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Dad jokes. They're the best—and also the worst. Just in time for Father's Day, Fatherly.com created the Dad Joke Bot, which will send you a stream of punch lines so you can one-up your old man this weekend—or simply chuckle to yourself at the endless cheese (guilty). You can chat with the bot through Facebook, Slack, or SMS. Check out a few of the cringeworthy puns below:
There's no shame in the occasional dressing room selfie, especially if the goal is to call out absurd clothing sizes that make you feel like you don't fit in with the rest of the world. A U.K. woman recently posted a photo on Facebook to do just that, and it's getting a lot of attention. Ruth Clemens usually wears a size 14 (U.S. size 12) but couldn't button a pair of H&M's size-16 jeans. And that shirt that looks like a crop top? It's a medium.
"Why are you making jeans that are unrealistically small?" she asked the brand. H&M responded with an apology and said it's considering the issue. The post is a good reminder not to take clothing sizes too seriously. The fact that we classify our bodies with an arbitrary system of numbers is strange enough—we don't need it messing with our sense of self-worth.
Check out her note below:
Dear H&M,
I was browsing your sale items in your Leeds store and spotted this pair of kick flare jeans. They were only a tenner—bargain! —and a size 16. I'm normally a size 14 on my hips (occasionally 16 if buying trousers) so I thought I'd try them on. It did not go well.
As I'm sure you're aware, size 16 is the largest size you stock (apart from in your plus size range, which is very limited in store and does not offer the range of styles for the fashion-conscious that are available in smaller sizes).
I am not overweight (not that that should matter) and although I'm 5 foot 11, my body is pretty average shape-wise. It's already difficult enough for me to find clothes that fit well because of my height, why are you making jeans that are unrealistically small? Am I too fat for your everyday range? Should I just accept that accessible and affordable high street and on-trend fashion isn't for people like me?
You might recognise the top I'm wearing—it's one of yours and it's a size Medium. Sort it out would you.
#whatdoesplussizeevenmean #bodypositive #fashionforall
Here's another reason to opt for a side salad: A new study suggests you can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes simply by adding a few more healthy, plant-based foods (think whole grains, fruit, nuts, and veggies) to your diet and slightly reducing how much animal-based foods (meat, dairy) you eat.
The researchers looked at three diet studies conducted over more than 20 years, which included 200,000 men and women in the U.S. Participants filled out an in-depth survey about their diets every two to four years. The people who ate more plant-based food and less animal-based food reduced their risk of type 2 diabetes by 20 to 34 percent.
"What we're talking about is a moderate shift—replacing one or two servings of animal food a day with one or two plant-based foods," Frank Hu, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and one of the authors of the study, told the The New York Times. "You can still include some meat, but not have it in the center of the plate."
It's refreshing to hear that you don't have to go all-out vegetarian or vegan to see these health benefits. Small changes really can make a difference.
(h/t The New York Times)
A new report is shedding light on the prevalence of gay sex in different parts of the country. Researchers looked at responses from the General Social Survey, a huge survey that looks at how Americans' opinions and behaviors change over time. One question asked men and women if they'd had sex with at least one person of the same sex since turning 18. While you might assume that, given their liberal reputations, people from the East and West Coasts would be more likely to say yes than their Southern and Midwestern counterparts, that's not necessarily the case.
In fact, the percentage of men in the East who have had at least one same-sex experience has decreased over time, whereas the Midwest recently reported the highest numbers. However more women in the West said they'd slept with at least one other woman (a stat that's been fairly consistent over the past few decades).
It's worth noting that the study was self-reported, and what people say on a survey isn't always the same as what happens behind closed doors. But it's still interesting to see how your region compares to the rest of the country.
We love to hate on the Kardashians as much as everyone else, but in an age of absurd celebrity diets, we've got to admit: Kim Kardashian's diet is refreshingly normal. She recently shared three days of her food log with People—here's what one day looked like:
She also drinks between 48 and 64 ounces of water per day. Kardashian is following the Atkins 40 diet, and while skipping pizza and limiting yourself to 1,500 calories per day isn't our idea of a party, as far as diets go, it's more reasonable than most.
(h/t People)
Of course, bodyweight workouts are effective and challenging. But if you want to take your core workout to the next level, add a set of dumbbells.
This routine is short (just 11 minutes to be exact) but delivers big benefits. Fire up your entire core, including your abdominals and lower back, with these six key moves. You’ll do each one with and without weight to build strength. This also gives you the opportunity to customize and modify the routine to suit your own needs—start with no weights and add pounds as you get stronger.
