Wellbeing
Health taboos
Are we dieting less or lying about our diets more?
Katy Waldman In this age of health, purity, and clean living, no one wants to admit to being on a diet.
Dream Weaver
Can an app help you reach nirvana?
Katy Waldman This might just be the tech boost spiritual slackers are lacking.
Dear lovely scientists...
7-year old Aussie girl asks scientists to make her a dragon
Effie Mann "I would like it if you could but if you can't that's fine," she writes to CSIRO.
Sleep better
Can't sleep? Blame your screen time
Sleeping with your phone and watching TV before bed might be staving off sleep, new study finds.
Healthy vows
New Year's resolutions everyone should make
NICOLE ELPHICK Vows to start the year on a bright and positive note.
Going viral
Girl Instagrams her journey from anorexic to good health
Molly Mchugh One of the first pictures Erikkson ever posted is of a hospital bed. She was admitted 15 months ago, for anorexia — and she used Instagram to document the entire thing
Calm in a can
Can you find calm in a can?
Paula Goodyer Herbal fizzy drinks that claim to help with relaxation and sleep are gaining fans.
How old are you really?
How old are you really?
Kate Marie and Professor Merlin Christopher Thomas Assessing your biological age.
Straight talking
Things no one will tell fat girls... so I will
Jes Baker Jes Baker is a 26-year-old mental health professional who writes about self-acceptance via her blog The Militant Baker. Here, she shares her body-positive message, challenging the "fat girl" stereotype, in the hope of inspiring self-belief.
The skin you're in
Skin conditions can leave emotional scars too
Linda McSweeny Acne and psoriasis have been linked to depression and anxiety.
Holiday health
6 ways to have a happier holiday
Lin Taylor Holidays need not be hard work. Here's how to enjoy yourself before, during and after your break.
Body image project
'What autocomplete will tell you about fat hate and why it needs to stop'
EFFIE MANN Blogger Jes Baker channels her frustrations at Google autocomplete searches into a powerful new project.
Health trends
The health stories we read this year
Clifford Fram From Angelina Jolie’s double mastectomy to world-leading research, we reflect on the year that was.
Vitamin value
Have we over-estimated Vitamin D's powers?
Makiko Kitamura Vitamin D shows no benefit in fighting cancer or heart disease, study says.
Anorexia memoirs
Should we stop reading anorexia memoirs?
LAUREN SMELCHER SAMS One author – and former anorexic – says they often do more harm than good.
Can't Sleep?
Suffering from Sunday night insomnia?
Brigid Delaney It's time to stop worrying about the week ahead and rethink your sleep habits.
Body image
Powerful video shows people with disabilities reacting to mannequins created in their image
Because beauty, and people, come in all shapes and sizes.
Birth control
Male contraceptive pilll on the horizon?
Keeping sperm from being ejaculated may provide the key to creating a birth control drug for men.
Baby making
Women aren't the only ones responsible for making healthy babies
Jessica Grose We barely ever mention how male behavior can affect sperm quality.
Real life
What it's like to suffer from body dysmorphic disorder
Melissa Davey "I don’t go outside, I’m an ugly duckling. What’s the point of living?"
The happy diet
Are slim people happier?
Dr George Blair-West The important link between life meaning and weight loss.
Family fears
Where do phobias come from?
Richard Gray They could be memories passed down in genes from ancestors.
Positive periods
9 things every woman should know about her period
Anea Bogue Breaking the long-standing and deeply-rooted taboo around the subject of menstruation.
Desk threats
The perils of a stand-up desk
Sydney Trent Standing up at your desk may energize you, but it's also tough on your legs.
The price of speaking my mind
Jacinta Tynan Jacinta Tynan learnt the hard way that there are consequences to being candid.
Happily single
The joy of being divorced
Dianne Blacklock After years of marriage and child-rearing, author Dianne Blacklock finds herself smugly single.
Size acceptance
Who would have thought a toilet sign would make us so happy?
Effie Mann Take a look at the ladies loos at Jacksonville International Airport.
Taming nausea
Have you experienced nausea?
Kendall Powell New research focuses on finding ways to tame nausea.
No princess toys
3 girls find kickass way to play with princess toys
Annie Colbert Keep your pretty pink toys, because these girls don't need them.
Katy Perry
Burlesque dancer turns Katy Perry's 'Roar' into a body image anthem
EFFIE MANN You will see skin and you will see all her passion, and it will be awesome.
Colonel Meow
Internet rallies for sick Colonel Meow
Annie Colbert World domination must wait — Colonel Meow is sick.
