Showing your friends a photo of the person you’ve just started seeing can be stressful – will they give you a raised eyebrow and approving nod, or will they burst your bubble? It’s a risky business with friends like mine: when I shared the first photo of my new boyfriend on Instagram, my mate Ross wrote a single-word comment: “Lannisters.”

Ouch. Luke and I don’t have the faces of Cersei and Jaime, but I could see Ross’s point: We’re both Lannister-shade dirty blonds with hazel eyes, and of similar height and build. Luke and I are certainly not remotely related – we grew up on different continents – but is the fact I've chosen someone so similar to myself some kind of twisted narcissism-by-proxy? Whatever it is, it does feel like a failure of creativity.

“Well, we don’t look dissimilar,” Luke says when I put it to him. Really? “Ok, we're in the realm of similarity that's noticeable at a passing glance,” he concedes. So does that mean I remind him of his mother? Luke studies me intently for three terrifying seconds, before deciding I don’t. “Why, do you think I look like your father?” Oh, this is a dangerous game.

Is this just a coincidence, or do I like Luke because he looks like me in boy form?

Now that I’ve noticed it, the similarity can be eerie, especially considering our wardrobes are almost exclusively grey and black, with a few blue items. This means we’ll often meet up after work and realise we’re in basically the same outfit, yet again. Black jeans and grey T-shirt! Or to mix it up, grey jeans and black T-shirt. I feel the urge to point out that we’ve both had several relationships with people who look very different from ourselves – this is a fluke, not some racist pattern of a lifetime. Going through my little black book shows an undeniable preference for tall, dark and beardy – I broke my "no blonds" rule for Luke! Asked if he has a type, Luke doesn’t think so, but after doing his own little inventory he reports finding a pattern: There’s a lot of curly brown hair. “Now that I think about it, you may be the only fair girl I've ever dated!” We’ve both learned something today.

But what’s going on here? Is this just a coincidence, or do I like Luke because he looks like me in boy form? The science is actually pretty clear on this: We’re far more likely to end up with someone who looks a lot like us. “There might be a tendency for young adults to go for opposites because they want to break with convention, but overall there seems to be evidence that we’re attracted, on a deeper level, to people who are similar to ourselves,” says Berit Brogaard, a professor at the University of Miami and director of the Brogaard Lab for Multisensory Research. Genetics is only one part of it: “Similarity in facial features can be the initial attraction, but eventually it's also going to be about [similarity in] personality traits, the way you act in different situations, and your likes and dislikes,” says Brogaard, who’s studied attraction both as a philosopher and neuroscientist.

Despite what we’ve seen on Game of Thrones, nature has a pretty good failsafe to stop you from fancying your siblings. But yes, says Brogaard, this taboo means it can feel a bit creepy to realise you look a lot like your partner.

As I’m wondering how to reconcile this awkward information, Brogaard says something that makes me feel a little more at ease: Even if they don’t look like each other at first, couples often start resembling each other over time. “You can come to adopt the speech patterns and mannerisms of people you're close to. Looking like each other isn’t just having a similarly shaped nose or equally big eyes, but also little things like hand gestures and the way you smile,” says Brogaard.

Luke and I have decided to lean into the Lannister factor, although we may need to start calling each other in the morning. Luke likes it: “I like your fashion style, and I like mine. It's casual and soft cotton. It’s deliberate and it fits.” I remind Luke of the time I tried on his jeans and was surprised to find they fit me better than my own: “Well, that makes me feel like I need to do more squats,” he laughs. But it’s convenient to be the same size: I recently bought Luke a jumper and tried it on myself to make sure it would fit him – it’s perfect.

So have we learned anything from this? Luke thinks about it. “With few exceptions, every woman I've dated has tried to change something about me. Clothing has been high on that list. But I wear the same 10 T-shirts over and over and you never give me a hard time.” I shake my head – thinking you can change your partner is a rookie mistake. And it’s not just women who do this: More than one guy has encouraged me to dress more girly.

Over the years I’ve adapted a uniform of grey-toned jeans and T-shirts similar to Luke’s, although he has a roster of button-up shirts for work. Simplicity is fine as long as the clothes fit properly. “Yes, but I also knock about the house in my PJs and don't shave for weeks at a time,” says Luke. “I wake up with bedhead and you think it's cute.” I laugh, but ultimately the reason Luke and I are together isn’t because we look similar – it’s because our personalities are similar. We’re both pragmatic night owls who know good things when we see them, including the value of a good pair of checked old-man flannel PJs.

Attraction is a murky science and the things that turn us on are often a mystery, even to ourselves. We may think we’re open-minded and unbiased when choosing our partners, but the science says decidedly otherwise – really, we like a familiar-ish face. I ask Brogaard if it’s possible this preference is a shortcut to seeking common ground? “I think that may be right,” says Brogaard. “Beyond biology, the studies of what makes people attracted to each other in the longer term show it’s the similarities. There’s much more a feeling of attachment when you're more similar than if you're different.” Regardless of what my primitive reptile brain is up to, I don’t care what colour eyes or skin my partner has. What I want is to be with a person who gets me, and what can I say – this one just happens to look a lot like me.

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The year is 2010, and I’m 16 years old. My mum is studying a picture one of my school friends has painted of me. "It’s great," she coos. "They’ve really captured your lopsided smile!" Just like realising on returning home that you’ve had lipstick on your teeth and feeling a wave of retroactive embarrassment, I was suddenly painfully aware of a physical flaw I never knew I had. Of course, other insecurities came to the fore over the years (Is my nose massive? Are my eyes too wide-set? Will my boobs ever catch up with my arse?) but I always, always, came back to my lips. My bottom lip is happily full, but my top lip is smaller than I’d like. When your beauty icons are as pillowy-pouted as Lana Del Rey and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, anything short of truly luscious lips feels paltry in comparison.

I, like the rest of the world, only really wised up to lip fillers circa Kylie Jenner. Prior to that, Goldie Hawn’s turn as Elise Elliot and her disastrous ‘work’ in The First Wives Club was enough for me to file fillers away as something that always goes horribly wrong. But with the proliferation of more natural-looking fillers and more transparency on social media (with a few taps, you can watch endless Hyperlapses of lips being mesmerisingly prodded with a needle and slowly expanded), I started to consider them. I even had a consultation with Mr Golchin, a plastic surgeon extraordinaire, but stopped short of going under the needle. Weirdly, the pain doesn’t bother me – it’s the fact that I might like them that scares me. At anywhere from £200-ish to £950 a pop, and factoring in the need for a top-up every six to nine months, it’s an expensive habit to begin in your early 20s. Especially considering my grooming is already reaching the level of pay-the-Amex-bill-without-looking-too-hard...

Luckily, there are a few alternatives that suit cash-strapped needle-phobes. Firstly, over the counter. Pretty much every beauty brand going offers some form of lip plumper these days but beyond a slightly uncomfortable tingle, do any of them work? After a MakeUpAlley deep-dive into the top-rated offerings, I was raring to go. The first one I tried was surely the most luxurious – Dior Addict Lip Maximiser, of course. It’s beautifully packaged, left my lips soft and glossy and healthy-looking, but there was no discernible improvement in volume. Next, I tried NIOD Lip Bio-Lipid Concentrate. This smelt...funny? Not bad per se, but overly sweet in a very artificial way. Nevertheless, I smoothed some over my lips and almost instantly felt a telltale tingle. Minutes later, my lips were visibly plumped but slightly red around the lip-line (something that persisted no matter how careful I was when I applied it), meaning you don’t want to apply this too close to leaving the house. Too Faced’s Lip Injection has some breathless reviews online, but I found the tingle unbearably painful (and I like to think my threshold is pretty high after years of waxing, threading and gruesome sports massages). I couldn’t tell you if it plumped my lips – I had to wipe it off after less than three minutes. Buxom’s Full-On Lip Polish definitely temporarily inflated my lips and the tingling was minimal, but the glossy finish confused me. I wanted something that would make my lips look fuller so I could apply lipstick over the top, so the gloopiness was a problem. Plus, considering they all seem to spread beyond your lip-line means you can’t exactly throw it on as you head out the door – I applied mine first thing in the morning and again before bed. I tried a few more, which I found to be largely unremarkable – think the slight burn of Carmex, a lick of hydration, but no noticeable plumping.

