Search

"I choose to focus on a good memory": Jelena Dokic confirms her father's death

<p>Australian tennis icon Jelena Dokic has shared the deeply personal and painful news of her estranged father Damir Dokic’s passing. He died in the late hours of Friday May 16, the 42-year-old revealed in an emotional Instagram post.</p> <p>Known as one of Australia’s brightest tennis talents, Dokic has also been widely respected for her courage in publicly confronting and sharing the trauma of her past, particularly the abusive relationship she endured with her father throughout much of her life.</p> <p>“As you know my relationship with my father has been difficult and painful with a lot of history,” she wrote alongside a photo of herself as a child, smiling beside her father. “Despite everything and no matter how hard, difficult and in the last 10 years even non-existent our relationship and communication was, it is never easy losing a parent and a father — even one you are estranged from.”</p> <p>Describing her grief as “difficult and complicated”, Dokic said his passing marked the end of a long and painful chapter in her life. “I choose to focus on a good memory like this picture,” she said.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ6J4k8JiW4/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ6J4k8JiW4/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by JELENA DOKIC 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺 (@dokic_jelena)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Damir Dokic, a former coach and controversial figure in the tennis world, was notorious for his volatile behaviour during Jelena’s playing career. He was eventually banned from the WTA Tour and later made headlines in 2009 when he was jailed after threatening to blow up the Australian ambassador to Belgrade.</p> <p>Jelena has been open about the physical and emotional abuse she suffered at his hands – revelations that shocked the tennis community and drew global attention. In a recent documentary aired earlier this year, the former world No.4 and Wimbledon semi-finallist spoke with heartbreaking honesty about the violence she endured as a teenager.</p> <p>“I remember he was so mad that he goes into the bathroom with me, locks the door, and he beat the crap out of me,” she recalled. “He slammed my head against the wall multiple times. He was kicking me. My shins were so bruised, I couldn’t walk... He actually punches me in the head. And then I went unconscious for a little bit. He also stepped on my head as well.”</p> <p>As the tennis world reacts with compassion and sadness, Jelena Dokic’s bravery continues to inspire many – not only as a former champion on the court, but as a powerful voice off it.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

Aussie bank says good news on the way for homeowners

<p>Bendigo Bank is forecasting four interest rate cuts from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), including one later this month, following the release of key inflation figures that show underlying inflation has returned to the central bank’s target range for the first time in over three years.</p> <p>According to Bendigo Bank’s chief economist David Robertson, the RBA is expected to pivot from its primary focus on inflation to broader economic concerns such as employment and growth. “The RBA has been dealing with global inflation shock for three years, but its concerns are quickly moving from price stability and inflation to protecting growth and jobs,” Robertson said.</p> <p>The RBA's preferred measure of underlying inflation, the trimmed mean, fell from 3.3% to 2.9%, marking a return to the target range of 2–3% for the first time since December 2021. Headline inflation held steady at 2.4%.</p> <p>Robertson said the new inflation data sets the stage for a rate cut on May 20, with the only remaining uncertainty being the size of the cut. “The next cut is almost certain for May 20, but of what magnitude?” he said, suggesting a 35 basis point reduction was more likely than a larger move. “A larger 50 basis point cut in May is most unlikely unless markets become dislocated like in the GFC.”</p> <p>Bendigo Bank is forecasting a total of four rate cuts, including the expected May move, bringing the cash rate down to approximately 3.1% by the end of the year. Market analysts are even more aggressive, pricing in five cuts that could take the rate to around 2.8%.</p> <p>Despite the improved inflation outlook, global economic headwinds remain a significant concern. Robertson pointed to ongoing market volatility driven by US President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs and uncertainty surrounding global trade flows. “Equity markets have been clawing back some of their losses but there are still difficult times ahead,” he said. “Tariffs are generally bad for everyone but especially problematic for the country imposing them.”</p> <p>The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised global growth projections in light of the economic tensions, cutting its forecast for US GDP growth from 2.7% to 1.8% and China’s from 4.6% to 4%. Australia, too, has felt the impact, with the IMF reducing its 2025 growth estimate from 2.1% to 1.6%. Bendigo Bank has adjusted its own forecast accordingly, downgrading Australia’s expected growth to 2%.</p> <p>With inflation easing and global pressures mounting, the RBA appears poised to shift gears from restraint to support. “The environment is changing quickly,” said Robertson. “It’s time for the RBA to support the broader economy again.”</p> <p><em>Image: Bendigo Bank</em></p>

Money & Banking

Cricket world in mourning after passing of Ashes legend

<p>Vale, Keith Stackpole. Australia is in mourning following the passing of the Test cricket great and revered broadcaster, who has died at the age of 84.</p> <p>A giant of the game both on and off the field, Stackpole leaves behind a remarkable legacy as a celebrated Test batter and beloved media figure. A proud Victorian, he represented Australia in 43 Test matches between 1966 and 1974, amassing 2801 runs, including seven centuries. His highest score – an unforgettable 207 against England in Brisbane in 1970 – remains etched in Ashes history.</p> <p>Stackpole made his Test debut in Adelaide in 1966 and went on to play alongside some of the greatest names in Australian cricket, including Ian Chappell and Dennis Lillee. He served as vice-captain and was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1973 – a testament to his skill and leadership.</p> <p>His final Test appearance came in 1974 against New Zealand, where he bowed out with a pair of ducks – a humbling end to a storied career. Not long after, a back injury forced his retirement from the sport, but it was far from the end of his involvement with the game.</p> <p>Stackpole seamlessly transitioned into the media world, becoming a cornerstone of Australian cricket commentary. He was part of Kerry Packer’s groundbreaking World Series Cricket and continued to share his deep knowledge of the game through radio and print, including a long-running newspaper column in Melbourne. His honest insights and affable presence made him a household name beyond the boundary ropes.</p> <p>In 1974, Stackpole was awarded an MBE for his services to cricket – a fitting recognition of his contributions to the sport and to Australian culture.</p> <p>Tributes have poured in from across the cricketing and media worlds. Channel 7 presenter Jim Wilson shared his heartfelt condolences:</p> <p>“Very sad news, loved our catchups and his advice over a coffee and a sanga,” Wilson said. “Always generous with his time, called it the way it was and all our thoughts with Stacky’s family. Vale Keith Stackpole.”</p> <p><em>Herald Sun</em> journalist Glenn McFarlane also expressed his sorrow: “Incredibly saddened to hear of the passing of the great Keith Stackpole. He was the voice of my childhood on TV and radio, then I was privileged to be one of Stacky’s ‘ghost’ writers for a number of years. Great cricketer; and an absolute gentleman! Condolences to his family.”</p> <p>Stackpole is survived by his wife Pat and children Peter, Tony and Angela.</p> <p><em>Images: News.com.au / 3AW</em></p>

