May
27
2012

Skinny Jeans May Cause Nerve Damage

Suffering for Fashion

Skinny Jeans May Cause Nerve Damage

Although I personally could have done without coloured jeans springing back into fashion, they are a better alternative to skinny jeans. Assuming you were one of the rare creatures able to wear skintight denim, you should probably relegate them to the Goodwill bag right this minute. 

Not only are skinnies so 2010, doctors are now warning that too-tight jeans can be bad for your health, to boot. According to ABC2News, wearing pants that tight can cause a type of permanent nerve damage known as meralgia paraesthetica.

It’s a disorder that occurs when one of the nerves that runs in the outer part of a thigh gets compressed,” says Greater Baltimore Medical Center physician, Karen Boyle. “The pressure on it causes symptoms of tingling, numbness and pain in the outer part of the thigh.”

When paired with stilettos, which tilt the axis of the pelvis, the look becomes seriously hazardous. The good news for those who still want to rock the skinny look? Simply sub your skinnies for jeggings or jeans made with a stretchy fabric. 

And women aren't the only ones who fall victim to fashion's whims. Men who don pipe jeans can also suffer—not from a lowered sperm count, as the myth goes—but from pain and numbness in the outer thigh. 
 
This yummy says good riddance to skinny jeans. A trend, it has to be said, that flattered few figures. In any case, I could never get them past my thighs!
 
Will you miss the skinnies? Have you ever suffered for fashion? Spill it.
May
27
2012

Wackiest Baby Names of 2011

Prepare to Laugh

Wackiest Baby Names of 2011

The baby naming process has become increasingly complex over recent years. No longer is it a case of choosing between classic names like James, Mary or that of a cherished relative, there are thousands of sites to consult, advisers to hire. And nothing throws a spanner between mom- and-dad-to-be like having to agree on what to call their newborn.

My husband and I were no exception. Though we disagreed on virtually every name, the laughs we had throughout the selection process diffused most of the tension. We extended the mirth by leading relatives to believe that we planned to name our firstborn son Gonzo, or worse yet, as a nod to my husband's heritage, some unpronounceable Gaelic name. 

As it turns out, Gonzo was just the tip of the weird iceberg. The folks at Nameberry went and compiled the hundred wackiest from the U.S. last year. Who knows what these parents were thinking, suffice to say they will no doubt suffer from some serious baby name remorse.

We're talking weird—from the 'future troublemakers' Capone and Juvenal, to mother nature's son, Cougar, Fox, and Bear. Not to mention the badasses, Tank and Notorious, Marvellous, Famous, and Tupac. 

For cultural trends, it's Mad Men all the way, with six Draper kids released into the world. Homage to the late Dirty Dancer, Swayze. And Elvis is back (if he ever went away), as are the corresponding names Graceland, Presley, and Memphis.

The Royal wedding appears to have left its mark, as the absurdly conjoined Princewilliam, Princemichael, and Sircharles will attest.

While the calendar has historically provided baby name inspiration (April, June), it saw some new twists, including Tomorrow, Evening, and Future.

My personal faves: Moo. And lest we forget the northerly neighbours, at least 14 girls last year were named none other than Eh.

Oh, and intoxicants featured, too: Tequila, Chardonnay, and (I kid you not) Abeer.

So there you have it, your Monday morning giggle, courtesy of YMC. Now, quid pro quo. What's the most ridiculous baby name you've ever heard? 

May
25
2012

Caesarean Births Linked to Child Obesity

A Gut Feeling

Caesarean Births Linked to Child Obesity

C-sections are getting a bad rep lately. First there was the reported link between Caesarean deliveries subsequent childhood asthma and allergic rhinitis. Now, research published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood makes the hefty claim that C-sections may double the risk of childhood obesity.

Big news, considering that around one in three babies are born this way in the US, with similar figures here in Canada.

The study followed 1,255 mothers and babies in eastern Massachusetts maternity wards between 1999 and 2002. The babies were weighed at birth, at six months, and then again at the age three, when an infant body fat (skinfold thickness) measurement was taken.
 
Out of the 1,255 deliveries, around one in four (22.6 percent) were delivered by Caesarean, and those babies tended to weigh more than those delivered vaginally, and irrespective of birth weight and maternal weight, those babies had higher BMIs and skinfold measurements by the age of three.
 
A possible explanation for this, according to researchers, is the "difference in the composition of gut bacteria acquired at birth between the two delivery methods." Apparently babies born by C-section have more Firmicutes bacteria and fewer Bacteroides bacteria in their guts. (Obese people have higher levels of Firmicutes bacteria.) It is believed that gut bacteria influences insulin resistance, inflammation, and fat deposits.
 
Another good reason to avoid elective, non-emergency Caesarean sections. Are you listening, Britney, et al?