"Most lip plumpers work not unlike the way spicy food does," explained aesthetic doctor Dr Jack. "Capsaicin from chillis, caffeine, menthol or something like that is used to essentially irritate the lips, which drives blood and fluid to the area and gives you a plumped effect. The irritation releases chemicals called histamine and prostaglandin (Ed note: hayfever sufferers will be very familiar with the inflammation caused by histamines), and as the skin on the lips is so thin and the blood vessels are so visible, you get an immediately noticeable effect." While largely safe, Dr Jack did warn me off using something that’s essentially causing inflammation regularly, meaning I might stick to jalapeño margaritas rather than lip gloss in future.

Undeterred, I set my sights on something slightly more surgical. Through word of mouth I’d heard of a treatment at Dr Rita Rakus' clinic called The Perk (£75), which promised the effects of fillers for a fraction of the cost – and the longevity. Essentially, it uses focussed suction on your lips for a temporary plumping effect, followed by a take-home peppermint treatment to add further hydration and keep your lips perked up. Which is why, one Friday afternoon, I found myself lying prone on a bed in Knightsbridge, having my lips gently hoovered by a friendly lady with an excellent set of lash extensions. It takes less than 10 minutes, doesn’t hurt at all and your lips are noticeably fuller afterwards, albeit temporarily. I asked my aesthetician to focus the majority of the suction on my upper lip to balance it out, and it looked lush and plump, though I’m not sure why it’s billed as a once-a-month treatment – I found my lips went back to normal by the end of the weekend. For a special occasion, or to help you get an idea of what your lips will look like with filler, it’s ideal. The clinic also gave me Dr Rakus’ own lip plumper to try, which had impressive results for an only slightly painful amount of tingling.

Of everything I tried, I would recommend The Perk and NIOD’s Lip Bio-Lipid Concentrate most wholeheartedly. The effects of the NIOD apparently get even better after 30 days – I’m pushing nine or 10, so I’m curious to see how much more can be done. I still don’t know if I’m going to get my lips done. More and more of my peers are doing it and theirs look great. I’m just worried about falling down a slippery slope I can’t finance quite yet. After all, as I lay on the bed in Dr Rakus’ clinic, under the harsh strip light, my aesthetician said gently, "Have you ever thought about Botox?"

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The UK's most senior family judge has warned the country will have “blood on its hands” if an NHS hospital bed cannot be found for a 17-year-old girl who has tried to kill herself several times, according to the BBC.

The unnamed teenager [X], who has been detained for six months, is due to be released from secure youth custody in 11 days because she will be too old. Sir James Munby, the president of Family Division of the High Court, said today that society should be "ashamed" that no hospital place has been found for her where she can continue to receive treatment.

The Guardian reported that the intervention by the courts "highlights the state of mental health provision in the UK". Sir Munby said it showed a "disgraceful and utterly shaming lack of proper provision in this country of the clinical, residential and other support services".

“If, when in 11 days’ time she is released from ZX [the unnamed facility], we, the system, society, the state, are unable to provide X with the supportive and safe placement she so desperately needs, and if, in consequence, she is enabled to make another attempt on her life, then I can only say, with bleak emphasis: we will have blood on our hands,” Munby wrote to the court. “We are, even in these times of austerity, one of the richest countries in the world. Our children and young people are our future. X is part of our future. It is a disgrace to any country with pretensions to civilisation, compassion and, dare one say it, basic human decency, that a judge in 2017 should be faced with the problems thrown up by this case and should have to express himself in such terms."

Sir Munby has no power to put her under a care order from mid-August. Despite ordering a plan for her future care back in June, she did not meet the medium secure unit threshold as she is only deemed a threat to herself. There is a six-month wait list for low secure unit beds. Staff at the unit where she is being held say that sending her home would be a "suicide mission to a catastrophic level".

Copies of the judgment will now be sent to Home Secretary Amber Rudd, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, and the chief executive of NHS England in the hope of an intervention.

“This is tragically not as unusual a case as people might think," said Norman Lamb, the Lib Dem former health minister, according to The Guardian. "Many lives are lost due to such failures in the system. We have made big advances in reducing death rates among people with heart conditions and HIV/ Aids but across the world we have not made the same progress on suicide, one of the biggest killers of young people there is."

An NHS England spokesperson said: “We have heard the comments from the judge and completely agree that a solution must be found."

If you are thinking about suicide, please contact Samaritans on 116 123. All calls are free and will be answered in confidence.

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Summarising her role in the tumultuous, riotous New York rock scene that came to define the first decade of the 21st century, Karen O says: “Every now and then I’ll hear, ‘Thank you so much, you really got me through high school… and I don’t know what to say back… But really in my head I’m like, ‘I manifested that shit for you! I wanted to get in there like a motherfucker and that’s what I did.’”

This singular line from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ charismatic singer comes towards the conclusion of Meet Me In The Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001-2011, US music writer Lizzy Goodman’s fun, sprawling and definitive oral history of the time, published in the UK today.

Encompassing vast interviews with band members, scene-makers, producers, label executives, journalists, hangers-on, also-rans and many more in between (remember The Moldy Peaches?), the book tells the gossipy tales of a brief, scuzzy moment.

Of how The Strokes, with their natural packaging of leather jackets, skinny guitar lines, skinnier jeans and downtown cool, kickstarted a revival in interest in garage rock and New York itself – and set a certain style template that continues today. Following them came a new rock onslaught with the likes of Interpol and on to the more commercially successful Killers and Kings of Leon. The book also tells the concurrent story of the rise of James Murphy, his band LCD Soundsystem and label DFA, and delves into the later-blooming Brooklyn scene, from TV on the Radio to Vampire Weekend.

And, of course, a vital part of all this was the emergence of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the loud, messy trio of Brian Chase, Nick Zinner, and Karen O, who emerges as one of the book’s true heroes. It was her time.

“For me, the main character of the story is New York City,” Goodman tells me, “but Karen is the era’s signature rock star. She embodies everything that made the city and this period of time great – she’s joyous and dangerous, innocent and playful but also absolutely do-or-die committed to every note she sang, pair of ripped fishnets she wore, and fountain of beer she spewed onstage. I also found that everyone else was in awe of her, and still is. The era produced some great rock stars – Julian Casablancas and Jack White, James Murphy – but almost all of them name-checked Karen as the barometer for the era’s essential feel, this blend of youth and abandon.”

Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner recalls in the book: “She had this infectious, super-wild, didn’t-give-a-fuck, awesome, fun, silly thing.”

From the arrival of the band’s first EP in 2001, through their volatile live shows and on to subsequent albums, particularly debut Fever to Tell in 2003, Karen O quickly received attention from the music and style press, and fans alike. Her wild onstage persona, vocal and lyrical depth and eccentric outfits, conceived with designer Christian Joy, made her a totem of the time.

“Karen was our fearless leader,” says Joy, a constant collaborator, in Meet Me In The Bathroom. ”I feel like a lot of girls, myself included, finally felt like we had someone onstage we could relate to.”

Marc Spitz, then a writer at Spin magazine, continues the theme: “She was bold in her lyrics… She brought some good put-the-boys-in-their-place sort of energy.”

Fitting in a male-dominated music world was common but for music journalist April Long, Karen O changed things. “To see Karen with her stuff out in her ripped stockings and her red lipstick and her overt sexuality was absolutely stunning,” Long tells Goodman. “I think that’s what people responded to... it was to see this woman owning her sexuality and owning the stage.”

Throughout the book there is a sense of Karen navigating contradictions: being a prominent woman in a very male-centric scene, but not wanting to be solely defined by that – while being fully aware of it; constantly called on to have opinions on feminism yet not seeking to be on a soapbox, but also having clear thoughts to express. “I am going to paraphrase Susan Sarandon here,” Goodman explains, “and say that the goal of feminism is that women get to be as big assholes as men. Karen is and always has been a rock star who is a woman, just as Jack White is a rock star who is a man. And yet we don’t live in a world (YET!) where one is equal to the other, not only in terms of issues like equal pay and other forms of circumstantial and financial opportunity but in terms of sheer numbers.”

Goodman adds: “What I think Karen concluded, is to speak to these issues when and if you feel moved to, but to always remember that there is no greater feminist action Karen O could take than getting onstage and slaying night after night.”