Caring

Good news for beach lovers

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p>Picture this: you’re lounging on a beautiful beach, soaking up the sun and listening to the soothing sound of the waves. You run your hands through the warm sand, only to find a cigarette butt. Gross, right?</p> <p>This disturbing scene is typical of coastal pollution in Australia. But fortunately <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X25003261">our new research</a> shows the problem is getting better, not worse. Over the past ten years, the amount of waste across Australian coastal cities has reduced by almost 40%. We’re also finding more places with no rubbish at all.</p> <p>We surveyed for debris in and around six Australian urban areas between 2022 and 2024. Then we compared our results to previous surveys carried out a decade ago. We found less coastal pollution overall and reset a new baseline for further research.</p> <p>Our study shows efforts to clean up Australia’s beaches have been working. These policies, practices and outreach campaigns have reduced the extent of pollution in coastal habitats near urban centres. But we can’t become complacent. There’s plenty of work still to be done.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/658227/original/file-20250328-62-jmuk08.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/658227/original/file-20250328-62-jmuk08.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/658227/original/file-20250328-62-jmuk08.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/658227/original/file-20250328-62-jmuk08.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/658227/original/file-20250328-62-jmuk08.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/658227/original/file-20250328-62-jmuk08.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/658227/original/file-20250328-62-jmuk08.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/658227/original/file-20250328-62-jmuk08.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A beautiful sandy beach, as seen from the cliff top." /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">One of the many beaches surveyed by CSIRO.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">TJ Lawson</span></span></figcaption></figure> <h2>What we did</h2> <p>In Australia, three-quarters of the rubbish on our coasts is <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fee.1447">plastic</a>. Even cigarette butts are mainly made of plastic.</p> <p>To tackle the pollution effectively, we need to understand where the waste is coming from and how it gets into the environment.</p> <p>Research has shown much of the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/srep44479">coastal debris</a> comes from local inland areas. Poor waste management practices can result in debris eventually making its way <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms15611">through rivers</a> to the coast and <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1260352">out to sea</a>.</p> <p>We focused on urban areas because high population density and industrial activity contributes to waste in the environment. We examined six areas across Australia:</p> <ul> <li>Perth in Western Australia</li> <li>Port Augusta in South Australia</li> <li>Hobart in Tasmania</li> <li>Newcastle in New South Wales</li> <li>Sunshine Coast in Queensland</li> <li>Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.</li> </ul> <p>These places represent a starting point for the national baseline. At each location we studied sites on the coast, along rivers and inland, within a 100 kilometre radius.</p> <p>We inspected strips of land 2m wide. This involved two trained scientists standing in an upright position looking downward, slowly walking along a line surveying for debris items. Together they captured information about every piece of debris they came across, including the type of material and what it was originally used for (where possible).</p> <h2>What we found</h2> <p>On average, we found 0.15 items of debris per square metre of land surveyed. That’s roughly one piece of rubbish every five steps.</p> <p>Plastic was the most common type of waste. But in many cases it was unclear what the item was originally used for. For example, fragments of hard plastic of unknown origin were found in a quarter of all surveyed areas.</p> <p>Polystyrene fragments were the most common item overall (24% of all debris fragments). Other frequently encountered items included food wrappers or labels, cigarette butts, and hard plastic bottle caps or lids.</p> <p>We found more waste near farms, industry and disadvantaged areas.</p> <p>The types of waste varied among cities. For example, cigarette butts were the most prevalent items in Newcastle, Perth and the Sunshine Coast. But food wrappers and beverage cans were more prevalent in Port Augusta and Alice Springs, respectively.</p> <p>Hobart had the highest occurrence of beverage bottles and bottle fragments.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/659486/original/file-20250403-56-enmjio.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/659486/original/file-20250403-56-enmjio.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/659486/original/file-20250403-56-enmjio.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/659486/original/file-20250403-56-enmjio.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/659486/original/file-20250403-56-enmjio.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/659486/original/file-20250403-56-enmjio.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=533&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/659486/original/file-20250403-56-enmjio.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=533&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/659486/original/file-20250403-56-enmjio.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=533&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Map of Australia showing the cities surveyed and their most prevalent waste item." /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">The most common type of waste varied among cities.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">CSIRO</span></span></figcaption></figure> <h2>Targeting problem items</h2> <p>Identifying the different types of litter in the environment can help policymakers and waste managers target specific items and improve waste recovery.</p> <p>Research has shown container deposit legislation, which enables people to take eligible beverage containers to a collection point for a refund, has reduced the number of beverage containers in the coastal environment by <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X17305377">40%</a>. Hobart did not have a container deposit scheme in place at the time of our survey.</p> <p>Plastic bag bans can reduce <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31109543/">bag litter</a>. Now polystyrene food service items are becoming increasingly targeted by <a href="https://digital.detritusjournal.com/articles/policy-instruments-to-reduce-consumption-of-expanded-polystyrene-food-service-ware-in-the-usa/284">policymakers</a>.</p> <figure class="align-right zoomable"></figure> <h2>Making progress</h2> <p>When we compared our results to the <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/fee.1447">previous survey</a> from 2011-14 we found a 39% decrease in coastal debris. We also found 16% more areas where no debris was present.</p> <p>Our results <a href="https://theconversation.com/local-efforts-have-cut-plastic-waste-on-australias-beaches-by-almost-30-in-6-years-184243">support previous research</a> that found an ongoing trend towards less waste on Australian beaches.</p> <p>We think our research demonstrates the effectiveness of improved waste management policies, campaigns such as the “Five R’s – Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, then Recycle” – as well as clean-up efforts.</p> <p>It’s likely that increased awareness is making a big dent in the problem. But reducing the production of plastic, and invoking changes further up the supply chain, would likely further help reduce mismanaged waste in the environment.</p> <h2>Implications for the future</h2> <p>Measuring and monitoring litter can inform policymaking and waste management. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X25003261">Our research</a> serves as a benchmark for evaluating and informing future efforts to reduce plastic waste.</p> <p>We are heartened by the findings. But continued effort is needed from people across government, industry and Australian communities. Everyone needs to address how we produce, use and dispose of plastic for a cleaner and healthier planet. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/253221/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephanie-brodie-1492706">Stephanie Brodie</a>, Research Scientist in Marine Ecology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/csiro-1035">CSIRO</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/britta-denise-hardesty-2907">Britta Denise Hardesty</a>, Senior Principal Research Scientist, Environment, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/csiro-1035">CSIRO</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/good-news-beach-lovers-our-research-found-39-less-plastic-waste-around-australian-coastal-cities-than-a-decade-ago-253221">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p> </div>

Domestic Travel

Cricket world mourns passing of Ashes legend

<p>Peter Lever, the former England fast bowler and a key member of the victorious 1970-71 Ashes side, has passed away at the age of 84. His former county, Lancashire, confirmed the news on Thursday.</p> <p>“We are deeply saddened by the news that Peter Lever has passed away, aged 84,” Lancashire posted on X. “Peter was inducted into our Hall of Fame last year after playing 301 First-Class matches between 1960 and 1976 — taking 796 wickets. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.”</p> <p>Lever played 17 Test matches and 10 One-Day Internationals for England, including the famous inaugural One Day International in 1971. Known for his aggressive pace and sharp movement, he left a lasting impact on the game.</p> <p>His England career began in 1970 against a Rest of the World XI at The Oval, where he took an impressive 7-83, dismissing cricketing greats such as Garry Sobers, Mushtaq Mohammad, Graeme Pollock, Clive Lloyd and Mike Procter. Although the match was later stripped of its Test status, his performance earned him an official England debut later that year in the Ashes series opener in Perth.</p> <p>Lever played a crucial role in England's 1970-71 Ashes triumph, which remains the last time Australia was whitewashed at home. He returned to Australia in 1975 and delivered a career-best performance, taking 6-38 in Melbourne. On the first day of that Test, he dismissed four of Australia’s top five batsmen for just two runs. Despite England securing an innings victory in that match, it was their only win in the six-Test series.</p> <p>However, one of the most defining moments of Lever's career came in 1975 during a Test match against New Zealand in Auckland. A bouncer he bowled struck debutant Ewen Chatfield on the unprotected left temple, causing him to collapse on the pitch. Chatfield's heart stopped, leading to fears that he had died, but he was revived through CPR by England physiotherapist Bernard Thomas. The traumatic incident deeply affected Lever, who later admitted that he contemplated retirement.</p> <p>Lever played only one more Test match after that, featuring in the second Ashes Test at Lord’s in 1975, where he took two wickets in a drawn game. He retired from first-class cricket the following year, concluding a distinguished career with Lancashire.</p> <p>Peter Lever will be remembered as a fierce competitor and a dedicated servant of English cricket. His contributions to the sport, particularly his role in England’s historic Ashes win, ensure his legacy will endure.</p> <p><em>Images: Daily Mail UK</em></p>

Caring

Tennis legends immortalised with special honour

<p>Tennis legends and grand slam champions Ash Barty and Evonne Goolagong Cawley have bene immortalised as one-of-a-king Barbie dolls in honour of International Women's Day. </p> <p>The tennis duo were recognised together by Mattel's celebration of "the power of friendship".</p> <p>Barty opened up about the surreal experience, saying, "I think my first reaction was almost disbelief. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would be a Barbie myself. I think it's just such an incredible experience to be a part of."</p> <p>Barty's doll wears a replica of the outfit she wore while winning at the 2021 Wimbledon, while Goolagong Cawley's Barbie is wearing the skirt and shirt combination she wore to award Barty with her trophy.</p> <p>Goolagong Cawley confessed: "It's just absolutely amazing. I just love it; I can't believe it's happened."</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DGxAMpxBTCB/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DGxAMpxBTCB/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Ash Barty (@ashbarty)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The women became friends in 2011 after first meeting at the Junior Wimbledon, as Barty recalled of their first meeting: "There were so many similarities and just such easy conversation. Obviously there were so many things that we could relate to with each other in tennis, but also in life. It was just that connection straight away, without a doubt."</p> <p>Goolagong Cawley opened up about the early days of their friendship, and said: "We understood each other perfectly, I think. And we never talked about tennis. Ever. I was more concerned with her wellbeing ... I just want her to be happy, and she makes me happy."</p> <p>Mattel senior vice president of Barbie and global head of dolls said of the collaboration, "One of the greatest tools that a girl can have is the support and encouragement of her peers."</p> <p>"As we approach International Women's Day, Barbie is proud to honour legendary female friendship duos across different backgrounds, professions, and parts of the world."</p> <p>"We know firsthand that friendships formed at a young age can help fuel social and professional growth, setting girls up for limitless possibilities."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram/ Barbie - Mattel</em></p>

