysis but does not prevent transmission of the virus. </p> <p>This is why so-called silent outbreaks can occur in countries that use the injectable vaccine. This is when the virus spreads from child to child but does not cause paralysis.</p> <h2>What are the implications for Australia?</h2> <p>Given Australia’s open international borders, there is no reason why someone who has recently received the oral polio vaccine wouldn’t enter the country and excrete the virus.</p> <p>In Australia, at the age of five, <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/node/38782/childhood-immunisation-coverage/current-coverage-data-tables-for-all-children#five-year-olds">about 95% of children</a> are fully vaccinated against polio. </p> <p>However, there are places with lower vaccine coverage, such as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/aug/14/when-covid-came-to-the-anti-vax-capital-of-australia">Byron Shire</a> in northern New South Wales, with lower rates of childhood vaccination, including against polio.</p> <p>This vaccine-hesitant community is vulnerable to the introduction of polio and has had cases of diphtheria, whooping cough, measles and tetanus in recent years.</p> <p>Unlike some other Orthodox Jewish communities overseas, there is no evidence this community in Australia is more vaccine hesitant than other Australians.</p> <h2>How do we look out for cases?</h2> <p>For years, wastewater monitoring has been routinely implemented in many countries. This acts as an early warning system to identify and rapidly mitigate the spread of many pathogens, <a href="https://theconversation.com/sewage-surveillance-is-the-next-frontier-in-the-fight-against-polio-105012">including poliovirus</a>, hepatitis viruses and, recently, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID).</p> <p>At wastewater treatment facilities, sewage from an entire region is combined. This allows scientists to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-022-01201-0">detect pathogens</a> at the population level and before anyone presents with symptoms.</p> <p>In December 2017, Victoria’s environmental testing program <a href="https://www.health.vic.gov.au/media-releases/health-surveillance-system-detects-poliovirus">detected</a> a rare type of poliovirus in pre-treated sewage from the Western Treatment Plant in Melbourne. </p> <p>No cases of paralytic polio were detected but all Victorians up to the age of 19 were offered three doses of vaccine, free of charge, as part of catch-up arrangements.</p> <p>Australia’s poliovirus infection outbreak response plan <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2022/05/poliovirus-infection-outbreak-response-plan-for-australia.pdf">focuses on</a> clinical surveillance (where health workers report suspected cases to health authorities) and laboratory investigations of people who present with acute paralysis. </p> <p>While the plan refers to examples of wastewater surveillance overseas, it does not propose a specific strategy in Australia. </p> <p>Other than Victoria, it is not clear where wastewater polio surveillance is being conducted in Australia.</p> <h2>What happens next?</h2> <p>Australia is just as vulnerable to importations of poliovirus – both wild and vaccine-derived – as any other country.</p> <p>Australia should ensure routine wastewater surveillance for poliovirus is conducted, at least in metropolitan areas.</p> <p>Community-based vaccination campaigns should be sensitively conducted in vaccine-hesitant communities, such as in Byron Shire, to achieve high coverage.</p> <p>Education should also be provided through GPs to parents planning to travel to Jerusalem, New York City and Rockland County. They should ensure all travelling family members are fully vaccinated against polio. Visitors to Israel may be able to access a dose of oral polio vaccine in that country for their children (which will prevent them being infected) but this is not available in the US.</p> <p>Poliovirus enters the body through the mouth, usually from hands contaminated with the stool of an infected person. So parents should also pay special attention to their children’s hand hygiene, particularly if travelling overseas to any of the locations mentioned.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-latest-polio-cases-have-put-the-world-on-alert-heres-what-this-means-for-australia-and-people-travelling-overseas-188989" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p> <div style="caret-color: #000000; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; --tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; 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color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; --tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(51,168,204,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; background-color: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 18px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </p> <div style="caret-color: #000000; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; 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Travel Tips

Alan Jones’ latest luxe acquisition revealed

<p dir="ltr">Former radio presenter Alan Jones has been revealed as the owner of a sprawling riverfront property on the Gold Coast, having spent a hefty $12.25 million for the pleasure.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the <em><a href="https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/central/gold-coast-property-alan-jones-revealed-as-owner-of-12m-southport-home/news-story/92407bf20a8dd810c23370de3da62062" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gold Coast Bulletin</a></em>, the 81-year-old’s name is on the title of the five-bedroom Southport home, along with his niece Tonia Taylor and her husband Justin Taylor.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 1099-square-metre mansion boasts high-end finishes and fixtures throughout, including French oak floors, travertine tiling, textured wallpapers, and sky-high recessed ceilings.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to <a href="https://www.kollosche.com.au/property/2-wildash-street-southport/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the listing</a>, each of the bedrooms are accompanied by generous ensuites, including two master suites, with other luxe features including a wine cellar and tasting room, adjoined by a cosy rumpus room and wet bar.</p> <p dir="ltr">With an east-facing waterfront position and panoramic views of the water and city skyline, the property also boasts a 33.7-metre frontage on Main River, including a supersize pontoon that can moor an 80-foot cruiser, a dual jet ski dock, power and water, as well as a heated lap pool alongside the river.</p> <p dir="ltr">The confirmation of the purchase comes amid reports that Jones intends to sell his country retreat in the Southern Highlands, as reported by <em><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11001599/Radio-veteran-Alan-Jones-revealed-new-owner-12-25million-home-Gold-Coast.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Mail</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jones’ home to the south of Sydney, which he calls “Charlieville”, was where he spent most of the pandemic.</p> <p dir="ltr">The multimillionaire even installed a custom-built radio studio so that he could continue making his broadcasts following his departure from Sky News in 2021.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-381fce49-7fff-2d4a-ddf0-482a85bff4a0"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images / Kollosche Real Estate</em></p>

