Muscle dysmorphia is fuelling a silent male mental health crisis
As social media and the lucrative, unregulated supplements industry continues to promote unrealistic beauty standards, more boys and young men today are becoming obsessed with body image and bulking up to the point of risking their overall wellbeing. For as long as Iβm able to remember, women have been the...
Current in Wellness
How music bolsters mental well-being and social connections
Music is often viewed as an enjoyable form of entertainment, but a growing body of scientific and sociological research is proving how music enhances the strength of our brainβs neural pathways and helps us foster deep social bonds. One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no...
Understanding the rise of wellness tourism
Wellness tourism is more than just a trend, embodying a comprehensive approach to well-being that is fuelled by growing science, transforming cultural ideologies, social media content, and higher incomes. In recent times, society has had a notably higher interest in optimizing personal health and well-being. This trend is closely linked...
Study reveals period products arenβt as absorbent as advertised
For the first time ever, researchers have tested the absorption of pads and tampons using actual human blood instead of water or saline solution. As it turns out, many of them are mislabelled according to their capacity for preventing leaks. Itβs inherently clear that women find it much harder than...
Is social media causing us to self-diagnose?
A recent poll conducted by the tech-driven healthcare company Tebra has found that 30 percent of Gen Z participants had diagnosed themselves with a mental health problem based on information theyβd gathered on social media. Although silly Vine-like videos still pop up on Instagram Reels and TikTok feeds from time...
What is a βgirl dinnerβ and why has it sparked controversy?
The phenomenon is based around celebrating the low-effort meals a woman might cobble together and enjoy alone, but with eating disorder content still rife on TikTok β where the latest food trend has taken off β many have raised concerns over its ties to diet culture. If youβve spent any...
Opinion – Stop body shaming women in the public eye
Recent online commentary negatively targeting Bebe Rexhaβs weight gain proves that discourse around female celebrityβs appearance is still rife on social media. Retiring this inherently toxic form of trolling is long overdue. Youβd think weβd have grown tired of obsessing over womenβs bodies by now, especially within industries that significantly influence how we perceive ourselves. Iβm referring, of course, to the contradictory nature of modern celebrity culture. Many brands and influencers...
Why arenβt we talking about Binge Eating Disorder?
BED affects three times the number of people than anorexia and bulimia combined, but despite how common it is, research into and awareness of the condition remains limited. In our image-obsessed world, the fact that so many people suffer from an eating disorder is plausible and saddening. Every day, despite body positivity movements and calls for social media platforms to better regulate toxic trends, the amount of individuals struggling with a...
Our obsession with collagen is hurting the planet
An investigation into the supply chains of this βwonder productβ for skin, ageing, and health thatβs at the centre of a global wellness craze has uncovered a dark side to its cultivation. Collagen, which makes up 60 per cent of our cartilage, accounts for 70 to 80 per cent of the dry weight of skin, and features in other connective tissues such as tendons, muscles, and bones, is the most...
Juice cleanses arenβt the holistic venture many think they are
Juice detoxes, cleanses Ββ whatever you want to call them β are not backed up by any scientific research. So why do people claim to feel better when doing them? The truth, while common sense, is often shrouded by wellness jargon. βIβm doing a cleanseβ your friend declares, before sipping from a bottle filled with broccoli-coloured liquid. βI saw it on TikTok.β You momentarily wonder when the last time they chewed...