Beauty & Style

Are eggs good or bad for our health?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lauren-ball-14718">Lauren Ball</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/karly-bartrim-2317677">Karly Bartrim</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p>You might have heard that eating too many eggs will cause high cholesterol levels, leading to poor health.</p> <p>Researchers have examined the science behind this myth <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11161868/">again</a>, and <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7400894/">again</a>, and <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10304460/">again</a> – largely debunking the claim.</p> <p>A <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/2/323">new study</a> suggests that, among older adults, eating eggs supports heart health and even reduces the risk of premature death.</p> <p>Let’s unpack the details.</p> <h2>What was the study?</h2> <p>Researchers examined data from a large, ongoing study that is following older adults and tracking their health (the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/48/4/1048/5280817">ASPREE study</a>).</p> <p>In their analysis of more than 8,000 people, they examined the foods people usually eat and then looked at how many participants died over a six-year period and from what causes, using medical records and official reports.</p> <p>Researchers collected information on their diet through a food questionnaire, which included a question about how frequently participants ate eggs in the past year:</p> <ul> <li>never/infrequently (rarely or never, 1–2 times per month)</li> <li>weekly (1–6 times per week)</li> <li>daily (daily or several times per day).</li> </ul> <p>Overall, people who consumed eggs 1–6 times per week had the lowest risk of death during the study period (29% lower for heart disease deaths and 17% lower for overall deaths) compared to those who rarely or never ate eggs.</p> <p>Eating eggs daily did not increase the risk of death either.</p> <h2>How reputable is the study?</h2> <p>The research was published in a peer-reviewed journal, meaning this work has been examined by other researchers and is considered reputable and defensible.</p> <p>In the analysis, factors such as socioeconomic, demographic, health-related and clinical factors, and overall dietary quality were “adjusted” for, as these factors can play a role in disease and the risk of early death.</p> <p>Researchers received funding from a variety of national funding grants in the United States and Australia, with no links to commercial sources.</p> <h2>What are the limitations of this study?</h2> <p>Due to the type of study, it only explored egg consumption patterns, which participants self-reported. The researchers didn’t collect data about the type of egg (for example, chicken or quail), how it was prepared, or how many eggs are consumed when eaten.</p> <p>This analysis specifically looked for an association or link between egg consumption and death. Additional analyses are needed to understand how egg consumption may affect other aspects of health and wellbeing.</p> <p>Lastly, the population sample of older adults were relatively healthy, limiting how much findings can be applied to older adults with special needs or medical conditions.</p> <h2>What is ASPREE?</h2> <p><a href="https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/48/4/1048/5280817">ASPREE</a> (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) is an ongoing, large, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving more 19,000 participants in Australia and the US. This means some people in the trial were given an intervention and others weren’t but neither the participants nor the researchers knew who received the “placebo”, or dummy treatment.</p> <p>ASPREE started in 2010 to investigate whether low-dose aspirin (100 micrograms daily) could help prolong older adults’ health and lifespan, specifically by preventing heart disease and stroke. The <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1803955">first findings</a> were published in 2018.</p> <p>One of the fundamental conclusions of the ASPREE trial was there was no benefit from taking aspirin to prevent cardiovascular disease (heart disease or stroke).</p> <p>ASPREE is still ongoing as a longitudinal study, which means it provides information on other aspects of healthy living and long-term outcomes in older adults – in this case, the link between egg intake and the chance of death.</p> <h2>Why the focus on eggs?</h2> <p>Eggs are a good source of protein, and contain B vitamins, folate, unsaturated fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K), choline, and minerals.</p> <p>The fuss over eggs comes down to their cholesterol content and how it relates to heart disease risk. A large egg yolk contains approximately <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0828-282X(10)70456-6">275 mg of cholesterol</a> — near the recommended daily limit of cholesterol intake.</p> <p>In the past, medical professionals <a href="https://onlinecjc.ca/article/S0828-282X(10)70456-6/abstract">warned</a> that eating cholesterol-rich foods such as eggs could raise blood cholesterol and increase heart disease risk.</p> <p>But newer research shows the body doesn’t absorb dietary cholesterol <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/9/1272">well</a>, so dietary cholesterol <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11161868/">doesn’t have a major effect</a> on blood cholesterol levels.</p> <p>Rather, foods such as saturated and trans fats <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26268692/">play a major role</a> in cholesterol levels.</p> <p>Given these changing recommendations over time, and the <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7228817/">nuances of nutrition science</a>, it’s understandable that research on eggs continues.</p> <h2>What does this mean for me?</h2> <p>Whether you prefer boiled, scrambled, poached, baked or fried, eggs provide a satisfying source of protein and other key nutrients.</p> <p>While the science is still out, there’s no reason to limit egg intake unless specifically advised by a recognised health professional such as an accredited practising dietitian. As always, moderation is key.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/249168/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lauren-ball-14718">Lauren Ball</a>, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/karly-bartrim-2317677">Karly Bartrim</a>, Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/are-eggs-good-or-bad-for-our-health-249168">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Food & Wine

Ash Barty shares pregnancy update

<p>Ash Barty is expecting her second child with husband Garry Kissick, and while the tennis legend is excited for the future, she has shared some of her concerns with raising two young children.</p> <p>The couple already share son Hayden, 18 months, and are set to have a newborn and a toddler to care for. </p> <p>"It's been probably the best part of my life, being able to share this next chapter with my husband Garry, and we have no idea what we're doing but he's alive and he's happy," she told the <em>Herald Sun</em>.</p> <p>"Terrified for what is going to come next but we'll figure it out, I'm sure," she added. </p> <p>The 28-year-old also said that while it's not in her nature to deal with "chaos" she hopes to make it work. </p> <p>"As an athlete I used to be the most meticulous, organised person and now it's absolute carnage," she said. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DD_vAWhxAOd/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DD_vAWhxAOd/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Garry Kissick (@gazlfc90)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The tennis champion posted her pregnancy news to Instagram on Christmas Day, with a photo of her son Hayden standing in front of their Christmas tree with a shirt that read "I'm going to be a... big brother". </p> <p>She captioned the snap with: "Merry Christmas from our growing family to yours!", which was quickly inundated with congratulatory messages from her friends and followers. </p> <p>Barty and Kissick welcomed Hayden one year after they <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/game-set-and-match-ash-barty-ties-the-knot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tied the knot </a>in a private ceremony in Queensland on July 30, 2022, just months after she <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/ash-barty-announces-retirement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">retired</a> from tennis. </p> <p><em style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Figtree, Roboto, 'Noto Sans Hebrew', 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;">Image: Instagram</em></p> <p> </p>

Family & Pets

Bondi attack victim's father opens up about grief

<p>Former North Melbourne AFL star Kerry Good has spoken publicly for the first time about the loss of his daughter in the Bondi Junction stabbing massacre.</p> <p>Ashlee Good was one of six people killed in the <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/family-of-bondi-killer-break-silence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">horrific rampage</a> at Westfield Bondi Junction in April last year. </p> <p>She was in the busy shopping centre with her then nine-month-old daughter, Harriet, and was fatally wounded while attempting to protect her baby from Joel Cauchi's attack. </p> <p>The 38-year-old mum managed to hand off Harriet to nearby strangers, an act that saved her injured daughter's life. </p> <p>While Harriet suffered stab wounds and was taken to Sydney Children's Hospital in critical condition, she was eventually able to return home. </p> <p>Ms Good's father opened up about the tragedy in an interview on Saturday. </p> <p>“Last year was very tough,” he said, in his first interview since his daughter's murder. </p> <p>“I just couldn’t wait for the year to end. I couldn’t wait to get rid of it.”</p> <p>The former footy star, who also owns racehorses, had a moment of cheer over the weekend after a year of hardship when his horses, Thedoctoroflove and Taramansour, won at Melbourne’s famous Flemington racecourse.</p> <p>“I actually wore the same suit as I wore to my daughter’s funeral today and it might have helped,” he told Racenet. </p> <p>“It’s a very special day.”</p> <p>Following the attack, a <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/outpouring-of-support-for-baby-girl-after-bondi-tragedy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> was started for baby Harriet and her father, Dan Flanagan, which raised nearly $850,000.</p> <p>Mr Flanagan posted a <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/heartwarming-update-for-baby-stabbed-during-bondi-attack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heartwarming update </a>on the fundraising page in August, thanking the thousands of donors, as well as medical staff, friends and family for their support in the wake of his "unimaginable loss."</p> <p>“Nothing will ever dull the pain of losing Ash, but reading your messages and seeing what an impact Ash has had on so many people has provided a lot of comfort.”</p> <p>“The day our family of three became a family of two will never make sense to me, but countless people — including every single one of you who wrote messages and donated through this page — have shown me that while tragic things do unfortunately happen, there is more good in this world, than bad.</p> <p>“While Harriet and I do our best to navigate our new world privately, I want to make one public promise to each of you: that the kindness and generosity you’ve shown us will never be forgotten.</p> <p>“From the bottom of my heart — thank you.”</p> <p><em>Image: news.com.au</em></p>

Caring

Ash Barty loses high-profile Optus job

<p>Ash Barty has lost her job as Optus' Chief of inspiration. </p> <p>The Grand Slam tennis champion signed on with the telecommunications company as one of their ambassadors in September 2022, just months after announcing her retirement from tennis. </p> <p>“The decision was taken as we looked to rebuild customer trust and focus on the fundamentals that we know are important to them – a resilient network, great value products and services, and simple, efficient customer service,” an Optus spokesperson told the Australian Financial Review.</p> <p>The telecommunications giant quietly made the move this year, and also parted ways with ex-F1 star Daniel Ricciardo, who was their Chief of Optimism. </p> <p>The role included fronting several campaigns for the brand and featuring in viral stunts. </p> <p>Both stars have updated their LinkedIn accounts to reflect their departure from the jobs. </p> <p>Barty had the role for two years, while Ricciardo was appointed as the Chief of Optimism in September 2020. </p> <p>The Australian Financial Review’s Myriam Robin described Optus’ move as a “one-two kick in the guts for Daniel”, who was cut by Red Bull’s junior team VCARB earlier this year.</p> <p>Optus' move away from Barty and Ricciardo comes after the company's former chief executive Kelly Bayer Rosmarin was replaced by Stephen Rue in September.</p> <p>While Barty lost her job at the telecommunications company, she is still listed as the Women's Tennis Association's National Indigenous Tennis Ambassador on LinkedIn. </p> <p>Since her retirement from tennis at the peak of her career, she has worked as a commentator for Stan during the Paris Olympics, released a series of children's books as part of her <em>Little Ash</em> series, and a tennis-themed book for kids called <em>Tennis Camp Diaries</em>. </p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Money & Banking

Aussies reveal their opinion on a "good" salary

<p>A financial content creator has asked everyday Aussies to share their thoughts on what they consider to be a "good" salary in 2024. </p> <p>Hannah took to TikTok and posed the question, “What is a number that if you slapped it on your salary you would be like ‘I am happy with this, I don’t mind if it never goes up again. This is a good salary’?”</p> <p>“Because I think everybody’s opinion is different in this, I know mine certainly was. Somebody told me the other day that their good salary was $270,000, I would say that is extreme for me, but that’s just my personal opinion.”</p> <p>Her question sparked an influx of comments with many varying responses, with people's answers ranging from $80,000 up to a whopping $500,000 as a good salary for Aussies in 2024.</p> <p>One commenter said they would be “happy” with $80,000 to $90,000, while another agreed they would be “comfortable” with $80,000 but would consider $120,000 a “good” salary.</p> <p>Many others said that they would be happy in the $110,000 to $130,000 range, but there were conditions, such as not having to manage people and not having any HECS debt.</p> <p>“I’m currently on $110k-$120k and honestly I struggle to have any fun money while having savings, good super and investments which is why I want more! So my preference would be $250k,” one person said.</p> <p>Some said their answer depended on whether or not children were in the mix, as one person said their “ideal amount” would be $180,000, but that increased to $220,000 with kids.</p> <p>According to the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statics, the average yearly salary - calculated by dividing total earnings by the total number of people - has now hit $103,812.</p> <p>The median salary - or the “middle” earnings figure - for full time workers is $88,920.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Money & Banking

