Author: hfhadmin

A 2016 study proves that the size of women has increased in the last decades- These findings could hopefully trigger the much- needed changes in the industry and make shopping more inclusive for curvier women.

Women have always been victims of unrealistic body expectations. Nowadays, the media’s unrealistic glorification of the “ideal” body image often triggers a whole range of negative emotions, from self-consciousness about their bodies to frustrations, hopelessness, and depression.

Plus, such unhealthy body standards can be extremely overwhelming for women who may be struggling with body image issues and eating disorders.

However, women can now add more ammo to their fight against it- as a 216 study showed that what we have been told for decades is a lie- and the average woman in America is not the size 14, but between a size 16 and 18!

Hooray!

Shopping can be daunting and tough for larger women, and Deborah Christel and Susan Dunn knew this well. Plus-sized women often feel left out from clothing and fashion, and these women believed that the reason for this was simple- the idea of the “average woman” being size 14 is incorrect.

These two women, both faculty in the department of apparel merchandising, design and textiles at Washington State University, decided to investigate the matter.

After measuring more than 5,500 American women, they found out that in the last two decades, the average waist measurement increased by 2.6 inches: from 34.9 inches to 37.5 inches!

These extra inches equate to between a size 16 or 18, which corresponds to a women’s plus size 20W.

In 2019, the CDC estimated that the average is now 38.7 inches, and this means that women on average in America wear a large or extra-large pant size or a dress size 18 to 20.

Note that the sizes and waist measurements differ between ethnic groups and races, what remains a fact is that the size of women has changed in recent decades.

Now, stores need to follow suit. Stylish fashion is usually unavailable for anyone wearing above a size 12. Therefore, the average women are excluded from the retail shopping experience, and this damages their self-esteem and sense of sense-worth.

Additionally, it costs retailers plenty of potential sales. Yet, even though the fashion industry denies it, the study, published in the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology, and Education, proved that the common woman is bigger than before.

Dunn and Christel hope their study will trigger changes in the industry and help curvier women find shopping more inclusive.

Dunn said:

“We hope that this information can get out and be used by industry and consumers alike. Just knowing where the average is can help a lot of women with their self-image. And we hope that the apparel industry can see the numbers and know that these women aren’t going away, they aren’t going to disappear, and they deserve to have clothing.”

She pointed out that larger women are just as deserving of stylish clothing as any other person. Therefore, their sizes should no longer be only available for purchase online or put in the back of a small plus-sized section, but they should be included with the rest of the clothes.

After the findings of the study were revealed, model Sonny Turner decided to support these efforts.

She posted a photo on her Instagram page and expressed her grievances with swimsuit designers specifically:

 “[High-street] bikinis do not cater for women of my body type. [The] majority of online stores don’t either. We need straps that aren’t so tight it’s as though our neck is about to snap off. We need bikini bottoms that don’t give us wedgies when we walk. We need string bikinis that don’t expose our vagina lips.

We need swimsuits that fit over our hips without dragging the neck of the costume down causing neck ache.”

Women of all shapes, curves, and edges, are equally beautiful and handsome, so society needs to stop urging them to feel bad about our bodies. Now.

Source: www.byrdie.com

Almost a decade ago, a 17-year-old boy sold his kidney on the black market in China, to find money and buy the newest Apple gadgets. This decision has left him bedridden for life.

Surviving the teen years is challenging for both, the youngsters, and their parents. The rapid physical development is accompanied by huge emotional changes, so this often leaves the teenager excited, confused, uncomfortable, stressed, and struggling to be accepted by others.

Being a teenager in the modern era seems to be an even more difficult emotional assault course. While the most common issues teens faced a few decades ago were findings a career path and starting a family, nowadays, young people face problems unique to their time.

Over the years, society and technology have come on a long way, but teen years remained confusing. One wrong decision in his adolescence has left a young man bedridden for the rest of his life.

Namely, the teenager sold his kidney to buy the newest Apple products!

Sadly, this boy learns an important lesson the hard way now. After a few years, he suffered an organ failure, and he may never be able to walk again. Back in 2011, Wang Shangkun, 17 at the time, didn’t have money for an iPad 2 and an iPhone 4, but he wanted them so badly.

While on the internet one day, he received a message from an organ harvester in an online chatroom, who told him that he could get him twenty thousand yuan for his kidney.

Shortly afterward, Wang underwent an illegal operation, carried out by two doctors who were also employed at local hospitals. His right kidney was removed and sold to an unknown person.

Wang got 3500 US dollars for the kidney and used that money to pay for his new electronic gadgets. When he returned home, his mother grew suspicious and forced him to confess what he’d done.

She said:

“When my son came home he had a laptop computer and an Apple phone. I asked him where all the money for that came from. When he couldn’t keep it to himself any longer he finally told us. He said, ‘Mum, I sold my kidney.’ When he told me I felt like the sky was crashing down on our family.”

