Katherine Heigl's candid bathroom confession praised
One of Hollywood's biggest stars has been praised for throwing her weight behind a health topic that is typically considered taboo.
Katherine Heigl, known for her roles in Grey's Anatomy, Firefly Lane and 27 Dresses, has teamed up with healthcare brand Poise to speak about bladder leakage and perimenopause.
In a video shared to Instagram, Heigl speaks directly to her Australian fans.
'As you know, I am not one to shy away from speaking out and so now I am speaking directly to you,' she said.
'When Poise came to me and said that the prevalence of bladder leakage is even higher in Australia with two in three women over 25 experiencing what I like to call the old 'giggle dribble' I wanted to do a special call out to my fans Down Under.
'Those post-partum or perimenopause bladder leaks are so common but often not talked about and so I thought this was an excellent opportunity to get outspoke once again. I don't want a single woman out there to feel alone in this experience or to feel shame or embarrassment. I refuse to let a little giggle dribble stop me from doing everything it means to be a woman and a mother.'
Heigl, 46, said that was why she was excited to bring her Poise campaign to Australian televisions — and women who have seen it have praised the actress for her openness.
'I was thrilled to see a pretty and popular actress talking about this so openly on TV. I mean the bar is low right now, but, hearing her say 'perimenopause' AND speak so openly about leaks and peri in front of her male child in the commercial is a step in the right direction IMO,' one viewer said.
Another said: 'Obsessed with Katherine Heigl! Love that she is talking about such a taboo topic, go Poise!'
'Great to see this topic being spoken about more openly,' one added.
One social media user chimed in: 'Hard relate!'
'Such an important issue,' another agreed.
Heigl went on share more about her own experience with bladder leakage, with the Emmy Award winner revealing her first experience with it happened after the birth of her son Joshua in 2017.
'I was just like, 'Oh, excuse me, I'm going to need to go change my underwear'. I kind of just laughed through it versus feeling shame. But then you start going through perimenopause and it's just all falling apart. So you just have to embrace it,' she said.
She reiterated that she wasn't OK with anyone feeling any kind of shame or embarrassment around it as it's a natural part of being a woman.
'And it's such a blessing to have a product that can support you through that,' she said.
'Just having someone else who's going through it or having similar experiences makes you feel like, okay, it's not just me. It's kind of universal – which is why I feel strongly that there should be more proactive help for all of us women going through this.'
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News.com.au
25 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Emergency help, healthcare and fitness in infrastructure spotlight
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'Ensuring no impact on patient safety, uninterrupted Triple Zero (000) services, and robust support for relocating teams are our top priorities during this operational transition,' Elliott says. 'These commitments are vital to maintaining emergency care to the people of South Australia.' The soon-to-be completed headquarters complements the construction, upgrade and rebuild of 24 ambulance stations throughout Adelaide and regional SA. Stations have been completed and are now open at Norwood, Woodville, Edwardstown, Port Augusta, Mount Barker, Victor Harbor, Birdwood and Strathalbyn, with construction nearly complete on a new Gawler station. Rebuilding work on the Campbelltown centre is also under way. Construction of Whyalla, Marion and Two Wells stations is also scheduled to commence this year. 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'The previous centre had come to the end of its lifespan, but we know it was an important facility for the community and the new centre will serve many generations to come,' Morony says. The 'carefully considered' design takes in a number of environmentally sustainable features, while the centre's smaller footprint ensures more than 1000sqm is returned to Park Lands. 'It's an all-electric centre, powered by 100 per cent renewable energy,' he says. 'The building itself has been designed to be airtight, which gives you an improved indoor air quality and importantly enhances the operational energy efficiency. 'The ultra-fine pool filtration systems also provide operational benefits – and then there's other components to the facility, such as solar panels, EV charging stations, sun shading on the facade – and a water-sensitive urban design car park as well.' Site enabling works started in late 2023, with the main construction starting in 2024. The building phase has offered plenty of employment opportunities, which will flow through to the centre once it's open to the public under the management of experienced operators YMCA Aquatic. 'More than 1500 jobs are being supported over the life of the construction phase and that's from builders and engineers to plumbers and painters,' Morony says. 'We obviously needed a whole raft of different skill sets to build what is a state-of-the-art centre. 'Sarah Constructions has inducted more than 1300 people to the construction site. And those 1300 people so far have completed more than 230,000 hours worth of work. 'In terms of the operations, up to 300 jobs will be created to staff the new aquatic centre – that's lifeguards, instructors, administration staff and so on.' Staff who worked at the former Aquatic Centre will be given the first opportunity to express their interest at filling the roles with YMCA Aquatic, a non-profit community organisation that also operates the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre at Oaklands Park. Morony is confident the new swimming centre will more than meet community expectations. 'I think it's going to give people a fantastic new place to come and swim for fitness or for fun,' he says. 'So if you're a serious swimmer you can get out there and really utilise the place but others might just come to it to improve or maintain their fitness. 'It really will offer a range of uses for everyone who wants to visit.' Elbie set for the life aquatic Little Elbie won't be able to stop himself from taking the plunge when the new Adelaide Aquatic Centre opens, his mum Rachael Neumann reckons. 'He will be jumping in from the side with enthusiasm, that's for sure,' she says of her water-baby son, who has been a regular participant of learn-to-swim classes since he was only six months of age. 'And even before we started taking him to swimming lessons, he's always enjoyed the water and swimming pools whenever we've been on holidays – and he just loves the beach.' When the North Adelaide centre closed for the construction of the new facility, Rachael and husband Brandon, of Bowden, elected to continue Elbie's learn-to-swim lessons in Unley. 'The whole (replacement swim centre) process has been really smooth and helpful, but we're looking forward to coming back to North Adelaide because it's much closer to home,' she says. The completed centre will include a host of features including a dedicated learn-to-swim pool, a lagoon outdoor pool, an outdoor 'splash pad' and extensive gym and fitness facilities. 'We're just really excited to see the new centre,' Rachael says. 'It will be great to have something to do while we tag team and watch Elbie swim. I'll be able to go and swim laps myself and if there's a good gym in the same centre, then that might be useful as well.'