Since Yeah Yeah Yeahs' fourth album Mosquito in 2013, things have been relatively quiet for the band, though they are returning to live shows later this year. In the meantime, Karen O released a low-key solo album, was nominated for an Oscar for a song in the film Her, and had her first child with husband Barnaby Clay, a filmmaker.

What comes next isn’t clear but Goodman sees her as an important figure in music, a beacon of the early 2000s, and a continuing influence now – for women and men.

This influence isn’t about imitation, it’s more an idea and an energy, Goodman explains: “Karen’s greatest legacy – any great artist's legacy – has to do with radiating a sense of truth about themselves and the world around them, which inspires their fans to do the same in their own lives. Let’s just say there are a lot of Karen disciples running around, you can recognise them by their swagger, their sense of joy, and their steely, don’t-fuck-with-me internal will.”

Meet Me In The Bathroom is published today by Faber & Faber.

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Since the announcement that the H&M group would be expanding with a new high street store, Arket, aiming to democratise quality through widely accessible, well-made products, designed to be worn and adored for a long time, we've been counting down the days until the first store opens on London's Regent Street. Following a teaser in June, today, Arket reveals its debut campaign showcasing the first collection, shot by photographer Zoe Ghertner and styled by Jodie Barnes. As promised, Arket has delivered the Scandi-inspired, chic everyday uniform we'd hoped for.

From cosy cashmere knits to an elegant, long-sleeved floral dress, precision-fit denim and the perfect trench, Arket's timeless 'archive' collection offers a versatile foundation of products you'll want to wear again and again. These wardrobe essentials will be repeated through the seasons in varying materials, colours and proportions to create an ideal everyday uniform. "Each item in the product family is intended to be a perfect version of itself – everything has earned its place on the shelf," a press release from the brand explained.

Slightly more expensive than H&M, with clothing ranging from around £33 to £100, the higher price points indicate a commitment to creating beautiful clothes that are made in an ethical and socially responsible way. "Sustainability has been a primary consideration in developing the Arket brand and naturally incorporated in all processes, from the choice of suppliers and materials to informing customers about how to care for their products to prolong their lifespan," the release asserts.

Before the first Arket store opens on Regent Street on Friday August 25th (set your alarms), followed by a second store in Covent Garden later this year, decide exactly which pieces you'll be snapping up from the campaign images ahead.

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Is it too late for him to say sorry?

After abruptly cancelling his tour last week, Justin Bieber is apologising to his fans. The singer shared a sweet message on Instagram about his decision to end the Purpose tour and how much his fans' support means to him.

"Im so grateful for this journey with all of you.. Im grateful for the tours but most of all I am grateful i get to go through this life WITH YOU.!" Justin Bieber wrote in the note. "Learning and growing hasn't always been easy but knowing I im not alone has kept me going. I have let my insecurities get the best of me at times."

Bieber went on to become brutally honest about his past.

"I let my broken relationships dictate the way I acted toward people and the way I treated them! i let bitterness, jealously and fear run my life.!!!!" he wrote in the post. "I am extremely blessed to have people in the past few years help me build my character back up reminding me of who I am and who I want to be!!!. Reminding me my past decisions and past relationships don't dictate my future decisions and my future relationships."

A post shared by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) on Aug 2, 2017 at 4:52pm PDT

As for the tour's cancellation, Bieber explained that he's taking time off from performing so that he can "be sustainable." He also said that the tour "taught me so much about myself."

"I want my career to be sustainable, but I also want my mind heart and soul to be sustainable. So that I can be the man I want to be, the husband I eventually want to be and the father I want to be," he wrote in the post.

Bieber's note appears to be a photo of something he typed using a computer. Honestly, it seems more genuine than a Notes app apology would. He ends the message on a sweet note, too, saying that "this message is very grammatically incorrect but its from the heart."

In the July 24 announcement about his tour, Bieber's rep said in a statement that "due to unforeseen circumstances, Justin Bieber will cancel the remainder of his Purpose World Tour concerts." Two days later, Bieber accidentally hit a paparazzi member with his car and stayed with the man until help arrived on the scene.

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Game Of Thrones may be all about female leaders — but female writers is a different story. In a recent piece, Vanity Fair pointed out that the HBO series, which is on its seventh season, boasts only four episodes that were written by women. That's a pitiful 6.6% of episodes in the first six seasons, and 5.9% total if it continues this trend for the remainder of the seventh.

This is absurd for so many reasons, especially for a show whose recent message has been all about female empowerment. While we appreciate the feminist arc of the story, it doesn't pack the same punch when women's voices aren't the ones writing it.

Plus, the episodes written by women have frequently been some of the strongest. For instance, Jane Espenson was behind 2011's "A Golden Crown," the episode that ended with Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa) pouring molten lava over Daenerys' (Emilia Clarke) brother Viserys' (Harry Lloyd) head, killing him and proving that he wasn't a true dragon.

The remaining three women-written episodes belong to Vanessa Taylor. "The Old Gods and the New" includes Bran's (Isaac Hempstead Wright) first escape with Rickon (Art Parkinson), Hodor (Kristian Nairn), and Osha (Natalia Tena), and also the excellent moment when Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) slaps Joffrey (Jack Gleeson). "Garden Bones" features more of Joffrey's cruelty and Arya's (Maisie Williams) brief stint as Tywin Lannister's (Charles Dance) cupbearer. "Dark Wings, Dark Words," the final episode written by Taylor, is the second episode of the third season of Game Of Thrones, when Theon's (Alfie Allen) capture by Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) begins, and Arya runs into the Brotherhood Without Banners.

And that's that for female writers on the series. Of course, it's possible that the remaining episodes will make up for it, but with both seasons 7 and 8 being cut short — the final two seasons of the series — this inequality looks pretty set in stone.

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Personalities are complex: No one could argue with that. So why do we so readily reduce ourselves to labels, touting our introversion or extraversion like a blood type? Can we escape this personality binary?

When I've been asked in the past, I've typically called myself an introvert. After all, I have the quintessential trappings: I prefer small gatherings to huge parties, small talk tends to make me uncomfortable, and I need quite a bit of time alone to feel like “myself.” But don’t paint me into a introverted corner, because I have an extroverted side, too. I love expressing myself through my work. In my younger days, I played guitar and sang in rock bands. And if you really need proof, check out how loquacious and animated I get when talking about "Adventure Time"!

Beyond a spectrum of extraversion, there’s a whole lot more that complicates personality. In the 1980s, psychologists developed the Big Five model of personality (also called the five factor model) by poring over dictionaries and listing every word that can be used to describe a person. They found that these words fit into five different dimensions of personality: neuroticism, openness to experience, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and — everybody’s favourite — extraversion. Unlike the ever popular Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Big Five is based on data, known to be more accurate, and available for anyone to take for free online.

So I took it. In the above video, I push past my assumed introversion to confront a more whole and honest view of my personality, one that includes anger, anxiety, openness, and, yes, extraversion.

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Body-shaming comes in all different forms — sometimes, it's the person commenting on your Instagram to call you fat as an insult, and sometimes it's the concern troll or even a doctor who makes a comment about your body because they're just really worried about your health.

But any which way you spin it, body-shaming can take a toll on a person's mental and physical health, especially if it comes from a medical professional. A review of recent research presented at the 125th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association confirmed that fat-shaming does indeed exist within the medical community, and it's physically and mentally harmful for patients.

During a symposium called "Weapons of Mass Distraction — Confronting Sizeism," Joan Chrisler, PhD, a professor of psychology at Connecticut College, spoke to the effects of fat-shaming from doctors.

"Disrespectful treatment and medical fat shaming, in an attempt to motivate people to change their behaviour, is stressful and can cause patients to delay health care seeking or avoid interacting with providers," she said, according to a release shared with Refinery29.

As the researchers noted in an abstract, those with intersectional identities may suffer even more from discrimination, such as sexism, ageism, racism, classism, and transphobia.

"Recommending different treatments for patients with the same condition based on their weight is unethical and a form of malpractice," Dr. Chrisler added. "Research has shown that doctors repeatedly advise weight loss for fat patients while recommending CAT scans, blood work, or physical therapy for other, average weight patients."