Unfortunately, a few months after the operation, due to the unsanitary location of the operation and for not receiving proper post-operative care, Wang developed an infection in his other kidney.

He eventually experienced renal deficiency. Nowadays, in his mid-twenties, he is confined to bed and must receive daily dialysis to remove the toxins from his blood, as his kidney is unable to filter them.

Ironically, doctors say that he now needs a kidney transplant for himself. After the operation, nine people were arrested, and five of them have been charged, including the surgeon, the person who leased the operating room, and those who were tasked with hunting for donors through online chat rooms.

In China, there is a tremendous organ deficiency and has one of the lowest percentages of organ donation worldwide. Many people consider the human body sacred, so it should be buried as a whole, to show respect to their ancestors.

To meet the demand for organ donations, prisoners were used as donors for a long time. Yet, back in 2015, China publicly committed to stop the practice after being harshly criticized by the international public.

As an alternative, the government established a national organ bank, responsible for finding suitable organs and distributing them to those who need them the most. Unfortunately, critics say it is still easy for people with connections to abuse the system and avoid the waitlist.

In 2016, the Chinese government declared they had completed ten thousand organ transplants.

Yet, an independent report by the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China claims this number is much lower. They estimate that this number is somewhere between sixty to one hundred thousand transplants annually.

Plus, illegal trade with organs is still hugely spread.

The black market is highly prosperous, due to the high demand, and a human kidney can reach a price of over 250 thousand American dollars. People who struggle financially or are in debt are often victims of people who work on the illegal organ market.

The story of Wang proves that this can often cost one his life. Unfortunately, for those in need of an organ, it is the only solution to survive, as most patients die while waiting to receive one legally.

The best solution to the shortage problem is to convince the public to donate organs. This will decrease the demand for organs on the black market, which could eventually end this dangerous trade.

Sadly, it is too late for the teenager who sold his kidney. His life has been changed forever and now, he is left to the mercy of a malfunctioning system.

Source: www.unilad.co.uk

Most people have no idea what’s the name and purpose of the object in the photo- Can you guess it?

Technology advances over time, increasingly easing our everyday life. This constant progress often leaves out many machines and gadgets that were once very important in every household.

This is why we often don’t know the purpose of certain weird-looking objects that were commonly used back then.

The following photo is a similar challenge- it is said that an estimated percentage of 99% of the people on social media don’t know what this is (ok, maybe, this is an exaggeration?) and the rest 1% who do, are older people.

Some of them may have seen it in the homes of their grandparents.

Take a closer look! Do you have any idea?

I believe most of you weren’t successful. If you don’t know it the moment you look at the picture, chances are you are not going to figure out anyway. However, if you look carefully, you’d see that it’s partially made of crocodile skin. CROCODILE SKIN!

Its name is Hercules Vacuum Cleaner and it has been very popular in the 1930s.

In fact, it was one of the “most precious” home possessions anyone could have. It was very expensive and only the rich people could afford it, as it was sold during the Great Depression.

The product had a big cylindrical tube with a hole on top where the suction pipe was placed. It had sled-like boughs underneath, so it can stand when not in use. It also had a leather handle and was partially made of crocodile skin.

Interesting!

Yet, those who recognized this strange object were happy to comment and share the experience with others:

 “My nana had one. Hard as hell to maneuver around the house.”

Another wrote:

“I had a couple of them. Super good cleaners!!”

There are not many known facts available online about the Hercules vacuum cleaner. It was a manually-operated machine, and it did not need electricity.

Maybe the name “Hercules” was given to highlight the idea that it could clean “the impossible”!

People confirmed it was outstanding at swiping dirt, although it was difficult to move around. Similar to many older models of vacuum cleaners, this thing had to be pumped by hand.

Well, that’s a tricky one!

It looks harder than sweeping with a broom and I believe it was used only from time to time, probably when people wanted to clean their homes for special occasions.

Most of us were lucky to have a modern vacuum cleaner at home since we were kids. Yet, their technology was subjected to numerous changes over the decades, since their invention in the 1800s.

The first vacuum cleaner was invented by Daniel Hess of West Union, Iowa, in 1860. It used a rotating brush to swirl up dirt.

Back in 1869, Ives W. McGaffey upgraded the model and created the ”Whirlwind. This model needed cranking before it was able to start working. It had a fan that was driven by a belt, but it was huge and hard to use.

The first powered vacuum cleaner came to the scene in 1898 and was invented by John S. Thurman.

Ever since, vacuum cleaners have become very modern and mass-produced.  Nowadays, there is a vacuum in every household, and they are very handy when it comes to cleaning around the house.

Source: www.upliftingtoday.com

We have a new way to challenge your brains- Try to solve the following puzzle!

We all have different affinities, but I believe many would agree that there is no such thing as a bad time for a good book, an old wine, and a tricky brain teaser! To all geniuses out there, we have a new test to challenge your brains!

It is said that “only geniuses” can solve the following viral “IQ test”, so would you give it a try?