To recap, you will need a set of dumbbells in the 3-8 pound range. An exercise mat is optional. Perform each move for 5 reps with weight and 5 reps without:
Looking for more short and effective at-home workouts? Grokker has thousands of routines, so you’ll never get bored. Bonus: For a limited time, Greatist readers get 40 percent off Grokker Premium (just $9 per month) and their first 14 days free. Sign up now!
With sky-high prices and rows of organic produce, Whole Foods doesn't seem like the type of place where you have to worry about food safety. But the FDA's stern warning letter to the upscale grocery chain is making us think twice before grabbing one of its prepared meals.
FDA inspectors discovered disturbing health violations, including water dripping from the ceiling onto food, employees forgetting to wash their hands, and equipment conditions that could allow for the growth of listeria (a potentially deadly bacteria). Yikes! The violations happened at a facility that preps food for stores in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey. Whole Foods was quick to respond and said it's already addressed all the issues—but the fact that the violations happened in the first place is concerning.
Read the FDA's full letter below but be warned: You may never want to eat quesadillas from Whole Foods again.
Abbie Kilbride, a teen in the U.K., shared these photos of her super-swollen lips on Facebook the morning after she got her teeth whitened—and the internet (especially fellow brighteners) freaked out. And for good reason: The photos are concerning and serve as a reminder that whitening kits work by bleaching your teeth with peroxide, a chemical that can be dangerous in high concentrations.
But you have no reason to worry so long as you stick to over-the-counter kits or the handiwork of a well-trained dentist. Kilbride opted for a sketchy pseudo-professional who likely misused the strong chemical, which gave her third-degree burns and possibly an allergic reaction.
If you spend time in the woods, you'll probably come across poison ivy or poison oak. Just remember "leaves of three, let it be." Otherwise you might end up looking like Emily Petrozza, a 21-year-old from Connecticut who's now internet famous after a tweet showing her swollen eyes racked up more than 35,000 retweets. Petrozza thinks the poison ivy got into her eyes when she took her contacts out after a day outdoors (cringe!).
But here's the thing: People get poison ivy in their eyes all the time, they end up looking just like this photo, and the rash and swelling go away after a few days of using over-the-counter ointments or a prescription med. This is one of those times where the internet needs to simmer down.
Carb lovers, we've got some amazing news for you—so long as you like whole grains. Two massive studies showed eating them regularly can help you live longer. The larger of the two meta-analysis studies found that chowing down on 90 grams (the equivalent of two slices of whole-grain bread or a half cup of quinoa) per day cut participants' mortality rate by 17 percent. Add that to your arsenal of reasons why carbs aren't evil.
Coinciding with an alarming rise in suicide rates in the U.S., Facebook has released tools that will hopefully save lives, an announcement yesterday revealed. Now if you see a post—from anywhere in the world—that is suggestive of suicide or self-harm, there's a drop-down menu that can help. It will prompt you to reach out to the person in distress (using their suggested language, if you prefer) or flag it for Facebook to evaluate. A specially trained team monitors the flags 24/7 and can respond. The tool also features information on prevention and what to do if a user feels suicidal as well as contact information for help lines (see below). We're all about Facebook using its extraordinary reach to assist those in need.
(h/t The New York Times)
We typically toast with a glassful of booze, but this news from the World Health Organization has us raising our mugs: Coffee is no longer classifed as possibly carcinogenic. After reviewing more than 1,000 studies on humans and animals, the health experts announced today that there's "inadequate evidence" our go-to drink causes cancer; in fact, it can actually reduce some risks (in cancers of the liver and uterine endometrium). The only caveat: Very hot beverages are linked to esophageal cancer, so let your cup cool for a few minutes before you sip.
Walking down the street, nothing about Dexter Mayfield screams "look at me!"—that is, until he starts dancing. And then you can't take your eyes off the plus-size male model and professional dancer. He's sexy and confident, which makes it no surprise he's been a backup dancer for Sara Bareilles and Jennifer Lopez. But as Mayfield explains in this video from Great Big Story, his career has been an uphill battle to overcome stereotypes of bigger black men and still stay fierce. Clearly he's winning that battle.
All those tweets, Instagrams, and Change.org petitions about body positivity have helped inspire a huge shift in the types of ads featured on London's subways and buses. The city's mayor recently pledged to ban all billboards on public transportation that show "unhealthy or unrealistic body images." The press release doesn’t mention specifics, but the rule would likely apply to the controversial Protein World ads (see below) from last summer. Slow clap, people—this is a big win for body confidence.