A brief history of Christmas Pudding – and why it can actually be quite good for you

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hazel-flight-536221">Hazel Flight</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edge-hill-university-1356">Edge Hill University</a></em></p> <p>Even in these hard and strange times, Christmas will be celebrated and traditions upheld. And for many British households, Christmas dinner would not be complete without a Christmas pudding – traditionally served with brandy sauce, brandy butter or custard.</p> <p>The Christmas pudding originated in the <a href="http://medievalcookery.com/recipes/frumenty.html">14th-century</a> as a sort of porridge, originally known as “<a href="http://cookit.e2bn.org/historycookbook/1116-frumenty.html">frumenty</a>”, which bears little resemblance to the dessert we know today.</p> <p>It was <a href="https://historydollop.com/2020/03/15/frumenty-a-medieval-wheat-porridge/">originally made</a> with hulled wheat, boiled in milk, seasoned with cinnamon and coloured with saffron. It was associated with meatless days, lent and advent and was often served as a plain dish. But there are a <a href="https://www.epersianfood.com/frumenty/">variety of recipes</a> which included <a href="https://www.mumwhatelse.com/christmas-pudding-traditional-recipe/s">additions</a> such as beef, mutton, raisins, currants, prunes, wines and spices.</p> <p>In some instances, this was the staple food for Christmas eve, although in Yorkshire it was eaten first thing <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/19098/19098-h/19098-h.htm">on Christmas morning</a>. In the 17th-century changes to the recipe were made. It was thickened with eggs, breadcrumbs, dried fruit and beer or spirits were added – and came to resemble something a bit more like a sweet pudding. However, it was the Victorians who fine tuned the recipe into the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/content/articles/2005/12/07/christmas_pudding_recipe_feature.shtml#:%7E:text=Brandy%20Sauce&text=This%20stew%20was%20served%20as,to%20give%20the%20pudding%20richness">Christmas pudding</a> many of us enjoy today.</p> <p>A Christmas pudding should have 13 ingredients – that represent Jesus and the 12 disciples. Traditionally, these ingredients include: raisins, currants, suet, brown sugar, breadcrumbs, citron, lemon peel, orange peel, flour, mixed spices, eggs, milk and brandy. Brandy is also <a href="https://www.pudforallseasons.com.au/blog/christmas-pudding-history-and-traditions">traditionally</a> poured over the pudding and set alight. The flaming brandy is said to represent the passion of Christ.</p> <p>Christmas puddings were traditionally boiled in a “pudding cloth”, although today are usually steamed in a bowl. Presented on the table with a sprig of holly, they are then doused in brandy and set alight.</p> <p>The last Sunday before Advent became known as “<a href="https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/christmas/christmas-countdown/a550045/ultimate-stir-up-sunday-when/">stir up Sunday</a>”. This was when the ingredients of the pudding would be assembled and stirred up in a bowl with a wooden spoon (representing the manger) from east to west – symbolising the journey taken by the three wise men. Traditionally, every family member stirs the pudding three times and makes a secret wish.</p> <p>Trinkets were always included in the traditional pudding. As a child I still remember the excitement of waiting to see who was going to <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2016/12/16/why-do-people-put-money-in-christmas-puddings-6327772/">find the sixpence</a>. Whoever found the coin was believed to have good fortune over the coming year.</p> <h2>A healthy pud?</h2> <p>Although the Christmas holidays can sometimes feel a little unhealthy – with a lot of sitting around and excessive food consumption – the ingredients that makeup a Christmas pudding are actually <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/365596/Why-Christmas-pudding-is-good-for-you">pretty nutritious</a>.</p> <p>Traditional Christmas puddings consists of fibre rich ingredients, such as fruits, nuts and currants. Dried fruits are rich in fibre, enzymes, polyphenols (substances with a <a href="https://www.ijmrhs.com/medical-research/dry-fruits-and-diabetes-mellitus.pdf">high antioxidant activity</a>), vitamins and minerals. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/christmaspudding_71054">Sultanas, currants, apricots</a> and <a href="https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/food/recipes/a557006/pear-and-ginger-pudding">pears</a> are highly nutritious and packed with <a href="https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-rich-in-potassium">essential potassium and iron</a>. And although dried fruits can contain a lot of sugar, they have a lower glycemic index value so don’t impact your blood sugar in the same way as other sweet treats.</p> <p>Raisins are also rich in antimicrobial compounds, fibre and iron. These compounds lower the risk of heart disease and can relieve constipation. Prunes too can also aid with digestion, relieve constipation, reduce inflammation and protect cells from free radical damage.</p> <p>Walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans and almonds can also be added into the mix and these all come with a range of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-walnuts">health benefits</a> – from <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/news/food-and-diet/nuts-may-lower-cholesterol/">lowering cholesterol levels</a> and reducing heart disease risk to delivering high levels of vitamin E, polyphenols and melatonin.</p> <p>The mixed spices, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, pimentos (or all spice) in a Christmas pudding are also an incredible source of <a href="https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/health-benefits-of-38-important-spices-from-around-the-world-1811783">aromatic antioxidants</a>. Spices aid digestion and have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. They can supposedly even help to reduce bloating, cramps and nausea – key if you’ve been overdoing it a bit.</p> <p>There is one secret ingredient often overlooked but included in many recipes – <a href="https://www.lovefood.com/recipes/56899/christmas-pudding-recipe">the carrot</a>. Rich in beta-carotene, which the body utilises to produce Vitamin A, carrots are good for lowering cholesterol levels and, yes, for the health of your eyes.</p> <h2>A global tradition</h2> <p>Although a British tradition, the Christmas pudding is eaten in various countries including <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-christmas-pudding-evolved-with-australia-35027#:%7E:text=The%20Christmas%20pudding%20was%20there,usual%20rations%20at%20Christmas%20time">Australia</a> and <a href="https://www.foodandhome.co.za/recipes/karoo-steamed-christmas-pudding">South Africa</a>. The Canadians also have a version which includes <a href="https://cannedpeachesproject.com/canadian-christmas-pudding-recipe/">potatoes alongside the carrots</a>.</p> <p>The Christmas pudding even makes its way into literature, with Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol making <a href="https://www.inliterature.net/food-in-literature/baked-goods/cakes/2012/12/a-christmas-carol-steamed-christmas-pudding.html">reference to it</a>. Then there is the case for Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot to solve in which he is advised to avoid the <a href="https://www.agathachristie.com/stories/the-adventure-of-the-christmas-pudding">plum pudding</a> – another name for the Christmas pud.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IFKJJVzRvGI?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>One well known fact about the Christmas pudding is that there always seems to be some left over after Christmas day. In fact Christmas puddings of the past could last up to a year, so it was often shared out. Indeed, in 1885 a British newspaper reported the joyful consumption of a <a href="http://www.chinovalleyaz.net/DocumentCenter/View/5620/December-2019-Senior-Sentinel">plum pudding</a> – sent overland via special envoy from Tehran — to a group of British soldiers stationed in northwestern Afghanistan.</p> <p>If you don’t fancy posting a pudding there are a number of ways you can share and use the <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/10-ways-leftover-christmas-desserts">leftovers</a> – with a whole host of recipes from Christmas strudel to a black pudding breakfast replacement. Another firm favourite is Christmas pudding ice-cream - simply mix pudding with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/151160/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hazel-flight-536221">Hazel Flight</a>, Programme Lead Nutrition and Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edge-hill-university-1356">Edge Hill University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-brief-history-of-christmas-pudding-and-why-it-can-actually-be-quite-good-for-you-151160">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Food & Wine

Airlines cancel flights after volcanic eruptions. An aviation expert explains why that’s a good thing

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/patrick-murray-2027113">Patrick Murray</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a></em></p> <p>At least three airlines <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-13/flights-to-and-from-bali-cancelled-due-to-volcanic-ash/104593698">cancelled flights between Australia and Bali</a> this week after a volcano eruption in eastern Indonesia spewed a vast plume of volcanic ash into the air.</p> <p>But while would-be holiday makers are naturally <a href="https://7news.com.au/sunrise/volcanic-eruption-in-indonesia-forces-airlines-to-cancel-flights-to-bali-stranding-frustrated-passengers-c-16732486">upset</a> at having their plans disrupted, it’s worth remembering it’s not safe to fly planes through volcanic ash.</p> <p>So, how do airlines decide it’s not safe to fly when a volcano erupts? And why is volcanic ash so dangerous for aircraft, anyway?</p> <h2>What does volcanic ash do to a plane?</h2> <p>Volcanic ash particles are very, very abrasive. They can cause permanent damage to windscreens in the aircraft and can even make windscreens look opaque – like someone has gone over them with sandpaper.</p> <p>Imagine getting spectacles and scraping them over and over with sandpaper – that’s what you’d see if you were sitting in the cockpit.</p> <p>Volcanic ash can also clog or damage external sensors, leading to erroneous readings, and can infiltrate an aircraft’s ventilation system. This can affect cabin air quality and lead to potential respiratory issues.</p> <p>But the main issue, in fact, is the impact volcanic ash has on engines.</p> <p>A jet engine works by drawing in air, compressing it, mixing it with fuel and igniting it. This creates high-pressure exhaust gases that are expelled backward, which pushes the engine (and the aircraft) forward.</p> <p>The correct balance of fuel and airflow is crucial. When you disrupt airflow, it can cause the engine to stall.</p> <p>Ash particles that get inside the engines will melt and build up, causing disruption of the airflow. This could cause the engine to “flame out” or stall.</p> <p>Volcanic ash has a lot of silica in it, so when it melts it turns into something similar to glass. It won’t melt unless exposed to very high temperatures – but inside a jet engine, you do get very high temperatures.</p> <p>There was a famous incident in 1982 where a <a href="https://theaviationgeekclub.com/the-story-of-british-airways-flight-9-the-boeing-747-that-lost-all-four-engines-due-to-volcanic-ash-yet-it-landed-safely/">British Airways Boeing 747 plane</a> was flying in the vicinity of Indonesia and lost all four engines after it encountered volcanic ash spewing from Java’s Mount Galunggung.</p> <p>Fortunately, the pilot was able to <a href="https://simpleflying.com/gallunggung-glider-the-story-of-british-airways-flight-9/">restart the engines and land safely</a>, although the pilots were unable to see through the front windscreens.</p> <h2>How do airlines decide it’s not safe to fly when a volcano erupts?</h2> <p>The decision is made by each airline’s operational staff. Each airline’s operational team would be looking at the situation in real time today and making the decision based on their risk assessment.</p> <p>Every airline has a process of risk management, which is required by Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority.</p> <p>Different airlines may tackle risk management in slightly different ways; you might have some cancelling flights earlier than others. But, in broad terms, the more sophisticated airlines would come to similar conclusions and they are likely all communicating with each other.</p> <p>Mostly, they make the call based on the extent of the plume – how big the cloud of ash is and where it’s going, bearing in mind that winds vary with altitude. As you get stronger winds with altitude, the ash can drift quite far from the source.</p> <p>There is also a United Nations agency called the <a href="https://www.icao.int/Pages/default.aspx">International Civil Aviation Organization</a>, which issues guidance on volcanic ash hazards. Various meteorological agencies around the world work together and liaise with aviation authorities to spread the word quickly if there is an eruption.</p> <p>For airlines to resume flights, the ash needs to clear and there needs to be a low probability of further eruptions.</p> <h2>Passenger safety is the priority</h2> <p>The underpinning reason behind these flight cancellations is safety. If you lose engines and you can’t see out the window, the risk to passenger safety is obvious.</p> <p>Naturally, people are upset about their holiday plans being held up. But it’s actually in passengers’ best interests to not fly through volcanic ash.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/243576/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/patrick-murray-2027113">Patrick Murray</a>, Emeritus Professor of Aviation, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/airlines-cancel-flights-after-volcanic-eruptions-an-aviation-expert-explains-why-thats-a-good-thing-243576">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Travel Trouble

