Tag: 23. August 2023

For many Australian women, having big breasts isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

A new study out of Flinders University found that busty women believe breast reduction surgery would lead to a more healthy and active lifestyle.

What’s more, all 56 women in the study who’d undergone a reduction, or reduction mammoplasty, are living proof.

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Researchers quizzed close to 2000 women involved in the Parkrun program here in Australia, and also in the UK and South Africa, and found the bustier participants exercised less frequently and avoided high-intensity workouts.

„Women who had undergone breast reduction reported increased overall frequency, enjoyment and willingness to exercise in a group,“ Dr Claire Baxter, the study’s lead author, and a clinical registrar in reconstructive surgery at the Flinders Medical Centre, told Science Daily.

„Our study found that breast size affects exercise habits and that breast reduction surgery changes their willingness to exercise.“

Nicola Dean, a Flinders University associate professor, believes these findings prove the importance of Australian Federal Government subsidised mammoplasty surgeries because it will only benefit our health system in the long run.

With the extensive state-based requirements, the waitlist can be long, and even women in dire need might not get the stamp of approval.

„For example, there are body mass index (BMI) restrictions in Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania which can lead to waiting times of 12 months or more,” Prof Dean explained, adding that the issue is an international one, too.

An interesting requirement given the struggle these women encounter trying to exercise.

„In the UK, breast reduction surgery via the National Health Service varies across locations, resulting in a ‚postcode lottery‘ as breast reduction is considered a lower priority procedure.“

For some, the pain that comes with big breasts can be debilitating with back pain and sore necks common complaints, not to mention the battle to find a bra that actually offers the support you need. 

Participants were quizzed on their cup size “satisfaction levels”, and what researchers learnt was that AA, A, B and C cup ladies were generally happier than women who carried DD, E, F, G and H or greater breasts.

„The benefits of breast reduction surgery need more awareness and academic support,“ Dr Baxter concluded.

There’s no shortage of opinions when it comes to the health implications of our dependence on tech.

With gadgets of all shapes and sizes dedicated to monitoring our heart rates, sleep quality and active movement, it seems like there’s no better day and age for our wellbeing (cue my Apple watch nagging me to take a mindful minute to ‘reflect’).

But it seems our prolonged one-on-one time with our laptops could be triggering a chain of physiological reactions, according to experts.

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If you’ve ever noticed a shift in the quality of your breathing when you’re checking your emails, you might be experiencing screen apnea. 

The term was first coined by Linda Stone, a former high-rolling executive, after monitoring the way her regular breathing pattern was disrupted while working in front of a screen.

Why is this happening?

In a nutshell, screen apnea is just our body’s response to intense periods of mental focus and stimulation. In an attempt to conserve and redirect our energy to the task at hand, our breathing will become shallow and our heart rate will significantly slow down. 

With most people relying on multiple screens to work these days, screen apnea is fast becoming a phenomenon. 

No matter how many nights a week you spend practising Pranayama in Lululemon, your inhales and exhales might be feeling the strain of your concentration, 

For a lot of people, staring at a screen (or two) for eight hours a day is just part of their nine-to-five grind. While sporadic occurrences of screen apnea at night seem harmless, consistently being in the state all day for five days a week could have long-term impacts on the nervous system. 

Not only is the intense focus impacting our wellbeing, but the lack of movement from sitting in front of a screen all day is also contributing to screen apnea. 

“It’s a combination of not just what you’re doing but what you’re not doing,” Dr David Spiegel, director of the Center on Stress and Health at Stanford Medicine, told the New York Times.

Is this an excuse to ignore your emails?

While it might seem like ghosting your boss all day in the name of your health is the logical answer, there are a few more important takeaways from this research. 

Take a break

Deep breaths have been prescribed to many stressed patients throughout the years, but there’s actually a good reason behind it. Dr Spiegel suggests sighing loudly throughout the day can easily reset your breathing pattern. 

Experts also recommend actually scheduling breaks throughout the work day. While it may seem counterintuitive to set regular alerts to take a breath or get up and stretch, the reminders will help you get into a habit, breaking your work day up into more digestible chunks.

Minimise your devices 

What’s worse than one screen hurling notifications at you? Two! If your eyes and focus are constantly divided between work emails and Instagram reels, it’s time to utilise the ‚Do Not Disturb‘ function to limit distractions.