'You're Not A Princess' school ad campaign goes viral
Kurt Wagner The Mercy Academy, an all-girls preparatory school in Louisville, Kentucky, is making waves nationally for its ad campaign telling young girls "You're Not A Princess," and encouraging them to "Prepare for real life."
Labiaplasty surgery on the rise in Australia but a backlash looms
There is no such thing as perfect-looking labia. Full stop. So why are women feeling pressured into undertaking unnecessary surgery? Fortunately, there are signs of a backlash against the disturbing trend for a "designer vagina", writes Melissa Jacob.
Rare albino kangaroo found outside of Canberra is a magical creature
HAMISH BOLAND-RUDDER Lazing in the middle of a kangaroo mob just a half hour drive from city suburbs is a truly incredible tale of survival, rarely seen in the animal kingdom: an albino kangaroo that has survived beyond its childhood.
Get active
You really need to get moving
Linda McSweeny The evidence keeps mounting - even if you jog, swim or go to the gym, sitting for long periods can kill you, writes Linda McSweeny.
Gender study
Do women worry more than men?
MEX COOPER Gender does not influence what people worry about as much as other characteristics, a new survey has found.
Alternative remedies
Do alternative medicines really work?
Paul Offit Alternative remedies have been part of scientific medicine for centuries, but which ones should we be taking?
Health Obsessed
Can you be too healthy?
Susie Burrell If you obsess over diet and exercise you could be suffering from orthorexia, writes nutritionist Susie Burrell.
Positive thinking
Is positive thinking wasted on the brain?
SARAH BERRY Those who seemingly "have it all" remain unsatisfied.
Contraceptive dangers
When birth control pills become dangerous
KASEY EDWARDS One author on how taking oral contraceptives left her suffering bouts of anxiety and paranoia.
Do married people live longer?
Brian Palmer Studies suggest life partners live longer, are happier... and fatter.
Meditation
You need to know how to meditate
Amy Molloy You don't have to sit cross-legged or close your eyes - all you need is an open mind and a few minutes each day.
Women's fertility
Does My Cervix Look Weird To You?
Effie Mann The Beautiful Cervix Project celebrates intimate and unique selfies.
Me time: not trivial
Why 'me time' isn't trivial
Damon Young Jane Austen spent hers writing Pride and Prejudice.
Naked truth
Body satisfaction is not out of reach
SARAH BERRY Few women are satisfied with their appearance.
Chocolate healthy?
Is chocolate really that good for you?
Paula Goodyer Pro-chocolate headlines don't tell the full story
Health myths
The five biggest health myths
SARAH BERRY According to Michael Mosley, arguably the most famous human-health guinea pig on the planet.
Live well
Healthy living could actually slow down ageing
Nick Collins New study shows patients who adopted healthy diets, exercise regimes and ‘‘stress management’’ techniques developed chromosomes that appeared similar to those of a younger person.
Foods to avoid
The 10 foods nutritionists won't eat
Susie Burrell Some foods offer so little nutritionally that nutritionists would rather not eat them at all.
Michelle Bridges' gourmet sandwich
Michelle Bridges Celeriac coleslaw and rare roast beef sandwichRoast beef and celeriac is a fantastic flavour combination!
Rise and shine
The secret to a good night's sleep
Evelyn Lewin Having trouble sleeping? Forget pills and counting sheep, there's an easier way and it works like a dream.
Book guilt
The sad realisation that you've stopped reading books
JOSEPHINE TOVEY The easy-to-consume Internet is proving a powerful opponent to the book.
Music: good for you
Listening to music is good for your health
Laura Donnelly Listening to music has long been seen as a remedy for heartbreak, but now a study has found that it can, in fact, strengthen the heart and improve vascular health.
Early risers win
Why getting up early is good for you
Melissa Shedden Recent international studies have revealed late risers tend to be hungrier and fatter than morning people, suffer from poorer memory and more pain, may be extroverted and have sex more often.
Going viral
Check out this excellent short film about smartphone addiction
SIMONE MITCHELL Oh boy. This resonates. In a fairly uncomfortable way.
Midwife-led care
The results of the major midwife review
AMY CORDEROY Women who give birth under the primary care of a midwife are more likely to have full-term births and fewer medical interventions.
Gwyneth's regime
Gwyneth's guide to being a picture of good health
Compiled by Rachael Dove and Simone Mitchell "I often smoke a cigarette on a Saturday". Wait, what?
Sydney team develop new cancer drug
NICKY PHILLIPS Sydney researchers have developed a new class of cancer drugs, the first to target the internal structure of tumour cells.