Predictably, domestic airfares surged after the collapse of Rex. There aren’t many good solutions

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/doug-drury-1277871">Doug Drury</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a></em></p> <p>Australia’s airline industry is famously duopolistic. Just two companies – Qantas and Virgin Australia – service 98% of the domestic passenger market. That’s not for a lack of other companies having <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/travel-news/grounded-five-of-australias-biggest-airline-failures-20221216-h28pzn.html">tried to secure a foothold</a>, over many decades.</p> <p>In 2024 alone, we’ve seen the high-profile collapse of both <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-just-happened-to-bonza-why-new-budget-airlines-always-struggle-in-australia-228995">Bonza</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/rex-airlines-future-up-in-the-air-amid-questions-about-viability-of-small-airlines-in-australia-235761">Rex</a>, airlines that once ignited hopes for much greater competition in the sector. Now, we’re beginning to see the predictable effects of their exit.</p> <p>According to a <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/domestic-airfares-increase-amid-reduced-airline-competition">quarterly report</a> released on Tuesday by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), domestic airfares on major city routes increased by 13.3% to September after Rex Airlines halted its capital city services at the end of July.</p> <p>There’s little reason to be optimistic about things changing anytime soon. Australia’s lack of competition means airfares are only likely to remain inflated due to higher demand and lower supply.</p> <h2>How are airfares actually set?</h2> <p>To predict what the market will bear in a given year, airlines use a process called <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0969699714000556">revenue management</a>.</p> <p>This involves sophisticated mathematical modelling, incorporating a range of factors – seasonal variations for school breaks, holidays, and major sporting events – to determine both what the airlines can charge per passenger and what the likely impact will be on their bottom line.</p> <p>There are three main expenses that airlines expect every year which fluctuate regularly:</p> <ul> <li>fuel prices</li> <li>aircraft maintenance</li> <li>salaries.</li> </ul> <p>But the Australian market has some unique characteristics. Our options for travelling the vast distances between major cities are very limited – and, if we’re not flying, very time-consuming too.</p> <p>Many of us choose to fly as it provides us more time at our destination for leisure or work, without a massive road trip or train ride. Our airline duopoly is very aware of this, and know we’re willing to pay a premium for convenience.</p> <p>The ACCC found that the price of “best discount economy” tickets on routes Rex had recently departed had <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/domestic-airfares-increase-amid-reduced-airline-competition">increased significantly</a> – up 95% between Adelaide and Melbourne, and 54% between Canberra and Melbourne.</p> <p>The report also noted that fuel prices declined by more than 40% in the 12 months to September, which the airlines have not adjusted for in their pricing model.</p> <h2>The best solution’s a long shot</h2> <p>For Australian passengers to pay lower domestic airfares, competition from another airline is the only viable solution. That might seem like a far-fetched proposition for the foreseeable future.</p> <p>Any airline attempting to start up in Australia would need significant financial backing to weather market fluctuations, and a singular focus on flying the airline.</p> <p>There might be some hope on the horizon with a possible new entrant, Koala Airlines, in the press recently, stating its intentions to enter this market and be successful.</p> <p>Many customers may be hoping Koala can excel where Bonza and Rex were unable to. However, its entry remains quite some way off. Koala is still working on attaining an <a href="https://www.casa.gov.au/licences-and-certificates/air-operators">air operators certificate</a> (AOC) from CASA and a fleet of new aircraft.</p> <p>Koala has given few details about its business strategy, except for a promised <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-29/koala-airlines-to-enter-qantas-virgin-duopoly-four-corners/104405640">cash refund guarantee</a> for passengers, and plans to implement <a href="https://koalaair.com.au/koala-tech/">artificial intelligence</a> to remain viable in the market.</p> <h2>What else can be done?</h2> <p>Can the government do anything to protect new entrants, to support them through the initial startup phase? Part-ownership of any new airline by the government is probably off the cards.</p> <p>Salvaging the competition we have left may be a better strategy. Also on Tuesday, the government announced an <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/transport/labor-stumps-up-80m-to-keep-failing-airline-rex-afloat-20241112-p5kpu3">$80 million support package</a> to keep Rex’s regional services operational.</p> <p>Much of Rex’s fleet of SAAB 340 aircraft is in need of repair, so this will help somewhat.</p> <p>But such a big spending package is reminiscent of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/government-funding-to-qantas-and-virgin-to-ensure-air-services-on-key-routes-136554">pandemic-era strategies</a> the government will not want to revisit on a grand scale.</p> <h2>Better compliance</h2> <p>Other strategies could focus on ensuring that everyone plays fairly and doesn’t abuse the system to keep market share. The ACCC’s latest report is part of ongoing quarterly reporting, after the Treasurer redirected the ACCC to monitor domestic airfares for another three years in November last year.</p> <p>But other regulatory oversight may have been lacking. <a href="https://www.aap.com.au/news/competition-at-sydney-airport-less-than-we-like/">Speaking</a> before a senate inquiry on Tuesday, Sydney Airport’s Scott Charlton said that until recently, a compliance committee set up to monitor Sydney Airport’s slot system hadn’t met for five years.</p> <p>The government will need to tread carefully. If it wants to provide incentives for new entrants, it will need to do so in a manner that does not appear to be a re-regulation strategy, creating hardships for Qantas and Virgin Australia.</p> <p>Ultimately, appearing to re-regulate the Australian aviation sector is not in line with the government’s long term strategy of keeping the airline market stable through less intervention. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/243463/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/doug-drury-1277871"><em>Doug Drury</em></a><em>, Professor/Head of Aviation, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/predictably-domestic-airfares-surged-after-the-collapse-of-rex-there-arent-many-good-solutions-243463">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Domestic Travel

I spoke to 100 Japanese seniors, and learnt the secret to a good retirement is a good working life