Those who have been stressed out at the thought of being weighed at the doctor for this reason can likely attest to Dr. Chrisler's statement. Earlier this year, a study found that fat-shaming can be linked to greater risk of other diseases, including diabetes and heart disease — and that study wasn't even specific to the way doctors sometimes treat patients based on their size.

"Implicit attitudes might be experienced by patients as microaggressions — for example, a provider’s apparent reluctance to touch a fat patient, or a headshake, wince or ‘tsk’ while noting the patient’s weight in the chart," Dr. Chrisler said. "Microaggressions are stressful over time and can contribute to the felt experience of stigmatisation."

In the end, the researchers recommended better training for health care providers when it comes to empowering and speaking to patients.

The bottom line is, size discrimination is an issue deep-rooted enough to permeate even professional settings where we're supposed to rely on doctors to prioritise our health instead of giving way to weight-based biases.

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It's normal to have fears about becoming a parent: It can feel like every aspect of your life changes, and you're suddenly responsible for moulding a little blob into a fully functional human — but no pressure.

A new short film in TOPIC's three-part series Still Life, Hydrangea, puts a magnifying glass on another common new-parenthood fear: What will having a kid do to my relationship? The fictional, surrealist movie is included in a three-part series called "Still Life, " directed by Jim Cummings. Each segment explores a topic that's shaping the American cultural conversation right now, such as parenting, gender, and the digital age.

Hydrangea takes place on the set of an infomercial starring a couple and their son. During a break from filming, the couple has a tense conversation where they ping-pong small digs, like, "You shouldn't get so worked up," and "Have you not been listening to me?" Eventually the blows get bigger, like, "This is you breaking from your Lexapro regimen."

At one point in their argument, the mother, Hannah (played by Hannah Elder) asks her husband David (played by David Henry Gerson), "When did you get so horrible?" He says, "When I became a dad — when I became a father with responsibilities to support our family." It's a familiar, freeze-frame kind of moment that will give you pause, whether you have kids or not. Relationships change when kids come into the picture, and any stressors that were there before parenthood are amplified after, says Stephanie Owen, LMFT, founder of Motivational Parenting. But the good news is that there are some steps you can take to make sure you are more equipped to handle them.

The most important tip? Don't try to be perfect, says Esther Boykin, LMFT, a relationship therapist. "There are going to be periods of time where you don't get along, but if you are committed to putting in the effort to move through that, that's the goal." Ahead is the advice relationship experts wish people knew before having children.

Admit that you don't really know what you're doing.
Go into parenthood with the expectation that you and your partner will be the best you can be with the tools you have, so that there's room for mistakes and growth, Owen says. Boykin adds that many couples fight because each person has a vision of who they thought their partner would be as a parent. The truth is that parenting is going to be different for you and your partner individually "Everything is new, and there are a lot of internal expectations that really don't show up until after you've had the baby," she says.

Acknowledging that parenting is a continual process that requires trial and error will make the ups and downs feel more manageable, Owen says. "The hardest part of being a new parent is the incredible vulnerability that comes with putting yourself on a parenting ledge and acknowledging that you don't know what you're doing."

Practice self-care.
Amid everything you do for your new spawn, don't forget about your own mental health. "There is pressure [for parents] to always 'do more' for the other important components in their lives, but not for themselves as a partner in the relationship," says Summer Brown, LMFT, a relationship therapist. Taking time to practice self-care, and encouraging your partner to do the same, will make the smaller frustrations seem easier. "If all the things you need to do just to feel okay day to day aren't happening, then everything is a problem and everything will set you off," Boykin says.

Self-care can be as simple and low-cost as going to the library, or taking a longer shower or bath, Brown says. "As partners, you can set up a babysitter or a care swap with friends and spend a couple hours together doing something sans offspring," she says. And it's also important to keep in touch with your friends who have kids, and the ones who don't, Boykin says. "This is now a part of who you are, so that means there will be new things that you're going to discover about yourself, and you need a tribe of people who can support all the various pieces of you."

Consider therapy.
In case you missed it: There is absolutely nothing wrong with going to therapy or couple's therapy, particularly before you have kids, says Lena Aburdene Derhally, MS, LPC, a licensed psychotherapist. "It's important to be very clear about the baggage you bring to your relationship and how that will affect your relationship when you add a new dynamic, such as having a child," she says. Therapy can allow you to "think deeply about the challenges that you may face individually and as a couple once the child is born." Ultimately, you want to start your journey into parenthood from a place at which you feel like you understand your partner's intentions and feel understood, Owen says. Also, something that could've helped our fictional friends Hannah and David, a therapist can help you stop arguing about the little things and have a real conversation about what's going on in your relationship.

Say what you feel and really listen.
Communicating can get hard when you haven't slept, and there are hungry mouths to feed, but it's still important. Instead of throwing small digs out of frustration, like the couple in the film, Brown suggests starting with this sentence stem: "I feel...when you..." For example, "I feel grateful when you give me 10 minutes to shower," or "I feel frustrated when you don't supervise the kids cleaning up their rooms on the weekend." The point is to express your feelings about the behaviour that your partner displays, so they get a clear picture how you're impacted, she says. In Hydrangea, the father figure says, "I know, I'm the worst because I don't listen," to express his frustration, and he's right that listening is half the battle. "Try to listen to each other more than trying to be heard," Brown says.

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On any given Monday morning, when most of L.A. is sitting in traffic on the way to work, LaQuishe “Q” Wright, 41, can be found in a dark movie theatre with her phone out. She’s usually the only one there, which is ideal for her purposes: She wants to watch the latest flick while working, without anyone getting annoyed.

“I love movies — a movie is what started all of this,” Wright says.

Wright is talking about her job. She’s a pioneer of a new kind of career: social media manager to the stars. Wright works with seven to 10 A-listers at a time, who rely on her for around-the-clock Twitter and Instagram posts.

Her job is an important one in Hollywood, seeing as how a celebrity presents themselves online can determine what movies they’re considered for, who their fanbase is, and how they’re written about in the media. Nowadays, you’d be hard-pressed to name an A-lister without some sort of social media presence, whether that’s on Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat. But just 11 years ago, when Wright was launching this career, being online was far from status quo.

Now, Wright gets the kind of access that reporters and fans can only dream of. (Wright asked that her clients remain anonymous for the purposes of this piece, though a quick Google search will give you a good idea of who they are.) In order to do her job well, she needs to combine complete access with constant awareness. Her celebrity clients know she’s someone they need to text back.

Her phone is always powered up, ready for when a message comes in at 3 a.m. She has special ringtones for each of her celebrity clients so that she doesn’t miss them. She also needs to know each and every one of her celebrity clients intimately. Otherwise, the voice she helps them develop online won’t feel authentic — and fans can sniff out inauthenticity from a mile away.

Two press junkets and a #movieawards later, and I'm finally headed to bed. What an incredible day! Back at it bright and early tomorrow. #adventuresinsocialmedia #norestfortheweary

A post shared by LaQuishe "Q" Wright (@qfromctu) on Apr 10, 2016 at 12:32am PDT

From the onset of her work relationship with a star, she is in constant communication with them. She sees it as a partnership; working together to “navigate the social space organically, just like how they would if it was just them doing it all the time all by themselves,” she explains.

“My job is to figure out each person’s comfort level in the social space, because everyone is different,” Wright says. “We have to figure out what your social personality is, who you want to be, and how you want to connect with your audience.”

Figuring out someone else’s social personality is nowhere near as easy as it sounds. It’s a time-intensive, deep-dive process: Wright does extensive interviews with clients, research on her own (which includes watching and reading past interviews they’ve done), and spends time on press tours and film sets. All of this is to gain a better understanding of how her clients talk about themselves — from their voice, to how they tend to answer questions, and what issues are important to them.

Once she has that down, she amplifies a celebrity’s presence on social media, and makes sure to post on a steady base. “You need to be consistently communicating with your fanbase or whoever follows you, because that is how we authentically use social media.”

Wright learned the value of posting consistently through her own experiences blogging about celebrities. Her path to the entertainment industry and even social media was an unexpected one. A self-described “tech geek,” Wright enrolled in computer classes at a local university at the young age of eight. She went on to earn a scholarship to Texas A&M University where she majored in computer science, with a minor in business management.

