Health has become fetishised on social media by ‘fitspiration’ devotees posting pictures of ‘clean’ food and gym-tight abs. But does the trend inspire better living – or is it promoting a new form of body fascism?Last week, after a cancer benefit honouring her doctor friend, the singer Pink shut down critics who said she had gained weight with a tweet declaring that she felt beautiful and secure. It was a rare moment: a celebrity openly acknowledging the trolls, straight from her phone, then choosing to ignore them and look after her “healthy, voluptuous and crazy strong body” instead.Pink’s mainstream use of the word “strong” is worth noting; the mantra “strong is the new skinny” has been gaining currency online among female gym devotees for
Tag: health
Melanoma drug keeping patients alive, signals ‘significant time’ in cancer research
A new melanoma drug that tricks the body into destroying cancer cells is keeping patients alive for years longer than expected, with some researchers calling the breakthrough in immunotherapy a “penicillin moment” in cancer treatments.
New bowel cancer screening ‘could save 90,000 lives over 40 years’
A new bowel cancer screening program has the potential to save the lives of 90,000 Australians over the next four decades, new research shows.
Down syndrome could be treated in womb with concentrated antioxidants pill: researchers
Researchers in America hope to improve the quality of life of children with Down syndrome by treating them with a drug compound derived from leafy vegetables and citrus fruits before they are born.
National strategy aims to address rise in allergic diseases
The rise in the number of people with allergies in Australia prompts a new national strategy to help address the problem.
Hobart artist and pathologist discover diseases through art
Bones, bladder stones, and body parts are the subject of a collaboration between an artist and a pathologist on display in Hobart.
A collection of images from Lauren Black and Dr Sorrel Standish-White have found diseases through art
A collection of images from Lauren Black and Dr Sorrel Standish-White have found diseases through art
Human trials begin on new HIV treatment using cloned human antibodies
Australian researchers and people with HIV welcome a new treatment that uses cloned human antibodies to fight the virus.
Volunteers recruited to trial treatment to Hendra virus
A human trial of a treatment for the potentially deadly Hendra virus is about to begin in Brisbane.
French Ban on Too-Skinny Models Passes
How many more fashion model deaths will it take before America passes legislation to ensure healthy-sized runway walkers?
Lost and Found
Yesterday, I took my daughter to church for the first time to see (or rather to sleep through) her sweet friend’s baptism. At the party afterwards I found myself choking back tears as I watched family friends parading Marjorie around. We were out of the house and doing something normal. I was finally able to […]