Real Estate

A “toilet with a view” is the latest popular bathroom trend

<p dir="ltr">The bathroom, often considered a sacred and private space, is the subject of a divisive new trend that does away with the one thing ensuring this security: doors.</p> <p dir="ltr">Instead, open plan ensuites are the latest trend that can even include a view to the great outdoors.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Open plan bathrooms are on the rise for a few reasons,” Tim Bennett, the founder, architect and engineer at Tim Bennetton Architects, says.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Society has been more exposed to ‘resort-style’ living where spaces feel more generous than they used to be.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We have all allowed ourselves that touch more luxury - where the bathroom is not purely functional.”</p> <p dir="ltr">According to Bennett, one popular layout includes opening up one wall to a view or courtyard to create a space that feels open “while still being private and intimate”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We did this with one of the first houses we designed back in 2008, so it’s certainly a trend that’s been around for a while but is quickly gaining popularity, and it makes sense,” he explains.</p> <p dir="ltr">But when it comes to the key issue - the privacy of using the toilet - Bennett notes that it’s “the only real issue that needs to be discussed”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Some people are quite uncomfortable with an open plan toilet. But others are fine with it,” he says.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You could argue that a toilet with a view adds to ‘the experience’, but on the other hand, many people like the extra level of privacy and separation that a separate compartment provides to the toilet.”</p> <p dir="ltr">If you are considering this trend but find that privacy is a top priority, there are a few things you can do to achieve both.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-8a8098de-7fff-998b-6302-86fdcf13172a"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“Flexibility is the key - allow sliding doors so that the ensuite or bathroom can be separated off if desired, or decorate screens or blinds,” Tim says.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

Introducing the latest "Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter"

<p>Celebrating a royal milestone, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall is thrilled to stand alongside the Queen and Prince Charles for this special occasion.</p> <p>Camilla has been formally invited into the oldest order of chivalry in the UK, the Order of the Garter.</p> <p>The royal milestone took place in a private ceremony in the Garter Throne Room in Windsor Castle. Going forward, the duchess will be formally acknowledged as a Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter.</p> <p>Reportedly, the duchess was "very pleased" to have the honour bestowed upon her and to celebrate the momentous occasion, Camilla, Charles and Her Majesty appeared in a royal portrait together.</p> <p>Camilla was wearing an ostrich plume hat while she and Charles were both donned in traditional velvet robes. The Queen, who continues to struggle with mobility issues, stood in the middle of the royal couple wearing her Sovereign of the Garter sash and could be seen holding a cane.</p> <p>The official portrait is both a celebration of Camilla's achievement as well as a signal of the future of the monarchy. It comes after the Queen's announcement earlier this year that it was her "sincere wish" that <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/queen-consort-prince-charles-responds-to-her-majestys-announcement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Camilla will become Queen Consort</a> once Charles takes the throne.</p> <p>Meanwhile, the Duke of York, Prince Andrew was banned from appearing at the ceremony. The senior royals reportedly told Her Majesty they would "pull out" of the royal event if the disgraced prince was given a public role. They feared "backlash" and insisted the Queen change the plans.</p> <p>Andrew was told to stay out of sight "for his own good" following the tense family orders, however an unknown source close to the Duke insisted that it was his own "personal decision" not to appear in public.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Beauty & Style

Reese Witherspoon's latest property payday

<p>Reese Witherspoon has sold her Los Angeles estate, scoring nearly $8 million more than what she purchased it for less than two years ago.</p> <p>Witherspoon and her husband, Jim Toth, picked up the traditional English country-style mansion in the Brentwood area in 2020 for $21.9 million (US$15.89m).</p> <p>The famous couple listed the house up for sale with $35.5 million (US$25m) asking price, with the property now pending sale for $29.7 million (US$21.5m).</p> <p>The newly renovated home measures over 960 sqm, with seven bedrooms and 10 bathrooms. It features custom-designed finishes, woodwork, and an open floor plan.</p> <p>The main level features a living room with French doors, a dining room, a family room with a bar, a wood-panelled office or library, a chef’s kitchen, and a breakfast room.</p> <p>Out back, the 3.1-acre lot includes a blue-tiled pool and spa, a limestone barbecue, an eight-seat bar. Perfect for hosting guests during the summer.</p> <p>The home is just minutes from Brentwood, Santa Monica, and Pacific Palisades making it the ideal LA location.</p> <p><em>Image: Real Estate</em></p>

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Entertainment

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The Wiggles set sail for their latest venture

Sarah Ferguson diagnosed with malignant melanoma – here are the latest treatments for this increasingly common skin cancer

COVID wave: what’s the latest on antiviral drugs, and who is eligible in Australia?

Ozempic is in the spotlight but it’s just the latest in a long and strange history of weight-loss drugs

“Only an Irwin!”: Bindi’s latest update on Grace stuns fans

Calling drag queens ‘groomers’ and ‘pedophiles’ is the latest in a long history of weaponising those terms against the LGBTIQA community

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Could buccal massage – the latest celebrity beauty trend – make you look older, not younger?

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Alan Jones’ latest luxe acquisition revealed

A “toilet with a view” is the latest popular bathroom trend

Introducing the latest "Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter"

Reese Witherspoon's latest property payday

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