After graduating, she spent a number of years working as a management consultant and then in the financial systems department at Continental Airlines. But she worried about layoffs post-9/11, and taught herself web design and search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy as insurance. She took on small projects for local clients. One day, Wright Googled actors from a movie she saw and was surprised to find they had no presence whatsoever online. Instead, she found fan communities, mostly ones run by young, teenage girls with crushes, who proclaimed their love online on blogs and MySpace.

It was her first exposure to the world of blogging. “I wanted to learn how to create content people were interested in and how to foster a community,” she says. She picked an actor she liked and started a blog of her own, using entertainment sources like Variety and The Hollywood Reporter to find news and share it in ways that resonated with her audience, which grew to 30,000 visitors within the first month.

“It was the very beginning of teaching me how to wrangle a fanbase,” Wright says. “I figured out where the communities were, and how to bring them to one singular space.”

A few months into blogging, she received a message: One of the actors she had been blogging about liked what she was doing, and wanted her to become their official presence online. At the beginning, MySpace was the primary place for developing a voice, but as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook grew, Wright set out to establish her client on those platforms, too.

“My job is to figure out each person’s comfort level in the social space, because everyone is different."

Wright now tells her clients that they don’t need to be on every social platform, but they do need to be where their audience is. For a long time, many of her clients were hesitant about using Snapchat, because they didn’t feel comfortable handling it themselves in real-time when she wasn’t with them.

A big part of Wright’s job is helping the stars she works with become more comfortable online. When she is with them on a press tour, for example, she’ll use Snapchat so they become more accustomed to doing it on their own. She teaches them how to effectively use newer technologies like Facebook Live, too.

Wright is a born-and-raised Texan who still calls Houston home, but she spends much of her time in L.A., since it’s where her clients reside. She has a small team of employees in Houston who help her organise her clients’ content calendars, keeping track of when studios are going to release trailers for actors’ films and figuring out what posts will need to go up around these. But everything funnels through her. In addition to planning posts ahead, she specialises in finding last minute social coverage solutions.

This year, Wright went to Spain on vacation and was sailing in the middle of a lake when she found out some images related to a client’s movie were coming out. Her WiFi hotspot saved the day.

“I know people on the boat were a bit annoyed with me because I was trying to work, but I’m on 24/7,” Wright says.

The images Wright wants to post aren’t always the ones a studio or an actor’s team want them to share. But the numbers, millions of followers and hundreds of thousands of likes, don’t lie, and Wright knows what kinds of posts get the most engagement.

“If I post something that’s behind the scenes and organic, [as opposed to] something that’s more stylised, the numbers are always off the charts,” she says.”That’s my job with my client and their fans — to help the fans feel like they’re being brought into this amazing and interesting and different process.”

As for what the future holds, Wright says she wants to start training film studios and on-set teams to be more social media savvy. After all, there is only one of her.

“People ask me what my system is, and I wish I had one, but I don’t,” she says. She doesn’t end our interview without doling out some sage social media advice: “Maybe that’s why it’s authentic. It’s literally just, ‘Who are you and what do you want to talk about?’ Don’t overthink it.”

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Donald Trump once questioned the wisdom of taking vacations. "What's the point?" he asked in 2004.

But now the president is getting ready to join the annual August exodus from the town he calls "the swamp." Trump is due to set out Friday on his first extended vacation from Washington, D.C. since the inauguration — a 17-day getaway to his private golf club in central New Jersey.

The president's vacation could be driven, in part, by necessity. Everyone who works in the West Wing of the White House, including the Oval Office occupant himself, will be forced to clear out by week's end so the government can replace the balky, 27-year-old heating and cooling system.

But the White House hasn't been entertaining questions about the president's August plans.

Asked whether Trump would be leaving Washington this month, given his recent warning that Congress should stick around until it votes on healthcare legislation, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday: "We'll continue to keep you guys updated on his August schedule as those details are finalised."

Trump likes to tout his disdain for taking vacations, when the truth is he takes them constantly.

"Don't take vacations. What's the point? If you're not enjoying your work, you're in the wrong job," Trump wrote in his 2004 book, Trump: Think Like a Billionaire.

He told Larry King in an interview that year that "most of the people I know that are successful really don't take vacations. Their business is their vacation. I rarely leave. You know that," Trump said. "You and I are friends. How often do you see me going away?"

Actually, Trump gets out of town quite often. So far, he has spent 13 of his 28 weekends in office away from the White House, mostly at his properties in Palm Beach, Florida and Bedminster, NJ, according to an Associated Press count. The figures include a weekend of official travel overseas and Father's Day weekend at Camp David, the government-owned presidential retreat in Maryland.

Contrast Trump's own getaways with his criticism of President Obama's vacations and frequent golf outings before and during last year's presidential campaign.

"@BarackObama played golf yesterday. Now he heads to a 10 day vacation in Martha's Vineyard. Nice work ethic," Trump tweeted in August 2011.

@BarackObama played golf yesterday. Now he heads to a 10 day vacation in Martha's Vineyard. Nice work ethic.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 15, 2011

The habitual vacationer--@BarackObama--spent 9 days before the critical Super Committee deadline traveling. He failed to lead, again.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2011

The habitual vacationer, @BarackObama, has sacrificed so much. He is delaying his 17 day Hawaii vacation a couple of hours.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2011

Trump said last year he would be too busy for golf if he became president. "I'm going to be working for you, I'm not going to have time to go play golf," he told supporters in Virginia.

But he plays golf whenever he's at his clubs; sometimes it's the full 18 holes, other times less. His staff rarely acknowledges that he plays, even when photos of him on the course pop up on social media.

Looks like @POTUS hit the links today. Not via WH press pool, but via Instagrammer at his club pic.twitter.com/Uptz2hlLCh

— Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) May 6, 2017

Presidents have been escaping Washington's summer heat and humidity for a long time. Harry Truman played poker on the porch in Key West, FL. Ronald Reagan rode horses at his mountain ranch in California.

Bill Clinton and Barack Obama both spent August vacations on Martha's Vineyard, the tiny Massachusetts island that serves as a summer playground for the rich and famous. George W. Bush retreated to his secluded Crawford, TX ranch to clear brush and ride his mountain bike.

President @BarackObama's vacation is costing taxpayers millions of dollars----Unbelievable!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2012

Trump isn't the exception — even if he has preached for years that vacations are useless and a waste of taxpayer money.

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Update: Michelle Carter was sentenced to 15 months in jail for involuntary manslaughter on Thursday for urging her suicidal boyfriend to kill himself in dozens of text messages.

This story was originally published on August 3, 2017 at 12:40 p.m.

A Massachusetts woman who encouraged her boyfriend to die by suicide in dozens of text messages and told him to "get back in" a truck filled with toxic gas faces up to 20 years in prison when a judge sentences her on a charge of involuntary manslaughter.

Michelle Carter was convicted in June by a judge who said her final instructions to Conrad Roy III caused his death. Juvenile Court Judge Lawrence Moniz will sentence her Thursday. Carter was 17 when the 18-year-old Roy was found dead of carbon monoxide poisoning in July 2014.

In dozens of text messages, Carter urged Roy to follow through on his talk of taking his own life. "The time is right and you are ready ... just do it babe," Carter wrote in a text the day he died by suicide.

The sensational trial was closely watched on social media, in part because of the insistent tone of Carter's text messages.

"You can't think about it. You just have to do it. You said you were gonna do it. Like I don't get why you aren't," Carter wrote in another text.

Carter's lawyer, Joseph Cataldo, argued that Roy was determined to kill himself and nothing Carter did could change that. He said Carter initially tried to talk Roy out of it and urged him to get professional help, but eventually went along with his plan. Cataldo also argued that Carter's words amounted to free speech protected by the First Amendment.

In convicting Carter, the judge focused his ruling on Carter telling Roy to "get back in" after he climbed out of his truck as it was filling with carbon monoxide and told her he was afraid.

The judge said those words constituted "wanton and reckless conduct" under the manslaughter statute.

Carter and Roy met in Florida in 2012 while both were on vacation with their families. After that, they only met in person a handful of times. Their relationship consisted mainly of texting.

Both teens struggled with depression. Carter had been treated for anorexia, and Roy had made earlier attempts to take his life.

Roy's aunt has asked the judge to sentence Carter to the 20-year maximum. Carter's father said his daughter made "a tragic mistake," and is asking for probation and continued counseling.