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/shiori-shakuto-1537774">Shiori Shakuto</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p>What makes a good retirement? I’ve <a href="https://www.pennpress.org/9781512827088/after-work/">been researching</a> the lives of “silver backpackers”: Japanese seniors who embark on a later-life journey of self-discovery.</p> <p>Many experienced Japan’s high-growth economy, characterised by rigid gender roles. For many men who worked as iconic cultural figures of <em><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salaryman">sarariiman</a></em> (white collar workers), excessive working hours were normalised and expected. Their absence from home was compensated by their female partners, many full-time stay-at-home mothers.</p> <p>Entering their 60s meant either retirement from work, or children leaving home. For men and women, retirement is understood as an opportunity to live a life for themselves, leading to a journey of self-discovery.</p> <h2>Dedicating life to work</h2> <p>I interviewed more than 100 older Japanese women and men and found a significant disparity in the quality of life between them.</p> <p>Japanese retired men who led a work-oriented life struggled to find meaning at the initial stages of retirement.</p> <p>One man I spoke to retired at the age of 60 from a large trading company. He was a successful businessman, having travelled the world and held various managerial positions in the company. His wife looked after the children most of the time.</p> <p>They bought a house with a yard in a suburb so the children could attend a good school. It significantly increased his commute, and further reduced his time with children. He also worked on weekends. He barely had time to develop his hobbies or get to know his neighbours.</p> <p>He idealised his retirement as a time to finally spend with his family and develop his own hobbies. When he retired, however, he realised that he and his family didn’t have any common topics of conversation.</p> <p>Through decades of excessive hours spent at work away from home, the rest of the family established a routine that did not include him. Taking up new hobbies at the age of 60 was not as easy as he thought, nor was making new friends at this age.</p> <p>“I became a <em>nureochiba</em>,” he lamented. <em>Nureochiba</em> refers to the wet fallen leaves that linger and are difficult to get rid of. The term is commonly used to describe retired men with no friends or hobbies who constantly accompany their wives.</p> <p>The retirement for many former <em>sarariiman</em> was characterised by boredom – having nowhere to go to or having nothing to do. The sense of boredom led to a sense of isolation and low confidence in old age. Many older Japanese men I spoke to lament not having built a connection with their children or communities at a younger age.</p> <h2>Dedicating life to family and community</h2> <p>Older Japanese women I spoke with were more well-connected with their children and local communities in later life. Many were in regular contact with their children through visits, phone calls and messages. Some continued to care for them by providing food or by looking after grandchildren. Children very much appreciated them.</p> <p>Many older women who had been full-time stay-at-home mothers had already taken up hobbies or volunteering activities at community organisations, and they could accelerate these involvements in their old age.</p> <p>Even women who worked full-time seemed to maintain better connections with their family members because working excessively away from home was simply not possible for them.</p> <p>Older men relied on these women’s networks and activities conducted at the scales of home and communities – from caring for others to pursuing hobbies – to enact a meaningful retirement. The sense of connection with family and communities, not to mention their husbands’ reliance on them, led to a high confidence and wellbeing among older women.</p> <p>I saw many instances where older women preferred spending time with their female friends than their retired husbands and embarked on adventurous trips alone. One woman went on a three-month cruise alone. Feeling liberated, she sent a fax message to her husband from the ship: “When I get off this ship, I will devote the rest of my life to myself. You will have to take care of your own mother.”</p> <p>Upon disembarking, she moved to Malaysia to start her second life.</p> <h2>The silver backpackers</h2> <p>Malaysia has become a popular destination for silver backpackers looking to embark on a journey of self-discovery. Some travel as couples, while others go alone, regardless of their marital status.</p> <p>For many male silver backpackers I spoke to, moving to Malaysia offers a second chance at life to make new friends, find hobbies and, most importantly, start anew with their partners.</p> <p>For many female silver backpackers, visiting Malaysia means being able to enjoy an independent lifestyle while having the security of friends and family in Malaysia and Japan.</p> <p>The experiences of older Japanese men and women can be translated into the experiences of anyone who spent excessive hours at work and those who spent more time cultivating relationships outside of work. The activities of the latter group are not as valued in a society that narrowly defines productivity. However, my research shows that it is their activities that carry more value in old age.</p> <p>Are you under pressure to work long hours? If you can, turn off your phone and computer. Instead of organising events for work, organise a dinner with your family and friends. Take up a new hobby in your local community centres. You can change how you work and live now for a better old age.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/238571/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/shiori-shakuto-1537774"><em>Shiori Shakuto</em></a><em>, Lecturer in Anthropology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-spoke-to-100-japanese-seniors-and-learnt-the-secret-to-a-good-retirement-is-a-good-working-life-238571">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Retirement Life

What does a good death look like when you’re really old and ready to go?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/naomi-richards-182120">Naomi Richards</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-glasgow-1269">University of Glasgow</a></em></p> <p><a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/hawaii-legalizes-assisted-suicide_us_5ac6c6f5e4b0337ad1e621fb">Hawaii</a> recently joined the growing number of states and countries where doctor-assisted dying is legal. In these jurisdictions, help to die is rarely extended to those who don’t have a terminal illness. Yet, increasingly, very old people, without a terminal illness, who feel that they have lived too long, are arguing that they also have a right to such assistance.</p> <p>Media coverage of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2018/05/09/this-104-year-old-plans-to-die-tomorrow-and-hopes-to-change-views-on-assisted-suicide/?utm_term=.b00a9036f9bc">David Goodall</a>, the 104-year-old Australian scientist who travelled to Switzerland for assisted dying, demonstrates the level of public interest in ethical dilemmas at the <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k1891.full">extremities of life</a>. Goodall wanted to die because he no longer enjoyed life. Shortly before his death, he told reporters that he spends most of his day just sitting. “What’s the use of that?” he asked.</p> <p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953615002889?via%3Dihub">Research</a> shows that life can be a constant struggle for the very old, with social connections hard to sustain and health increasingly fragile. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25982088">Studies</a> looking specifically at the motivation for assisted dying among the very old show that many feel a deep sense of loneliness, tiredness, an inability to express their individuality by taking part in activities that are important to them, and a hatred of dependency.</p> <p>Of the jurisdictions where assisted dying is legal, some make suffering the determinant (Canada, for example). Others require a prognosis of six months (California, for example). Mainly, though, the focus is on people who have a terminal illness because it is seen as less of an ethical problem to hasten the death of someone who is already dying than someone who is simply tired of life.</p> <h2>Why give precedence to physical suffering?</h2> <p>Assisted dying for people with psychological or existential reasons for wanting to end their life is unlikely to be supported by doctors because it is not objectively verifiable and also potentially remediable. In the Netherlands, despite the legal power to offer assistance where there is no life-limiting illness, doctors are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25693947">seldom convinced</a> of the unbearable nature of non-physical suffering, and so will rarely administer a lethal dose in such cases.</p> <p>Although doctors may look to a physical diagnosis to give them confidence in their decision to hasten a patient’s death, physical symptoms are often not mentioned by the people they are assisting. Instead, the most common reason given by those who have received help to die is <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMms1700606">loss of autonomy</a>. Other common reasons are to avoid burdening others and not being able to enjoy one’s life – the exact same reason given by Goodall. This suggests that requests from people with terminal illness, and from those who are just very old and ready to go, are not as different as both the law – and doctors’ interpretation of the law – claim them to be.</p> <h2>Sympathetic coverage</h2> <p>It seems that the general public does not draw a clear distinction either. Most of the media coverage of Goodall’s journey to Switzerland was sympathetic, to the dismay of <a href="http://www.carenotkilling.org.uk/press-releases/centenarians-assisted-suicide/">opponents</a> of assisted dying.</p> <p>Media reports about <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/sep/02/mary-berry-great-british-bake-off-centenarian-assisted-dying">ageing celebrities</a> endorsing assisted dying in cases of both terminal illness and very old age, blur the distinction still further.</p> <p>One of the reasons for this categorical confusion is that, at root, this debate is about what a good death looks like, and this doesn’t rely on prognosis; it relies on <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01459740.2016.1255610">personality</a>. And, it’s worth remembering, the personalities of the very old are as diverse as those of the very young.</p> <p>Discussion of assisted suicide often focuses on concerns that some older people may be exposed to coercion by carers or family members. But older people also play another role in this debate. They make up the rank and file <a href="http://www.ep.liu.se/ej/ijal/2012/v7/i1/a01/ijal12v7i1a01.pdf">activists</a> of the global right-to-die movement. In this conflict of rights, protectionist impulses conflict with these older activists’ demands to die on their own terms and at a time of their own choosing.</p> <p>In light of the <a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/worlds-older-population-grows-dramatically">unprecedented ageing</a> of the world’s population and increasing longevity, it is important to think about what a good death looks like in deep old age. In an era when more jurisdictions are passing laws to permit doctor-assisted dying, the choreographed death of a 104-year-old, who died listening to Ode to Joy after enjoying a last fish supper, starts to look like a socially approved good death.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/96589/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/naomi-richards-182120">Naomi Richards</a>, Lecturer in Social Science (End of Life Studies), <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-glasgow-1269">University of Glasgow</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-does-a-good-death-look-like-when-youre-really-old-and-ready-to-go-96589">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Caring

Is thirst a good predictor of dehydration?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lauren-ball-14718">Lauren Ball</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kiara-too-2243669">Kiara Too</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p>Water is essential for daily functioning and health, and we can only survive <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2908954/">a few days</a> without it. Yet we constantly lose water through sweat, urination and even evaporation when we breathe.</p> <p>This is why we <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5957508/">have evolved</a> a way to regulate and maintain water in our bodies. Like other animals, our survival relies on a strong biological drive that tells us to find and drink water to balance fluid loss.</p> <p>This is thirst – a sensation of dryness in the mouth signalling we need to have a drink. This <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5957508/">basic physiological mechanism</a> is controlled mainly by part of the brain’s “control centre”, called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535380/#:%7E:text=The%20hypothalamus%20is%20the%20region,and%20the%20control%20of%20appetite.">receives signals</a> from various regions of the body and in return, releases hormones that act as a messenger to signal the thirst sensation.</p> <h2>What is dehydration?</h2> <p>Staying hydrated (having enough water in our bodies) is important for <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2908954/">several reasons</a>, including:</p> <ul> <li>regulating body temperature through sweat and respiration</li> <li>lubricating joints and eyes</li> <li>preventing infections</li> <li>digesting and absorbing nutrients</li> <li>flushing out waste (via the kidneys)</li> <li>preventing constipation</li> <li>brain function (including memory and concentration)</li> <li>mood and energy levels</li> <li>physical performance and recovery from exercise</li> <li>skin health.</li> </ul> <p>Dehydration occurs when our body doesn’t have enough water. Even slight drops in fluid levels have <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2908954/">noticeable consequences</a>, such as headaches, feeling dizzy, lethargy and struggling to concentrate.</p> <p><a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4874113/">Chronic dehydration</a> can pose more serious health risks, including urinary tract infections, constipation and kidney stones.</p> <h2>What does the evidence say?</h2> <p>Despite thirst being one of the most basic biological drivers for good hydration, science suggests our feelings of thirst and subsequent fluid intake don’t always correlate with hydration levels.</p> <p>For example, a <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/18/3212">recent study</a> explored the impact of thirst on fluid intake and hydration status. Participants attended a lab in the morning and then later in the afternoon to provide markers of hydration status (such as urine, blood samples and body weight). The relationship between levels of thirst in the morning and afternoon hydration status was negligible.</p> <p>Further, thirst may be driven by environmental factors, such as access to water. For example, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0031938484901549">one study</a> looked at whether ample access to water in a lab influenced how much people drank and how hydrated they were. The link between how thirsty they felt and how hydrated they were was weak, suggesting the availability of water influenced their fluid intake more than thirst.</p> <p>Exercise can also <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6893511/">change our thirst mechanism</a>, though studies are limited at this stage.</p> <p>Interestingly, research shows women experience thirst more strongly than men, regardless of hydration status. To understand <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2475299123148852">gender differences in thirst</a>, researchers infused men and women with fluids and then measured their thirst and how hydrated they were. They found women generally reported thirst at a lower level of fluid loss. Women have also been found to respond more <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/18/3212">to feeling thirsty</a> by drinking more water.</p> <h2>Other ways to tell if you need to drink some water</h2> <p>While acknowledging some people will need to drink more or less, for <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-like-drinking-plain-water-10-healthy-ideas-for-staying-hydrated-this-summer-191859">many people</a>, eight cups (or two litres) a day is a good amount of water to aim for.</p> <p>But beyond thirst, there are many other ways to tell whether you might need to drink more water.</p> <p><strong>1. urine colour:</strong> pale yellow urine typically indicates good hydration, while darker, concentrated urine suggests dehydration</p> <p><strong>2. frequency of going to the toilet:</strong> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK291/">urinating regularly</a> (around four to six times a day) indicates good hydration. Infrequent urination can signal dehydration</p> <p><strong>3. skin turgor test:</strong> gently <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/skin-turgor#test">pinching the skin</a> (for example, on the back of the hand) and observing how quickly the skin returns to its normal position can help assess hydration. Slow return may indicate dehydration</p> <p><strong>4. mouth and lips:</strong> a dry mouth or cracked lips can be early signs of dehydration</p> <p><strong>5. headaches and fatigue:</strong> frequent headaches, dizziness, or unexplained fatigue can be <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07853890.2019.1628352">signs of inadequate hydration</a></p> <p><strong>6. sweating:</strong> in physically active people, monitoring how much they sweat during activity can help estimate fluid loss and hydration needs. Higher levels of sweat may predispose a person to dehydration if they are unable to replace the fluid lost through water intake</p> <p>These indicators, used together, provide a more comprehensive picture of hydration without solely depending on the sensation of thirst.</p> <p>Of course, if you do feel thirsty, it’s still a good idea to drink some water.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/242194/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lauren-ball-14718">Lauren Ball</a>, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kiara-too-2243669">Kiara Too</a>, PhD candidate, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-thirst-a-good-predictor-of-dehydration-242194">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Body