It has been viewed millions of times, with people arguing over the correct answer. Therefore, if you come up with the solution, you should be proud of yourself!

Here it is:

11 x 11 = 4

22 x 22 = 16

33 x 33 = ?

Did you figure it out?

If you are entirely confused, or even if you did solve it, but still need to check your answer, watch the video below:

Source: www.dailymotion.com

One Twitter user shared photos of her wrist, and the wrists of her friends, and soon realized that a lot of women have the same freckle on their wrists too.

Social media platforms serve numerous purposes, and often, they help us solve mysteries, discover secrets, find an old friend or a distant relative, or share some amusing information.

When Twitter user Los_Writer wrote about a mark that many people have as adults, his tweet received thousands of responses.

Namely, the post proved that a lot of people have wounds from being stabbed with a pencil as kids! Similarly, the post of Twitter user Aaryn Whitely shocked many and it quickly went viral!

She posted photos of her wrist, along with the wrists of a few friends, claiming that every woman has a freckle in the middle of their wrist.

She asked:

“Ladies… you got a freckle on the middle of your wrist or is this a myth.”

It turned out that a lot of women have a freckle in the same exact place. Many women shared photos of their freckles, and showed their excitement and shock in their comments.

People were shocked by the discovery!

Many said they have never even noticed their freckle before the meme went viral.

One user wrote:

 “Yeah, this is wild.”

Another added:

“I was like ‘nah’ but apparently I keep my wrist freckle under my watch.”

Others followed:

WTF pic.twitter.com/lVHyf7pHp1

— LTP (@lenatheplug) May 26, 2019

I mean I guess pic.twitter.com/EnUFbzH5Ke

— gingerspice🥀 (@mtg5678) May 25, 2019

pic.twitter.com/UJoIkNwUDV

— lily ☾ ✰ (@Lilybigreddog) May 26, 2019

Low key freaking out pic.twitter.com/GlGGlKVWPZ

— Frey (@Freyyx) May 25, 2019

“I was like haaaa not me. Then I looked at my left wrist!”

I was like haaaa not me. Then I looked at my left wrist 😂 pic.twitter.com/zU0jHMcDWj

— Karissa Pukas (@KARISSAPUKAS) May 26, 2019

“Okay.. but why do we all have this?!”

Okay.. but why do we all have dis?! 😅 pic.twitter.com/WrsVmmxjbj

— Kait (@KaitNicholexo) May 26, 2019

The reason for this phenomenon is unclear.

 NYC-based dermatologist Dr. Bobby Burka, says:

“Freckles are simply skin cells that form melanin, or melanocytes, that have either appeared, or darkened, due to sun exposure. Melanin is a pigment, or color, that helps protect skin from exposure to the sun by reflecting or absorbing harmful ultraviolet rays. It’s exposure to those rays that causes some melanocytes to create more melanin, which is why the darker spot develops.”

Yet, the mysterious freckle hit does look pretty crazy, don’t you think?

Take a look at your wrist now. Do you have the same freckle as all these people?

Source: www.seventeen.com

A couple of California offered their home to a 93-year-old veteran, whose town was burned to the ground.

Life is unpredictable, and often, a single event can easily turn all things upside down. The devastating Camp Fire two years ago left destruction and death behind, so countless families have been forced to leave their homes and seek their safety somewhere else.

The fire has left numerous people homeless and uncertain if their homes still exist. Among the many, the flames also engulfed the hometown of a 93-old-old World War II veteran, Lee Brundige.

The man lived in the home his late wife designed in Paradise, California, and he had no idea that the fire was coming, but his gardener started banging on his windows to wake him up.

Fortunately, the old man heeded the evacuation warning, and he initially ended up in Oroville, in a parking lot with other evacuees about 11 miles south of the fire. There, he met Tracy Grant, a woman who was helping feed the group of newly uprooted people.

Grant offered the veteran a hamburger, but he was too humble and refused it, explaining that someone else could benefit from it more. Grant asked him if he had a place to stay, but he insisted on sleeping in his car.

She said:

“I didn’t like leaving him there, but he’s very independent. So I made sure he had blankets and a pillow. I stayed with him until about midnight.”

Although she was deeply concerned, she respected his wishes. Yet, the next morning, the sheriff gave evacuees an ultimatum, evacuate, or risk your life.

At this point, Lee had to make a decision and accepted Grant’s offer. Lee went to live with the kind woman, her boyfriend Josh Fox, and their two dogs, Cash and Axel.

Grant then said they have no problem to offer Lee their home as long as he needs it, and they were not sure whether his home has survived the fire. They have then contacted Lee’s son, to work together and ensure Lee’s happy and peaceful future.

Meanwhile, they have learned more about their new roommate.

Grant added:

“We found he has many friends and is loved by his community. He can stay with us as long as he would like.”

These stories restore our hope in humanity and encourage us to recognize the good amidst all the bad. We can make the world a better place by just spreading goodness and happiness.

Even when we don’t have much, we can do much for others. We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need.

Source: www.wnep.com