Recently, 70 people gathered in a park in Seoul, South Korea, to compete for the title of Most Spaced Out—no talking, sleeping, eating, or checking smartphones allowed. The person with the most stable heart rate over the course of 90 minutes won.
Artist WoopsYang created the annual Space Out Competition in 2014 to point out how overworked our brains are and to encourage people to slow down. While it's entertaining to poke fun at this so-called "sport," (there's a panel of judges and a live sportscaster!), it definitely makes a great point. We could all benefit from quieting our minds more often.
Photo: Funny Review and Life
(h/t Vice)
You probably think people taking selfies are just focused on themselves. However, new research suggests that they're actually more engaged with the experience than if they weren't snapping a pic—and finding it more enjoyable. The meta-analysis examined data from nine different studies, which included 2,005 people. If you think about it, it makes sense: When you take a picture, your attention is directed toward the activity at hand (or behind your head, as the case may be).
This doesn't apply to every activity, though: Getting Insta-happy doesn't enhance situations that require your full attention (think getting handsy with crafts or playing a sport). In other words, taking a selfie at a group brunch is great, but—for many reasons—please, please, don't snap and drive.
Pre-race traditions are pretty much the same for everyone: Put on your favorite running socks (cause blisters suck), lace up the shoes you’ve grown unreasonably attached to, and head to the start line. Running does not discriminate, and few people know that better than Amelia Gapin, the first trans woman to be featured on the cover of Women’s Running magazine. Not only is she on the cover, Gapin, the cofounder of MyTransHealth, also opens up about running becoming an outlet during her transition. Here's part of the inspiring story she told People magazine:
It gave me a place to work through all of the external things, like dealing with other people, and how to approach coming out to people and how to explain. And when conversations didn't go well—I lost friends because of it—running was a nice outlet for getting out some of that frustration.
Oprah insists she ate bread every day while losing weight, even going so far as to say it brings her joy in an ad for Weight Watchers. The commercial was basically asking to be parodied, and that's exactly what Maya Rudolph did, reprising her best SNL Oprah impression on her new variety show, Maya & Marty. Rudolph delivers pun after pun (our personal favorite: brioche-prah Winfrey) in the spoof, which also serves as a good reminder that we should be eating carbs.
When it comes to sex, men are horny all the time—at least if stereotypes are to be believed. That means they're accustomed to getting turned down by partners from time to time, but a surprising new study found that men underestimate how often their Sig O wants to get hot and heavy.
Researchers had 139 couples keep a daily journal to track when they desired sex as well as when they thought their partner was interested. Women were great at gauging men's level of interest; men, not so much.
But that’s actually a good thing for guys. If they were to overestimate, chances are they'd be rejected more frequently, which sours the mood for all parties.
The bottom line here: You can avoid this mind reading altogether by just talking to your Sig O, rather than keeping your desires confined to some private journal.
“Susie, can I please have the report from last week? I don’t see it in my inbox.”
My heart sank. My boss was asking me for a sales report that I had to submit every Friday. It was Monday. I totally blanked on doing it last week.
I did the only thing I could think of: I lied. “That’s odd—it should be there. I’ll re-send!” In 15 minutes, I scrambled together the shoddiest report ever created and hit send as if my life depended on it. You can imagine the questions my boss had about the errors in the Excel cells later that day. He knew; I knew. But I was resolute in my lie.
I was young. I thought this approach was safer than honesty. But I was wrong. I had not only failed to do the work, but I was also dishonest about it—trying to cover my tracks instead of admitting my mistake.
No matter what you messed up, acknowledging your error can make you feel like a naughty kid again—not the confident adult you’ve become.
Trust me, I know there's nothing like the sting of making a mistake to make you feel inadequate, remorseful, and just plain pissed at yourself. But we all make mistakes in many different ways. Maybe you laid into your S.O. over something insignificant, forgot to text a friend back about plans, or made a glaring typo in an uber-important work memo. No matter what you messed up, acknowledging your error or poor judgment can make you feel like a naughty kid again—not the confident adult you’ve become.
Even worse, instead of addressing our mistake head on, apologizing in an instant, and remedying the situation, many of us do the opposite. We do nothing. We ignore it. We get defensive. Sometimes we even blame the other person. We say he or she is “too sensitive,” or we tell ourselves we’re right and the other person is wrong because we’re too scared to own our mistakes.