How do children learn good manners?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sophia-waters-501831">Sophia Waters</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-new-england-919">University of New England</a></em></p> <p>Ensuring kids have manners is a <a href="https://tidsskrift.dk/sss/article/view/135074">perennial preoccupation</a> for parents and caregivers.</p> <p>How, then, do you teach good manners to children?</p> <p>Modelling good manners around the home and in your own interaction with others is obviously crucial.</p> <p>But there’s a clear <a href="https://tidsskrift.dk/sss/article/view/135074">uniting theme</a> when it comes to manners in Australia: in Australian English, good manners centre on honouring personal autonomy, egalitarianism and not appearing to tell people what to do.</p> <h2>Which manners matter most in Australia?</h2> <p>Some of the most important manners in Australian English are behavioural edicts that focus on particular speech acts: greeting, requesting, thanking and apologising.</p> <p>These speech acts have a <a href="https://tidsskrift.dk/sss/article/view/135074/179857">set of words</a> associated with them:</p> <ul> <li>hello</li> <li>hi</li> <li>may I please…?</li> <li>could I please…?</li> <li>thank you</li> <li>ta</li> <li>sorry</li> <li>excuse me.</li> </ul> <p>Good manners make people feel comfortable in social situations by adding predictability and reassurance.</p> <p>They can act as signposts in interactions. Anglo cultures place a lot of weight on <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378216612001014">egalitarianism</a>, personal autonomy and ensuring we don’t <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/English/d-d5AAAAIAAJ?hl=en">tell people what to do</a>.</p> <p>If you want to get someone to do something for you – pass you a pen, for example – you frame the request as a question to signal that you’re not telling them what to do.</p> <p>You’ll also add one of the main characters in Anglo politeness: the magic word, “<a href="https://www.academia.edu/20312114/Lige_a_Danish_magic_word_An_ethnopragmatic_analysis">please</a>”.</p> <p>This framing recognises you don’t expect or demand compliance. You’re acknowledging the other person as an autonomous individual who can do what they want.</p> <p>If the person does the thing you’ve asked, the next step is to say “thank you” to recognise the other person’s autonomy. You’re acknowledging they didn’t have to help just because you asked.</p> <h2>The heavy hitters</h2> <p>The words “please” and “thank you” are such heavy hitters in Australian English good manners, they’re two of the words that language learners and migrants <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/10408340308518247?needAccess=true">learn first</a>.</p> <p>They can help soften the impact of your words. Think, for example, of the difference between “no” and “no, thank you”.</p> <p>Of course, there are times when “no” is a full sentence. But what if someone offered you a cup of tea and you replied “no” without its concomitant “thank you” to soften your rejection and acknowledge this offer didn’t have to be made? Don’t be surprised if they think you sound a bit rude.</p> <p>The other big players in Australian English good manners are “sorry” and “excuse me”. Much like in <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ1Eid0gnLV/">British English</a>, the Australian “sorry” means many things.</p> <p>These can preface an intrusion on someone’s personal space, like before squeezing past someone in the cinema, or on someone’s speaking turn.</p> <p>Interrupting or talking over someone else is often heavily frowned on in Australian English because it is often interpreted as disregarding what the other person has to say.</p> <p>But in some cultures, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0346251X14001365">such as French</a>, this conversational style is actively encouraged. And some languages and cultures <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S038800011830069X?via%3Dihub">have different conventions</a> around what good manners look like around strangers versus with family.</p> <p>Good manners involve saying certain words in predictable contexts.</p> <p>But knowing what these are and when to use them demonstrates a deeper cultural awareness of what behaviours are valued.</p> <h2>How do children learn manners?</h2> <p>As part of my <a href="https://tidsskrift.dk/sss/article/view/135074">research</a>, I’ve analysed parenting forum posts about “good manners”. Some believe good manners should be effortless; one parent said:</p> <blockquote> <p>Good manners shouldn’t be something that a child has to think about […] teach them correctly at home from day one, manners become an integral part of the way they view things.</p> </blockquote> <p>Another forum user posited good modelling was the key, saying:</p> <blockquote> <p>the parent has to lead by example, rather than forcing a child to say one or the other.</p> </blockquote> <p>One <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38777043/">study</a>, which involved analysis of more than 20 hours of videorecorded family dinner interactions collected in Italy, found mealtimes are also sites where parents control their children’s conduct “through the micro-politics of good manners.”</p> <blockquote> <p>By participating in mealtime interactions, children witness and have the chance to acquire the specific cultural principles governing bodily conduct at the table, such as ‘sitting properly’, ‘eating with cutlery’, and ‘chewing with mouth closed’.</p> <p>Yet, they are also socialised to a foundational principle of human sociality: one’s own behavior must be self-monitored according to the perspective of the generalised Other.</p> </blockquote> <p>In Australian English, that means regulating your behaviour to make sure you don’t do something that could be seen as “rude”. As I argued in a 2012 <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378216612000410">paper</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>While child socialisation in Anglo culture involves heavy discouragement of rudeness, French does not have a direct equivalent feature […] French children are taught <em>ça ne se fait pas</em>, ‘that is not done’. Where the French proscribe the behaviours outright, the Anglos […] appeal to the image one has of oneself in interpersonal interactions.</p> </blockquote> <p>In Anglo English, the penalties for breaches could be other people’s disapproval and hurting their feelings.</p> <h2>Why are good manners important?</h2> <p>Good manners affect our interactions with others and help us build positive relationships.</p> <p>Fourteenth century English bishop and educator, William of Wykeham, declared that “<a href="https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100131244#:%7E:text=Manners%20maketh%20man%20proverbial%20saying,Winchester%20and%20chancellor%20of%20England">manners maketh the man</a>”.</p> <p>John Hopkins University Professor <a href="https://ii.library.jhu.edu/2018/12/11/in-memory-of-p-m-forni-the-case-for-civility-in-the-classroom-and-beyond/">Pier Forni</a> called them a “precious life-improvement tool.”</p> <p>The “Good Manners” <a href="https://education.qld.gov.au/about-us/history/history-topics/good-manners-chart">chart</a>, based on a set of rules devised by the Children’s National guild of Courtesy in UK primary schools in 1889, was issued to Queensland primary schools until the 1960s.</p> <p>It tells kids to remember the golden rule to “always do to others as you would wish them to do to you if you were in their place.”</p> <p>Good manners form part of the bedrock for human sociality. Childhood is when we give kids foundational training on interacting with others and help them learn how to be a culturally competent member of a society.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/237133/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sophia-waters-501831">Sophia Waters</a>, Senior Lecturer in Writing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-new-england-919">University of New England</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-children-learn-good-manners-237133">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Family & Pets

