Delay in UK gynaecology services reaches crisis point
Due to increasingly long lead times – which are up 384% since 2020 – more than 570,000 British women are now waiting for referral, diagnosis, and treatment, risking infertility as a result. In January, I wrote that the UK healthcare system was officially failing women, following a report which revealed...
Current in Wellness
Adding calories to menus could further fuel toxic diet culture
As part of a new government scheme to ‘crack down on obesity’ in the UK, restaurants, cafes, and takeaways will be legally required to display calorie information alongside their offerings. For the 1.25 million Brits currently suffering from an eating disorder, this poses a concerning issue. From tomorrow, all...
Diabetes doesn’t have to lead to disordered eating
Those diagnosed with type 1 diabetes are more than twice as likely to experience an eating disorder than people without, yet specialists continue to encourage carbohydrate-counting and food logging. How can diabetics avoid sliding down the slippery slope of disordered eating? Finding a balance between the right intake of food...
Could the pill for men balance the contraceptive burden?
Scientists have developed a male contraceptive that doesn’t target testosterone, avoiding unwanted side effects like weight gain and depression. After proving 99% effective at preventing pregnancy in mice, the drug is set for human trials. It looks as though birth control options for men may soon expand beyond condoms...
A vision of vulvas: expanding knowledge and concepts of diversity
The body positive movement has exploded in the last decade. Now, it’s finally expanding to a much less talked about part of women's bodies - the vulva. The female anatomy has always been something of a spectacle. Early renaissance artists sculpted the dips and folds of women’s bellies, the curves...
Reproductive healthcare in England sees yet another setback
Marking a significant regression in the abortion rights of women across the country, the government has scrapped its ‘pills by post’ scheme, which has been celebrated as a game changing move that made terminating unwanted pregnancies safer and more accessible. Throughout the duration of Covid-19, attitudes towards the ever-contentious...
Opinion – our obsession with wellness is hurting both us and the planet
Although wellness touts itself as being the key to a more fulfilling life, it may in fact be destroying both our bodies and the planet. Throughout the last decade, ‘wellness’ has become such a ubiquitous part of mainstream culture that in 2022, it’s relatively difficult to imagine a world without it. The term, which was coined in the 50s when people began realising that there’s a great deal more to health...
Opinion – Let’s drop our self-improvement obsession in 2022
Reports predict almost half of UK citizens vow to exercise more, improve their diet, or lose weight at the turn of a new year. But is that an image we should still be chasing? Food, sparkling wine, Christmas markets and snow; I have loved this time of year ever since I can remember. But soon after the laid-back lifestyle and the feasts comes 1 January and its long list of to-do...
Could prescribed park visits aid our mental health?
Canadian healthcare practitioners are now allowed to prescribe patients a year-long pass to the country’s national parks in a bid to improve their mental and physical health. If you’ve struggled or are currently struggling with mental health issues, I know what you’re thinking: when has a medical professional suggesting you ‘go for a walk’ ever actually improved your situation? Well, while tales of this may certainly be considered meme-worthy on...
Influencers may soon have to label digitally-altered images
To combat the rise of eating disorders and body confidence issues post-pandemic, a proposed bill in the UK is calling for commercial photos featuring retouched bodies to be labelled as such. Last February, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that social media influencers had to begin disclosing when using a beauty filter to endorse products, namely those exaggerating the results cosmetics or skincare being sold by brands were capable...