Even the most unintentional error, when poorly handled, can snowball into a mess of finger pointing, judgment, and ruined relationships. Instead of sweeping it under the rug, here’s how to remedy any mistake in (almost) any situation.
Some people think apologizing is a weakness or that it means that they're not good or clever enough. But it’s actually the opposite. Say a friend was worried that she offended you with a joke she made. She could just never bring it up again.
What if she said, “Hey, that joke I made last night—I hope I didn’t upset you. I was just trying to be funny and definitely don’t think X or Y.” Would you think that person was weak or strong for addressing this? I bet the latter. Because it takes courage to do this. Courageous people apologize.
Your turn to say sorry? Keep in mind that an awesome apology contains three parts:
Here's an example of a bad apology: “Sorry. I was just kidding. Lighten up! It wasn’t that bad.”
A better apology? “I’m sorry my joke was insensitive. It was bad form of me to make fun of X. How can I make it up to you?”
Once you have made a sincere apology that checks those three boxes, relax. We all make mistakes. We will continue to make mistakes as long as we live. But it’s how we handle them that counts. Being honest, owning up (and not waiting to do so!), and having a genuine intention not to repeat the mistake is the very best you can do. Let this bring you peace. Apologize sincerely, then surrender the rest. Exhale!
Being honest, owning up, and having a genuine intention not to repeat the mistake is the very best you can do.
I was managing a project recently and asked my colleague why the database wasn’t up to date (it was his job to do this). I thought it was a database error—it wasn’t the first time the system was slow.
“Holy sh*t!” Riley responded over instant messenger. “I’ll do it now. I completely forgot. Can you give me an hour, two max? I'm so sorry.” Instead of being irritated, I was momentarily flooded with affection for Riley. I ribbed him a bit, but his honesty built trust between us. This encounter allowed me to be more vulnerable in making mistakes too.
When you rectify something you’ve done wrong, not only are you displaying your strength, but you're also opening up the space to allow other people to feel safe in making their own mistakes. Making mistakes is inevitable—that’s for certain. And resolving them in a true and honest way is the mark of a real leader.
Susie Moore is Greatist’s life coach columnist and a confidence coach in New York City. Sign up for free weekly wellness tips on her website and check back every Tuesday for her latest No Regrets column!
While you've been watching back-to-back hours of your favorite series, Netflix has been watching you. The TV- and movie-streaming website has examined an absurd amount of data about our binge-watching habits and found that there are certain shows viewers watch less of per day. Read: You can actually make it outside this weekend.
The Netflix binge scale shows that while people tend to watch more than two hours of horror shows and thrillers, they savor political dramas and irreverent comedies. So take back your life and stick to shows with more complex plotlines, such as Narcos and House of Cards.
We didn't expect a music video by Lil Dicky (yep, that's his stage name) to give us all the feels, yet here we are. In the slightly NSFW song “Molly,” the 28-year-old rapper teams up with Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco to stir up all your emotions about relationships that didn't work out. So if you’re still not over your ex, don’t click play—or do, and let those tears flow.
When we see ads for workout clothes, the models appear almost impossibly fit. Beyond making us feel kind of crappy, the advertisements don't give viewers any idea of how the clothes will actually look on them.
This unretouched activewear photo shoot from RunwayRiot changes all that. (Admittedly, some of the clothes are more fashion-forward than what people typically wear to the gym.) The photos celebrate confidence and diversity, reminding us that being healthy is about attitude, not body type. And more important than the models’ bodies is the fact that these women (including Aerie model Iskra Lawrence) have united to challenge current beauty standards.
Check out a teaser of the kick-ass photos below:
Yesterday I saw the most amazing thing. A couple of women were riding their bikes in shorts and neon sports bras. And one of them had a big ol' belly hanging out. Not a Hollywood-ready tabloid-sexy pregnant belly, but rather a regular, made-of-skin-and-chub, flabby lady-belly. She was smiling and sweating and generally looked like she was having the ride of her life, and I wanted to jump up and down and wave and shout something joyous to her like, "Yay!" or "Nice confidence!" I didn't. But I kind of fell in love with her a little bit.
How many times have you not worn something that you loved or that was more comfortable in hot weather because you thought it made you look fat or showed too much of a "gross" body part—or whatever? Yeah, me too.
But life's too f*cking short, people. And it's never clearer than during a week like this—all of us grieving, even if we didn't know the people who were lost in this latest act of terror. It seemed wrong to me at first to even talk about something as seemingly "surface" or "shallow" as looks and body shape today. It reminded me a little bit of how I felt going back to work at the Glamour offices in Manhattan after September 11. I mean, why—right?