Carter was tried as a youthful offender, so the judge has several options for sentencing, including committing her to a Department of Youth Services facility until she turns 21 on August 11. He could also combine a DYS commitment with an adult sentence, or can give her an adult sentence of anything from probation to the maximum 20-year term.

If you are thinking about suicide, please contact Samaritans on 116 123. All calls are free and will be answered in confidence.

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Lorde is no stranger to setting fashion trends. Remember when just about everyone went out and got a nearly black lipstick after seeing her dark lipstick? When her video for "Green Light" debuted, a hot pink dress was basically a necessity. But with her latest clip, for the newly released "Perfect Places," the singer is trading in body-con clubwear for a wardrobe full of high-concept fashion and, yes, a machete. Girl's gotta eat, right?

According to Harper's Bazaar, Lorde's latest music video channels a bit of Lost and a dash of Rudyard Kipling, and tosses that into a sort of dystopian all-inclusive resort. Though the lyrics state that she can't stand to be by herself, the visuals prove otherwise, because the badass New Zealander is armed with plenty of artillery to survive her high-fashion castaway adventure.

In the opening scenes, she's wearing a very practical Jacquemus hat paired with a shirtdress. It's a bit safari, especially since she accessorises with a gnarly-looking machete. Ain't nobody going to mess with her. Less practical but no less impactful is a blood-red coat, which skims the sea foam as she wears it on the beach.

Somewhere deep in the imagination of this incredible woman - @lordemusic thank you for taking me to PERFECT PLACES 🙌🏻 ➡️

A post shared by Karla Welch (@karlawelchstylist) on Aug 3, 2017 at 2:14pm PDT

We're not sure if she packed for back-to-back red carpet affairs or if she washed up on the isle of misfit couture, but the video also contains a slew of gowns. There's a tiered black one; a shimmering, nude slip dress; and an over-the-top red confection that she pairs with a veil and fascinator. The island seems to be deserted, but she's got a whole spread out, complete with Champagne, petit fours, and a shotgun at the ready for anyone that even dares kill her vibe.

If "Green Light" made fans want to get up and dance along with her, she's bound to get them booking beachy getaways with this new song. But before looking for those passports, how about hitting up a vintage store or two? A trip à la Lorde needs some major looks.

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There's a lot of weird yoga around these days. We’ve all heard of Beer Yoga, Goat Yoga and the more recent but possibly not 100% genuine Chicken Nugget Yoga. But have you heard of 4:20 Yoga? A form that combines marijuana use with gentle yoga postures and is “transformative” according to its devotees, who say the mind-altering, relaxing effects of cannabis enable them to connect with their yoga and meditation practice on a far deeper level.

A post shared by Dee Dussault (@ganjayoga) on Jul 12, 2017 at 1:04pm PDT

Using plants to enhance a spiritual practice is nothing new but leaving the big dogs – ayahuasca, peyote, mushrooms et al – aside, the use of weed to heighten our consciousness for ceremony, prayer and inner listening is age-old. In fact, as science writer Zoe Cormier, author of Sex, Drugs, & Rock n Roll: The Science of Hedonism and the Hedonism of Science explains: “All archaeological records indicate that cannabis is probably our oldest drug (except for alcohol), predating everything as far as we know, including opium and magic mushrooms.”

Indeed in India – the birthplace of yoga – the cannabis plant was revered and celebrated for millennia, and the country’s sadhus (holy, spiritual wanderers) have long been known to smoke chillums filled with hashish as part of their spiritual practice. (It’s even argue d that Shiva – the founder of yoga – was partial to the herb.)

Following his years spent travelling in Asia and smoking with the sadhus, teacher Yogi D founded 420 YogaRetreats. “I wanted to help bring the spiritual experience back into pot,” he explains. “Modern society is in such a rush – it’s a habit to be busy and stressed; we all are overwhelmed to some degree. All yoga is so awesome for this day and age. Weed just helps you experience the asana poses from a deeper place – it gives you a glimpse into the spiritual realm and helps you relax faster.”

California-based yoga teacher and founder of 4:20 Yoga, Liz McDonald, echoes this sentiment. “Though my yoga practice is now 20 years old, the majority of it has been spent in the urban ant race, where it is undeniably harder to tune out and tune in to oneself. My students face similar challenges.” Liz began introducing marijuana into her yoga a little over 10 years ago. “I experienced a supercharged version of my practice, with major ‘downloads’ of esoteric concepts regarding the astral body. Naturally, I then wanted to apply this as a teaching tool to bypass the sceptical, more concrete minds in the classroom, and bring in the energetic components of yoga.”

“There are essentially two components to cannabis,” explains Cormier.“Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which generally speaking is the chemical that makes you feel 'high', and cannabidiols, or CBD, which is the component that has the medical properties.” Indeed, with its gradual re-legalisation and declassification in the US and elsewhere, the medicinal benefits of the herb are beginning to (re)enter into our understanding of health in the 21st century. Pro-cannabis lobbyists point to its potential to alleviate chronic pain, shrink cancerous tumours and help treat glaucoma, as well as the ongoing evidence that it is far safer than alcohol.

A post shared by Dee Dussault (@ganjayoga) on Mar 11, 2017 at 7:12pm PST

Dee Dussault, founder of GanjaYoga and author of a book by the same name, has also been integrating cannabis into her practice for more than 10 years. “I immediately found it made my yoga practice far more deep and interesting,” she explains. She began offering classes in 2009: “No one turned up to my first class! But now I have two full classes a week.” Much like Liz and Yogi D, she too wants to “reclaim cannabis as a spiritual and medical tool… When you’re sober there are so many benefits to yoga,” she says, “but with the addition of cannabis you have a higher baseline of relaxation – before you even start the yoga you’re already quieting your mind and becoming more present.”

The yoga taught by Liz, Dee and Yogi D is a combination of hatha and restorative. “We’re not going to get into an altered state of consciousness then show off our arm balances,” says Dee. “Cannabis-enhanced yoga should be slow and mindful. In my classes, students have their eyes closed most of the time, since it’s really about relaxing in an introverted way, without caring what others are doing with their bodies.” Yogi D agrees: “We do a slow flow of yoga poses intermingled with social conversation, laughter yoga, partner yoga and other playful elements. I encourage students to focus on conscious breathing, experiencing their bodies in the poses and finding a happy place in the stretch. Not enduring pain or discomfort – which I so often see people doing on and off their yoga mat. It's like you are stirring the sacred ganja plant throughout your being, and a deep, mellow body high settles in. The group energy in a weed yoga class is ecstatic.”

A post shared by Liz aka Yogangsta (@420yoga) on Nov 22, 2016 at 10:46pm PST

Of course, these teachers practise in areas where cannabis is legal. To my knowledge there are no 4:20 classes running in London, where I teach, but I am aware that some students turn up high to my (slow-paced) yin workshops.

“I view the plant as medicine,” explains Tom, who regularly attends my classes after smoking. “I love yoga without the weed but with the weed I just go to a different place, I feel calm, and more in my body and mind. I know it’s a weird thing to say as a lot of people associate getting high with getting out of their minds, but I associate it with getting into mine – it somehow allows me to access deep wells of both joy and grief.”

In her article "5 Reasons Yogis Shouldn’t Smoke Marijuana " Julie Phillips-Turner argues that the “calming” of the mind experienced with weed is more of a “numbing”. “We meditate to strengthen our minds, so that when we’re faced with difficult situations, we can focus and be calm and mindful of the situation,” she explains. “Consistent use of weed will lessen that capability because the mind will be used to feeling numb.” Additionally, she argues: “The feelings produced by use of marijuana is known in yoga as 'maya' or a veil of illusion. The use of marijuana is a sign that you are searching for a real life experience. Using an external source to assist with that experience is only masking the real experience that can be found within.”

Barbara Gordon, a senior yoga teacher who has taught for over 40 years echoes this: “Yoga already gets you completely high,” she explains. “Once you start doing a lot of yoga you find you don’t need any drugs!” And the world-famous yoga master, Swami Satyananda Saraswati, concurs: “By infusing ganja or some hallucinogenic drug, the chemical properties of the gross body change. The heart slows down, the breathing rate changes, the brain waves alter and the mind becomes calm and still… Is it not possible to arrive at the same point through Kriya Yoga?” he asks in his 1984 book Kundalini Tantra.

