21.08.11
Since her heavily publicised wedding to Prince William, Kate Middleton has become something of a style icon, with some of her high-street fashion choices selling out in seconds. But it seems it’s not just her dress sense that is providing inspiration.
The UK’s Daily Mail has reported the diminishing royal has become a “role model” for anorexics, with her dramatic weight loss appearing as a topic of debate on several US pro-anorexic, or ‘pro-ana’, forums.
“Is anyone else sort of getting hacked off by how much weight Kate Middleton is losing?” the Mail reports one such post as reading. “I am very jealous. I swear she used to be really quite chubby during her uni days,” the post continues.
Middleton is reported to be a UK size 4, or a US size 0, and has reportedly been featured as ‘thinspiration’ on some of the sites. According to a 2010 survey, 84 per cent of pro-ana websites feature galleries or video montages of slim, often celebrity women, in order to motivate readers towards weight loss.
The news comes a week after fashion title Grazia admitted to inadvertently digitally slimming down the Duchess of Cambridge’s waist on their front cover image published on 9 May.
In a statement, Grazia said it “would like to reassure all our readers that we did not purposely make any alterations to the Duchess of Cambridge’s image to make her appear slimmer, and we are sorry if this process gave that impression”.
19.08.11
As elderly women strive to maintain their youthful looks, it seems the younger generation are being encouraged to look older, with a new lingerie range targeting four to 12-year olds.
As well as featuring frilled pants and striped bras, that have been labelled “entirely inappropriate,” the range by French lingerie designer Sophie Morin has caused an uproar over the use of young models posing in make-up, camisoles and tousled, volumised hair.
Whilst website Fashionista.com called the range “disturbing,” Morin has defended her designs in a letter to the same publication.
“The materials…have no vulgar connotation: they are totally opaque, nothing transparent. The style is inspired by children’s fashion, with spots, bows, etc,’ she wrote, adding that “all I wanted to do was offer underwear that is soft and pleasant to wear.”
Psychologist Paul Miller, however, believes the underwear sexualises young girls, telling the ABC “the cultural message goes beyond ‘lingerie’ but to girls’ self-image, body image, and what it takes to build a ‘good’ image of one’s self.”
The lingerie launch comes just two weeks after 10-year-old model Thylane Loubry Blondeau provocatively posed for French Vogue, causing renewed debate over the sexualisation of young girls.
18.08.11
As ageing celebrities continue to defy gravity, grey hair and wrinkles, it’s refreshing to learn that three Brits are bucking the trend.
Oscar-winning actress, Kate Winslet, has reportedly launched the British Anti-Cosmetic Surgery League, along with the support of fellow actresses Emma Thompson and recently-married Rachel Weisz.
Winslet, 35, told the UK’s Telegraph that she “will never give in to cosmetic surgery,” adding that “it goes against my morals, the way that my parents brought me up and what I consider to be natural beauty.”
Winslet’s aversion to cosmetic enhancement is nothing new, having complained about her photograph on the cover of British GQ in 2003, which had been digitally manipulated. “I don’t look like that and I don’t desire to look like that,” Winslet told Sky News at the time.
16.08.11
In their fight against Hitler in World War II, British spies turned to science in an effort to calm the German dictator.
Professor Brian Ford from Cardiff University has uncovered a plot by British agents to dose Hitler with female sex hormones, hoping to make him more docile.
“There was an Allied plan that they would smuggle oestrogen into Hitler’s food and change his sex so he would become more feminine and less aggressive,” Ford says.
Revealed in his book Secret Weapons: Technology, Science And The Race To Win World War II, Ford uncovered the plot by analysing recently declassified files. However, dosing Hitler with oestrogen was not the only out-there strategy thought up by the Allies. Other ideas included dropping glue on enemy troops, dropping boxes of poisonous snakes, and disguising bombs as tins of fruit.
11.08.11
There’s less than a month to go until the first ball is booted from the grounds of Eden Park on 9 September, but for one man the dream of taking part in the Rugby World Cup 2011 is already over.
Despite being a leading rugby player in Japan, Ryohei Yamanaka has been banned from the sport for two years, and is blaming his moustache.
Having tested positive for steroid use during a random doping check, 23-year-old Yamanaka has laid blame on the hair growth cream he was using to help his moustache flourish.
Although it was clear the product would not enhance Yamanaka’s sporting performance, the International Rugby Board (IRB) decided the cream was a steroid, and the World Cup hopeful will therefore miss out on the forthcoming tournament.
“The player is an experienced rugby player,” the IRB said in a report. “Under the strict liability principle of the IRB’s anti-doping regime he properly accepted he was aware he had a personal duty of ensuring no prohibited substance entered his system.”
Yamanaka has pledged a return to the sport in two years time.
10.08.11
Rumour has it that MiNDFOOD cover star, Melanie Lynskey, who plays Rose in Two and a Half Men, has been tasked with killing off her co-star, Charlie Sheen.
Having been fired from the US sitcom back in March following a somewhat public furore with the show’s creator, Sheen’s character, Charlie Harper, has been replaced by Ashton Kutcher, who filmed his first episode earlier this week.
US gossip website, TMZ.com, has since reported that Lynskey ‘s character Rose finds Harper in the shower with another woman, and goes on to punish him buy pushing her husband from a subway platform and into the face of an oncoming train.
It’s a gruesome end to Sheen’s time on the show, but it seems the actor holds no grudges against Chuck Lorre, telling TMZ he’s planning a party to coincide with the airing of the show.
03.08.11
Jennifer Lopez has broken her (two week) silence following the break-up of her marriage to Marc Anthony, telling Vanity Fair magazine that she “worked hard” at her marriage, and that it was her “biggest dream.”
Whilst the UK’s Daily Mail reported that one reason for the high profile split was Anthony’s desire for Lopez to dress down, the mother of two was photographed by Mario Testino for the interview wearing nothing but a fur coat and high heels.
Despite this being the end of Lopez’ third marriage, the singer-turned-actress told Vanity Fair that she “remained an eternal optimist about love,” and that she hoped to marry again in the future. “It’s still my biggest dream,” she says.
Making mention of the well-known saying that you need to love yourself before you find love, Lopez confessed “It’s not that I didn’t love myself before. Sometimes we don’t realise we are compromising ourselves.”
02.08.11
The over 50s have received a bit of a boost, this morning, as Helen Mirren has been recognised for her ‘Body of the Year.’
At 66 years old, Mirren won just under 18 per cent of the votes in the LA Fitness poll, beating Elle Macpherson and Kelly Brook to the top spot, who came in second and third places respectively.
The poll gauged the opinion of 2,000 voters, and found David Beckham to have the best body in the men’s category.
“Helen Mirren’s victory in our Best Body poll illustrates how, when it comes to maintenance and well-being, age really is nothing but a number.” Tony Orme, marketing director for LA Fitness said in a statement.
“It’s great to see the public celebrating bodies of all shapes and sizes, and proving that you really can look fabulous over 40 and 50.”
Mirren was, however, the only representative for the over 50s in the top ten, with the remainder comprising those in their 20-30s.
The top ten female bodies of the year were voted for as follows:
1. Helen Mirren
2. Elle Macpherson
3. Kelly Brook
4. Jennifer Lopez
5. Cheryl Cole
6. Myleene Klass
7. Holly Willoughby
8. Pippa Middleton
9. Kate Winslet
10. Nicole Scherzinger