But here's the why for me today: That lady I saw, the one with the neon sports bra and the belly, was living. She was feeling joy, and she made me feel joy. Body worries, weight concerns, disordered eating, and full-blown eating and body image disorders sap too much joy out of life for far too many.
People are freaked out and sad right now—and in my experience, body-image and eating issues surge in times of stress. (Research also shows that anxiety, stress, and depression are correlated with body-image disturbance and disordered eating behaviors, such as emotional overeating and restricting.) So if you find yourself feeling more preoccupied with food or your looks recently, it could be a sign of some underlying, unresolved issues.
If you feel this way, don't ignore it. Answer a few simple multiple-choice questions—click on your state, then the name of any of the mental health centers, and you'll be put through to a free online screening. And if you do turn out to be "at risk," go here next to find some (local, sliding scale, free, etc.) help. You don't even have to talk on the phone; the National Eating Disorders Association folks have an online chat feature now.
You deserve to live happy, healthy, and free. Sometimes it just takes a little help getting there.
Sunny Sea Gold is Greatist's body image columnist and the author of Food: The Good Girl's Drug—How to Stop Using Food to Control Your Feelings (Berkley Books, 2011). The views expressed herein are hers. A health journalist by trade and training and a mom of two little girls, she's also an advocate and educator focused on reducing the rates childhood obesity and eating disorders by building Body-Positive Families. Reach out to her @sunnyseagold.
We shiver through the winter months dreaming about a day at the beach. But when the weather finally turns sunny and we pull out a bathing suit, our excitement is instantly replaced by a flood of insecurities.
Lesley Miller knows just how that feels. She's struggled with her weight her whole life—buying her first bikini at 21—and is sharing her powerful message of self-love and acceptance (and a photo where she's rocking the bikini) on the Facebook page Love What Matters. "I told myself that one day I would finally let myself be seen," Miller writes. "I would finally do all of the things I dreamed of when I was enough. Thin enough, happy enough, confident enough."
Check out her full post below:
I've spent the past 18 years of my life waiting.
I kept my body covered up and hidden away. I told myself that one day I would finally let myself be seen; I would finally do all of the things I dreamed of when I was enough. Thin enough, happy enough, confident enough. When my body looked the way that it was "supposed" to.
I fought my body every step of the way, continually ashamed and silent.
When I was 3, my classmates asked why I was so much bigger than them. Why I didn't wear the same smock they did.
When I was 7, I lied to the lady at Weight Watchers, desperate to sit in on meetings full of middle-aged women trying to shed a few pounds.
When I was 9, I went to weight loss camp and stood in line the first week to take my "before" photo.
When I was 11, the surgeon cut into my stomach, and he told me how happy I would finally be. I was the youngest person to have weight loss surgery.
When I was 15, I started cutting into my own skin. I thought I deserved it.
When I was 20, I lost half my body weight in nine months, my worth for the day solely determined by the number on the scale being lower than the day before.
And then I got tired of waiting.
So now I'm 21 and I bought my first bikini. EVER.
You can see it all. Weird bulges and rolls of fat. Hanging excess skin. Stretch marks, cellulite, surgical and self-harm scars. Awkward protrusion on my abdomen from my lap band.
I want to learn to love all of myself, not just the parts I've been told are "acceptable." Because the secret is, I was always enough. And you are too.
Society is slowly acknowledging that mental illness is a real issue—one in five people deals with a disorder in any given year. That helps lessen the stigma, but 60 percent of people with mental health problems don't get treatment. There are plenty of potential reasons: Maybe there aren't many therapists in your area. Maybe the ones that are available don't take your insurance. Maybe you don't have insurance, so you'll be paying out of pocket.
Or maybe you can't book an appointment because you aren't white and wealthy. That's the troubling discovery from a recent study in The Journal of Health and Social Behavior. Researchers found working-class black men needed to call 80 therapists to get an appointment, while middle-class white women would only have to call five. Scientists had actors leave voice mails for psychologists and psychiatrists where they said they were depressed and anxious. The messages generally included the same script but had different accents and vocabulary to suggest a specific race or income level.
Unfortunately, this bias among therapists isn't new. In previous research, the ideal patient has been given the acronym YAVIS (young, attractive, verbal, intelligent, and successful). There are no quick fixes for systemic discrimination among therapists, but this article in The Atlantic does a great job of explaining the issues and the possible solutions.