A post shared by Dee Dussault (@ganjayoga) on May 26, 2017 at 9:57am PDT

Many yoga teachers encourage a “pure” and “clean” life, excluding the use of all intoxicants. However, as Liz comments: “Try to fill a class with people under zero chemical influence (including caffeine, antihistamines, antidepressants, etc) and that class would probably be empty!”

Like anything, it’s largely about personal preference, intention, and portion control. If you don’t react well to cannabis or, for that matter, yoga, it’s probably best to stay clear; however, bad reactions don’t seem to be common among these teachers (aside from some anxiety – which I would argue most new students experience in any yoga class).

“Yoga and Ganja Yoga are just different – definitely neither is better,” says Yogi D. “For many yogis they prefer to do yoga sober, without any external stimulation. And that is perfect. But it's important not to judge others. Cannabis and yoga can be literally soul-altering but it's important to form the right intention, hang out with a great group of people and simply enjoy a conscious flow of yoga poses and meditation. Wonderful!”

Lily Silverton is a London-based yoga teacher and writer.

*Some names have been changed

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This month, we're going to be seeing a lot of Diana, Princess of Wales. August 31st marks 20 years since her death, so an unofficial "anniversary season" is beginning. On Sunday, Channel 4 will broadcast a controversial documentary, Diana: In Her Own Words, which follows last week's more respectful ITV tribute featuring interviews with Prince William and Prince Harry. Cash-in books both trashy and slightly less trashy are waiting to be published, Diana's (ahem) chatty former butler Paul Burrell is planning some more natty TV outfits, and newspapers are already running nonsense from psychics who claim to have contacted Diana from "beyond the grave". Sadly, no one has asked the princess what she made of Love Island.

For those of us who were still kids when the princess died, this second wave of Diana mania can be kind of confusing. I was just 13 when it happened, and I can remember waking up to find The Sunday Times on the doorstep, reporting that she'd been involved in a serious car accident. My dad came downstairs, turned on the TV, and we learned that Diana had died. A few days later, my mum took my 9-year-old sister and me to lay flowers for the princess outside Kensington Palace. There were people everywhere. Though I knew what was happening, I didn't fully understand why we were paying our respects to someone we'd never even met.

With Diana becoming a major part of the national conversation again, I asked my mum why we went to Kensington Palace that day, and she couldn't really offer a neat explanation. Diana was a mother of children who were still growing up, and that probably struck a chord because she was, too. She'd got through an unhappy marriage and her life had been cut short at a tragically young age. And she was a woman – a very beautiful woman – who’d been part of British and global pop culture for 15 years: my mum travelled around Europe with her job and said you'd see Diana on all the Spanish and German magazine covers, too. She also remembers thinking that it would be interesting for my sister and me to witness the almost hysterical reaction to Diana's death, because it was so unprecedented. But 20 years later, does my mum feel the same way about her? "Oh, of course not."

If our parents still don't know how they feel about Diana, what hope do we have?

When you google her or watch a few YouTube clips, it becomes clear that the princess was pretty ahead of her time. She carried out her royal duties differently from her older and stiffer in-laws: with Diana there was less formality, and more warmth. She preferred not to wear hats when meeting the public because, she said, "You can't cuddle a child in a hat." She also used her profile to shine a spotlight on causes that were unfashionable and stigmatised at the time. Famously, a glove-free Diana shook hands with a man who was battling AIDS to show the disease couldn't be passed on by everyday contact. The message was simple and powerful: if a princess can touch an AIDS patient, so can you. She brought massive media attention to homeless people, leprosy patients and landmine survivors, instead of spending time cutting ribbons at cosy village fêtes. And she spoke publicly about dealing with postpartum depression and bulimia at a time when these illnesses were considered taboo. It's no wonder former Buckingham Palace press secretary Dickie Arbiter called her "a breath of fresh air".

But in 2017, it's difficult not to view Diana as a relic from a different era. She operated at a time when there was no social media, no camera phones, and a much slower celebrity news cycle. In the wake of her death, it was often said that she "manipulated the press" because she reportedly tipped off newspapers about hospital visits and photo opportunities. Nowadays, in a world of sponsored Instagram posts, dubious "Hiddleswift"-style celebrity allegiances and the shameless fakery of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, this just seems like a basic PR move. Even D-list reality stars tip off the tabloids these days.

And yet Diana's image still endures, especially as a style icon. An exhibition of her most celebrated dresses, Diana: Her Fashion Story, has been running at Kensington Palace since February. After she was papped wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with Diana's face, Rihanna told Glamour: "You know who is the best who ever did it? Princess Diana. She was like – she killed it. Every look was right. She was gangsta with her clothes. She had these crazy hats. She got oversize jackets. I loved everything she wore." Speaking to the same magazine, Kate Bosworth praised the "balance between masculinity and femininity" in Diana's dress sense, saying: "As she became freer in who she was, her sexuality came out through her clothing."

Clearly she wasn't some kind of modern-day saint, as the somewhat manic national mourning of 1997 may have suggested. But nor was she "unhinged", "crazy" or an "egomaniac" as some commentators have since claimed, with a sneer of thinly veiled misogyny.

For anyone of millennial age unsure how to feel about her, we recommend watching the epic 1994 Martin Bashir interview on YouTube, in which she shames Charles and Camilla by saying "There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded." This statement alone is the sort of thing that would break the internet today and earn her a massive fanbase. The "people's princess" title starts to make sense.

In the ITV documentary, Prince William revealed that Diana once arranged for Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington to come to Kensington Palace to surprise him when he got home from school. An abuse of her royal privilege? Maybe, but cool af.

Further reading

Virgil Abloh Is As Obsessed With Princess Diana As We Are
Prince William & Prince Harry Recall The Last Time They Spoke To Their Mother

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Hands up if you've ever felt lost.

Well, you're not alone. Even though we are by now meant to be fully fledged adults, it goes without saying that growing up is tough. Especially when you're trying to hear your own voice among outside influences.

PUMA's new campaign, Do You, is about ignoring those outside pressures. It encourages you to be yourself and to call on your inner strength to do so. It would be so boring if we were all the same, wouldn't it? So why not celebrate what makes us different?

To get inspiration, we spoke to three excellent women who have done just that: followed their inner voices and had their own Do You moments. Read on to find out how they found their path, what their 'power pose' is all about and, crucially, how we can all try to do the same.

Tia Ward is a lifestyle blogger and YouTuber who talks candidly about topics such as relationships and single mums. She is all about spreading positivity and encouraging people to be themselves.

What does "Do You" mean to you?
It means being completely comfortable with yourself and understanding that you are the only "you" here. It’s better to be the best version of yourself than the second-rate version of somebody else. If we took the time to love ourselves a little bit more, we’d appreciate the things that make us imperfectly perfect.

That makes total sense. Have there been any points in your life where you did do things to try and fit in?
Oh my God, 100%! I have one green eye and one half-green, half-brown eye and I used to buy brown contact lenses to be like the other girls. And I think now, "How silly was that?" Because now people stop me and they’re like, “Oh my God your eyes are amazing!” But when I was a kid I thought I was weird, I thought I was an alien.

How do you apply the "Do You" mantra to your everyday life?
I really try to get the message out across my platforms that it’s okay to be yourself. That you don’t have to aspire to be like anyone else, just aspire to be the best version of you. For me that means doing right by other people, not compromising your core values or the things that you want to do.

In terms of your career, did you ever feel pressured to go down a so-called "normal" route?
Oh yeah, I’m from an ethnic family: “Education is the key out of poverty”. My gran was very against me doing this, she didn’t understand it. So for me, the battle was explaining to my parents that I wasn’t going to be happy in a 9-5 and that I wanted to do something more creative.

So was that a moment for you when you were like… “I’m gonna do me” ?
Yeah! Coming from a West Indian background, there was so much pressure to be a doctor or a lawyer, an accountant. I chose a subject at uni that I didn’t enjoy because of pressure from my parents. The advice I would love to spread is that you don’t have to do what your parents tell you to do. For me, that is the surefire way to be unhappy. They have your best interests at heart, but that doesn’t always mean they’re right. And that goes for your friends, your boyfriend, everyone… You have to sit and listen to your inner voice at all times.