Five reasons why owning a pet is good for us

<p>With more pets than people, Australians have one of the world’s highest pet ownership rates with 62% of us owning at least one pet. And if you’re wondering why we’re so pet mad, research has shown the benefits include companionship, improved mental wellbeing, lower stress and better heart health.</p> <ol> <li><strong>Pets protect us from loneliness</strong></li> </ol> <p>We see our pet as part of the family. Their unconditional (and non-judgemental) love provides us companionship and help to lower stress and anxiety. Interacting with your pet increases feelings of social support and elevates mood. </p> <p>Dog walking increases opportunities for social interaction. When walking outside, fellow dog walkers love to say hello and introduce themselves and their dog to you. Some cafes and restaurants and hotels are dog-friendly venues too. When travelling alone, it’s wonderful to be able to take your furry companion with you.</p> <ol start="2"> <li><strong>Pets are good for our mental and physical well-being</strong></li> </ol> <p>Pet ownership brings responsibility and the need for skills to know how to best take care of them. These skills will extend to other animals, and other people. Children who have pets develop better social skills when interacting with their friends.</p> <p>Dog owners enjoy lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels and less heart disease. While owning a dog is not fully protective, the benefit of all those dog walks are they keep you fitter, healthier and less stressed.</p> <p>If you are unlucky enough to have a heart attack, your long-term survival rate is assisted by having a dog. While interacting with a pet for 10-12 minutes will lower your blood pressure.</p> <p>One of the joys of owning a pet, is the pleasure they provide, and the feeling is mutual. Gazing into the eyes of your beloved pooch, boosts levels of oxytocin our bonding molecule. Our long-standing human-dog relationship was established over 30,000 years ago.</p> <p>Patting or stroking our pets is soothing, especially their silky ears. This is relaxing and how delightful is it when your pet reciprocates with loud purring or offers their tummy for a rub?</p> <ol start="3"> <li><strong>Pets are good for our immune system</strong></li> </ol> <p>You’ve probably heard about your gut microbiome that’s important to keep you healthy. Being a pet owner provides you a healthier microbiome and more robust immune system by promoting more of the beneficial bacteria and lowering the level of harmful, or pathogenic bacteria in our gut.</p> <p>Not only that, stroking your pet raises levels of immunoglobulin A in your body that forms a physical barrier in the gut to protect you against potential invading pathogens.</p> <p>In addition, pregnant mums with a pet in the household are less likely to have infants with childhood allergies, asthma or obesity.</p> <ol start="4"> <li><strong>Pets help us cope better with pain and recovery from illness</strong></li> </ol> <p>Owning a pet has been shown to help manage chronic pain. Pets often sense when their owner isn’t well or in pain and will stay close by, which is very soothing.</p> <p>Watching our pets play and their antics can serve as a useful distraction to our struggles with pain or illness. Having your pet with you (when allowed) in a hospital setting is reassuring and can lift your mood.</p> <p>Animals can help in the work or learning environment. Some workplaces have an office pet policy where you’re allowed to have you pet stay with you while you work. This has been shown to be great for boosting staff morale, collaboration and overall happiness, while keeping work stress lower.</p> <ol start="5"> <li><strong>Pets help us better manage our own self-care</strong></li> </ol> <p>Self-care is always important to stay fit and healthy but isn’t something we always find easy to do. This is where taking responsibility for a pet can help. Teenagers with type one diabetes when given goldfish to care for, did better in monitoring their own blood sugar levels, while having a pet have also been shown to help younger students stay focused and on task, and achieve higher academic results.</p> <p>Pets enrich our lives in so many ways from improved mental well-being to lower stress, elevated mood and greater social support. Whatever type of pet you choose, remember the benefits will work both ways.</p> <p><em><strong>Dr Jenny Brockis is a board-certified lifestyle medicine physician, workplace health and well-being consultant, and author of The Natural Advantage (Major Street Publishing). www.drjennybrockis.com</strong></em></p> <p><em><strong>Image credits: Shutterstock </strong></em></p> <p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 14px;"> </p>

Family & Pets

How to buy a good pair of sunglasses

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jacobo-garcia-queiruga-1496353">Jacobo García Queiruga</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/universidade-de-santiago-de-compostela-2533">Universidade de Santiago de Compostela</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/veronica-noya-padin-1529488">Verónica Noya Padín</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/universidade-de-santiago-de-compostela-2533">Universidade de Santiago de Compostela</a></em></p> <p>Nowadays you can buy a cheap pair of sunglasses just about anywhere – from supermarkets and petrol stations to corner shops and online fashion retailers, but such ubiquity may prompt doubts as to the protection they can offer. While their lenses usually meet certain minimum UV protection requirements, their quality in other respects, such as visual clarity, is dismal.</p> <p>Opticians, however, are governed by national health regulations, meaning that they have to meet higher standards such as the <a href="https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/single-market/ce-marking_en">CE</a> and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-the-ukca-marking">UKCA</a> marks. Professional opticians are therefore much better equipped to help customers find sunglasses that not only meet their practical demands, but which are also comfortable and well suited to their facial features.</p> <h2>Rules for protection</h2> <p><a href="https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/en/#iso:std:iso:12312:-1:ed-2:v1:en">European law</a> classifies sunglass lenses as “personal protective equipment”, outlining five levels of protection. Category 0 lenses allow 80-100% of light through, while those in category 4 only let 3-8% through, meaning they are not suitable for driving. Category 3 is the most commonly used, as they are appropriate for most situations, including driving.</p> <p>So, do darker lenses protect you better? The short answer is: not necessarily. The degree of light absorption depends on how and where they will be used: category 4 lenses are designed for extremely bright areas like high mountains or deserts, but may actually reduce your visibility in other situations.</p> <p>However, all sunglasses that meet the established standards will protect your eyes from UV radiation.</p> <h2>Quality of vision</h2> <p>Wearing sunglasses can give the feeling that your vision is impeded. This is because a tinted lens selectively filters light: it lets in one type of radiation and limits another. Three concepts can help us understand how this works, and why it matters.</p> <p>First up is <strong>visual acuity</strong>. This is the term used to measure how “sharply” we see, and it is tested by asking patients to read increasingly small letters that appear on a screen or wall chart, with an ideal result around 100%. However, this test is performed with black letters on a well lit white background, so it does not take into account how visual quality may vary in other lighting conditions.</p> <p><strong>Contrast sensitivity</strong> is defined as the ability to differentiate objects from the surrounding background. It is, for instance, more difficult to distinguish black letters on grey backgrounds than on white backgrounds.</p> <p>Lastly, we have <strong>refractive errors</strong>, which affect both <strong>visual acuity</strong> and <strong>contrast sensitivity</strong>. These are what cause astigmatisms and make us long or short sighted. Wearing non-prescription sunglasses when suffering from any of these conditions can make vision even worse than it would be without them.</p> <h2>Colour matters</h2> <p>With all this in mind, we should also address the common question of lens colour. While colour does not affect protection, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11320153_Effect_of_variable_tinted_spectacle_lenses_on_visual_performance_in_control_subjects">it can affect contrast and the feeling of brightness</a>, because each colour filters out a different wavelength of light.</p> <p><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11320153_Effect_of_variable_tinted_spectacle_lenses_on_visual_performance_in_control_subjects">Grey lenses filter out all wavelengths of light</a>, while tints such as brown or green have a different effect on light absorption. This means that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10699545/">visual perception</a> tends to be brighter through a brown lens, very dark through grey ones, and more natural through green ones.</p> <h2>Plastic or glass lenses?</h2> <p>Colour isn’t the only thing that affects quality of vision: we also have to pay attention to what the lenses are made of. While they are most commonly made of specialised plastics – known as organic lenses – you can also find glass ones, known as mineral lenses.</p> <p>These two materials are not the same. Organic lenses are lighter and stronger, while mineral lenses are more scratch resistant and are less prone to colour distortion. This means that mineral lenses offer greater quality of vision.</p> <h2>What about polarised lenses?</h2> <p>Polarised lenses block light that reaches the eye at a certain angle after reflecting off a surface such as a road or water, thus reducing glare. They are particularly suited to driving or spending time around water.</p> <p>However, they can be unsuitable in certain situations. For example, they block light from screens, making them appear darker or even completely black, meaning devices often have to be rotated to improve visibility. They are also not ideal for certain winter sports: by eliminating glare they make it very easy to miss icy patches on the ground.</p> <h2>Other features</h2> <p>Lastly, there are certain design features that we cannot overlook when choosing a pair of sunglasses.</p> <p><strong>Gradient lenses</strong> are darker at the top, and graduate down to a lighter tint at the bottom – they usually absorb around 85% of light in their darkest area, and 10% in the lightest. These lenses are stylish, but that does not affect their protection against UV rays. That said, they might be better suited to cloudy conditions, and on a bright summer day they may not be the best option.</p> <p><strong>Reflective lenses</strong> have a layer on their outer surface that reflects light and enhances protection. Unfortunately, this treatment is easily damaged or scratched.</p> <p>Lenses with <strong>anti reflective coating on the inside of the lens</strong> provide greater clarity of vision by eliminating light reflected from behind the wearer. This treatment is usually applied to large sunglasses, or glasses with optically very high quality lenses.</p> <p>In the event of any doubt, the best possible advice is to speak to your optician or optometrist to find the sunglasses that best meet your needs.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/229953/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jacobo-garcia-queiruga-1496353">Jacobo García Queiruga</a>, Profesor Interino en el Área de Optometría (OD, MSc, PhD), <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/universidade-de-santiago-de-compostela-2533">Universidade de Santiago de Compostela</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/veronica-noya-padin-1529488">Verónica Noya Padín</a>, Investigadora predoctoral - Área de Optometría, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/universidade-de-santiago-de-compostela-2533">Universidade de Santiago de Compostela</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-buy-a-good-pair-of-sunglasses-229953">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Beauty & Style

News

Shop

Catalogues

Contests

Entertainment

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Property

Games

Information

Keep up to date

Search

"I choose to focus on a good memory": Jelena Dokic confirms her father's death

Aussie bank says good news on the way for homeowners

Cricket world in mourning after passing of Ashes legend

Good news for beach lovers

Cricket world mourns passing of Ashes legend

Tennis legends immortalised with special honour

Are eggs good or bad for our health?

Ash Barty shares pregnancy update

Bondi attack victim's father opens up about grief

Ash Barty loses high-profile Optus job

Aussies reveal their opinion on a "good" salary

A brief history of Christmas Pudding – and why it can actually be quite good for you

Airlines cancel flights after volcanic eruptions. An aviation expert explains why that’s a good thing

Predictably, domestic airfares surged after the collapse of Rex. There aren’t many good solutions

I spoke to 100 Japanese seniors, and learnt the secret to a good retirement is a good working life

What does a good death look like when you’re really old and ready to go?

Is thirst a good predictor of dehydration?

How do children learn good manners?

Five reasons why owning a pet is good for us

How to buy a good pair of sunglasses

Our Partners