News.com.au
44 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Aussie bloke baffled over barista's ‘creepy' coffee act to girlfriend
A Sydney man's dilemma over his girlfriend's special treatment at their local coffee shop has gone viral, prompting a flood of advice from thousands of viewers. Jake Craig explained in a TikTok that he moved in with his girlfriend, Beth, to a suburb that's new to him but not to her. Mr Craig, keen to establish a nice morning routine with his girlfriend, always offers to make her a coffee at home each day using a French press. But Beth, a self-confessed coffee enthusiast, prefers to get her caffeine fix from their local cafe, which she's been visiting for about three years. 'They know her, they know her order, the main guy knows her name, and everyone knows each other,' he explained. Most of the cafe staff have even begun to recognise Mr Craig and are 'friendly enough,' he says. However, things took a turn when Beth took a week-long break from her local haunt, and upon her return, was greeted with an extremely warm welcome. 'The main guy said, 'Oh Beth, it's been so long, we missed you.' He looked over his shoulder at one of the staff and said, 'Oh, he really missed you.'' Things heated up when her coffee cup that day arrived with love hearts drawn on it and the words, 'my love' – from the man who supposedly missed her. The next time she visited, her cup read 'my secret' and then the third, 'My secret love'. Each time, Beth returned home giggling about the situation, seemingly amused by the attention. Mr Craig, for his part, insists he isn't 'threatened' – but described the whole situation as 'crazy' and 'odd', before turning to the comments for advice. Many suggested practical solutions – like getting an espresso machine at home, or buying Beth a reusable coffee cup that can't be written on. Others simply praised the couple for being able to laugh about the situation. 'Can we just appreciate the healthy relationship, though? The fact you can all just laugh about it,' pointed out one. However, not everyone was laughing. Some thought the responsibility was on Beth to put an end to the barista's behaviour. 'Kinda curious why Beth isn't setting the record straight?' asked one person. Another said Beth needed to 'put in the boundaries'. Others called out the barista's behaviour. 'If someone flirts with me and knows I have a partner, I get very upset that they're so happy to blatantly disrespect my partner to my face,' one user said. However, one fellow barista argued that cafe staff often joke around with regulars like this and don't mean any harm by it.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Daily Aussie habit that could add years to your lifespan
For many Aussies, drinking coffee is a quick way to get a sure-fire energy boost. But a new study, presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, suggests it might also support longer-term health, specifically, healthy ageing. While the study hasn't been peer-reviewed or published yet, it was thorough and tracked a large group of women over many decades. It adds to the growing body of research linking coffee to a longer life and various health benefits, including lower risks of certain chronic illnesses. Fang Fang Zhang, a professor of nutritional epidemiology at Tufts University who wasn't involved with the study, told The New York Times that the findings connecting coffee with healthier ageing weren't surprising. 'The data is quite consistent that coffee consumption is actually beneficial,' she said. The study methodology Researchers followed more than 47,000 female nurses over several decades, starting in the 1970s. The women answered questions about various lifestyle factors every few years, including how much coffee, tea, and cola (Coca-Cola or Pepsi) they drank. In 2016, the researchers looked at how many were still alive and met the criteria for 'healthy ageing'. Just over 3700 women met this definition: they were 70 or older, in good physical and mental health, with no cognitive impairment or memory loss, and free from 11 chronic diseases like cancer, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis. They found a correlation between the amount of caffeine consumed (mostly from coffee) between ages 45 and 60 and the likelihood of healthy ageing. After adjusting for other factors that could affect ageing, such as diet, exercise, and smoking, the women who consumed the most caffeine (nearly seven small cups a day) were 13 per cent more likely to age healthily than those who had the least (less than one cup a day). Drinking tea or decaf coffee wasn't linked to healthy ageing, possibly because the overall consumption of tea and decaf was lower among the study participants, making it harder to see benefits. What other research says The study lead warned that just because drinking seven cups of coffee daily was associated with healthier ageing doesn't mean everyone should do so, nor is it necessarily healthy. However, many other studies have found similar links between regular coffee consumption and health benefits. A team from Queen Mary University, London, recently revealed that caffeine can help you live longer by influencing how cells grow, repair, and respond to stress. The British researchers believe this could significantly boost longevity and even help ward off dementia, diabetes, and heart failure. Another study from May this year, involving over 46,000 adults, found that those who drank one to three cups of coffee daily were 15 per cent less likely to die within the next nine to 11 years compared to those who didn't drink caffeinated coffee. The takeaways While these studies can't prove cause and effect, the consistent benefits observed suggest they are unlikely to be due to other factors, experts say. Interestingly, drinking coffee is often linked with habits like smoking and less exercise. However, the fact that benefits are still seen after accounting for these factors hints that coffee might really have a positive effect. Experts also warn that adding too much cream or sugar can negate some of the health benefits of coffee, so keep that in mind next time you order your cup of Joe.