We captured you doing your "power pose". How does it make you feel?
Your physical presence means so much. You can feel terrible, but if you roll your shoulders back and you stand up tall… Fake it ‘til you make it. If you smile, your body takes on that persona. That was what that pose was all about. The foot tapping is like, you know I’m patient but I’m inpatient, patiently waiting for what’s for me! But I’m still ready to just hit the road running and go grab it.

Charlotte de Carle started her career as a model before becoming a presenter and DJ who never takes anything too seriously – check her Instagram account for proof.

What does "Do You" mean to you?
It’s being completely true to yourself because there’s no point living in someone else’s shadow. I don’t believe in categories, because every person is an individual, that’s why we’re called individuals!

What was the moment you learned to apply this attitude to your life?
I’ve always been a tomboy. At school I got taunted for wanting to wear a football kit to school and not being particularly feminine. So I started to dress more feminine, but as soon as I started to do that and trying to be interested in makeup and all the things that I thought I should be into, I just wasn’t.

My parents were super-supportive and were like, "If you want to wear a tracksuit, do it". So I got changed, went to school, didn’t have any makeup on. I just completely stripped back and it’s one of the best feelings I’ve had. It was me being completely raw. Although I got the piss taken out of me, it was one of my most defining days and I haven’t looked back from that point. I’d never dress for other people, I dress for myself.

Definitely. What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
My mum is always really good with advice. She said “You can’t please everyone. So please yourself.” Obviously I don’t mean completely ignoring everyone or being selfish but personal happiness is high on my radar. If you make yourself happy, you’re a happier person, people are happier to be around you. It’s kind of a knock-on effect.

You do lots of different jobs…
Too many jobs!

Have you ever felt pressured in your career?
When I moved to London to try modelling, some modelling agencies were pushy. They told me I had to wear dresses and high heels to everything, so I had to struggle with that again. I wasn’t allowed to talk, you were meant to be seen but not heard, which was incredibly frustrating. So that’s when I got into presenting because I realised I could have a voice. When I started going to lots of nice parties I realised I didn’t like the types of music the DJs played, so I taught myself to DJ!

Talk me through your "power pose".
It’s a foot coming down to crush me and then, because I really don’t care, I’m flicking it off. So it’s one of those scenarios where it’s like "haters gonna hate – you Do You" essentially. Own it!

Fiona Jane fuses her creative passions as a DJ, Stylist and Creative Consultant. Her lifestyle platform, Spotding, was one of the first Danish fashion blogs.

What does PUMA's "Do You" ethos mean to you?
Do what you love! I've spent maybe too long trying to fit in the right job or thinking you need to do certain things and not being satisfied. I really believe that you should really follow your own feeling, your intuition.

I was happy when I accepted that I’m supposed to be myself, be creative, be free and that is where I’m the happiest. That is where I can express my creativity in different ways and that is what I want to do.

How do you apply this to your everyday life?
I’m quite visual so I have [mood]boards, like brainstorms. So every morning I can see, okay this is what you are, this is what you are going for. For example, my main focus is the music right now, the DJ-ing, and the next two months is dedicated only to that. You kind of make a strategy that helps you stay focused.

What would you say to your younger self who maybe wasn’t as confident in their journey?
Wow... "Life is not as complicated as you think." I’ve been very good at complicating it. Life is quite simple, you’re good as you are. Do what you feel you have to do. Always be nice. Just work hard. Yeah it’s quite simple actually!

I think everyone is good at doing that! Could you talk me through how your "power pose" makes you feel?
It definitely helps when I wake up in the morning, like looking in the mirror and saying [clicks] "You’re awesome!" I think it’s important to kind of look at yourself, appreciate yourself, be happy with yourself, be grateful for what you’ve got. You boost yourself by looking yourself in the mirror and that can help to start your day in a positive way.

How would you advise us to apply this going forward?
Just stay on top of your game, not lean too much back, "Ohhh just go on holiday for a week". No no no, because immediately you can lose momentum [clicks]. I feel like I have my momentum, so it’s about keeping it. I think that’s in any job, if you feel like you’re on a good path, every small step you learn and then suddenly it flows. Yeah, and you realise you’re doing you!

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It’s never been easier to keep up with what’s going on in the world. The news is everywhere – in our Facebook feeds, on the morning commute, during that lazy half hour before you switch off the TV and go to bed. But the tide of global affairs is often more upsetting than uplifting and it can be tempting to bury our heads in the sand. As the saying goes: a picture is worth a thousand words, so to offer a different perspective we've rounded up some of the most memorable images of the week's events, captured by the best photojournalists on the planet.

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Five Kenyan schoolgirls are headed to the 2017 Technovation Challenge in Silicon Valley to present an app that's inspired by a cause close to their hearts. The teens created I-Cut to help victims of female genital mutilation in their country and hopefully end the practice once and for all.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a non-medical procedure that involves the total or partial removal of a woman's external genitalia. Although it's illegal in Kenya, FGM is still practiced in the country and the teens headed to Silicon Valley know girls who have experienced it.

Through I-cut, girls who are being forced to undergo FGM can alert authorities by clicking a distress button. The app also provides survivors with resources to get help by directing them to the closest rescue centres.

The powerful story of a #WorldPitch team who wants to restore hope to girls in society: https://t.co/VQf6GDhPIz @LakeHub #WednesdayWisdom pic.twitter.com/uSA5wuOaL4

— Technovation (@technovation) July 5, 2017

The app's creators, Stacy Owino, Cynthia Otieno, Purity Achieng, Mascrine Atieno, and Ivy Akinyi, have dubbed themselves "The Restorers."

Otieno told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that it's their mission to "restore hope to hopeless girls."

These five teens are the only African team to be accepted into the Technovation Challenge, which is sponsored by Google, Verizon, and the United Nations. If they win, they'll receive $15,000 to help them continue I-cut's development.

"This whole experience will change our lives," Owino said. "Whether we win or not, our perspective of the world and the possibilities it has will change for the better."

Over 200 million women and girls worldwide have undergone FGM and an estimated 1 in 4 Kenyan women have been forced to undergo the procedure. The physical and psychological impact is devastating — girls who undergo FGM are more likely to drop out of school, and in some cases the procedure can lead to death.

The I-cut app has the potential to be life-saving, but it's best introduced into communities alongside educational empowerment programs. Because FGM is such a deep-rooted social practice, there are concerns that girls who are spared will be exposed to other forms of violence by members of their families and communities.

The team's tribe in Kenya has technically denounced FGM, but the app creators personally know girls who have been cut. They spoke of one classmate in particular who was incredibly bright, but stopped coming to school after undergoing the procedure.

"We were very close, but after she was cut she never came back to school," Achieng told the Thomson Reuters Foundation . "She was among the smartest girls I knew."

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For some people, when they wake up in the morning and take a big yawn, they feel a dull, achy pain radiating from their chin to their ear. Or maybe it's difficult to open and close their mouth. If this happens to you, and especially if that pain continues throughout the day, you're probably wondering what the deal is.

In most cases, jaw soreness is caused by excessive grinding or clenching of your teeth at night, says Robert Merrill, DDS, clinical professor and residency director for oralfacial pain at the UCLA School of Dentistry. It's kind of spooky to think about yourself snoozing peacefully on the outside and grinding away at your teeth on the inside, but these symptoms are actually pretty common. Surveys suggest that about one in four people are aware of symptoms related to jaw pain, Dr. Merrill says. "This would include some jaw muscle tenderness, clicking, or other noises during jaw movement and joint tenderness," he says.

If you are experiencing any sort of jaw or mouth pain, mention it to your dentist so they can evaluate your mouth, Dr. Merrill says. "The main purpose of the physical examination of the jaw is to determine the source of pain," he says. Your dentist will "palpitate the muscles and joints" to see if they can replicate the kind of pain you're experiencing, and figure out the cause, he says. Depending on how mild your symptoms are, making a few lifestyle adjustments might be enough to ease your pain.

Usually, dentists will recommend that you limit daytime jaw activity for a period of time if you are experiencing jaw soreness, Dr. Merrill says. "This is done by softening the diet, avoiding hard or chewy foods or gum, and doing some jaw stretching exercises to stretch out the soreness of the muscles," he says. Ahead are three common culprits for morning jaw pain.

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