Boyfriend Thought Living Together Would Be 'Cute'—Then Reality Hits
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
What started as a cute idea—living with his girlfriend—quickly turned into a hairy nightmare for one man, after he found himself cutting clumps of her hair out of the vacuum cleaner.
Zoe Mary (@zoemaryfairy) shared a video of her boyfriend struggling to remove tangled strands from the vacuum brush using scissors. The TikTok has since gone viral, with over 148,000 views and more than 6,000 likes.
"I was just getting ready when I heard him hoovering our room and then the hoover stopped and he went quiet for ages, so I walked in and he was there with the scissors trying to cut it all out. We only realized afterward that you can actually take that part of the hoover out and do it easier," Mary told Newsweek.
She said her boyfriend, Bill, always jokes about finding her hair everywhere, including his clothes.
"POV [point of view]: Your boyfriend thought living with you would be cute, until he had to cut all your hair out the hoover," she wrote in the overlay text on the clip. "How I'm not bald is beyond me, she's about 100 hairs a day," Zoe added in the caption.
Hair getting stuck in vacuum rollers is a common household issue—especially in homes with long-haired residents. One Good Thing by Jillee says that the best way to remove hair from a vacuum brush roll is to use scissors or a seam ripper to cut gently through the hair wrapped around the brush. Some vacuum models also have release tabs or screws that make it easier to detach the brush roll for cleaning.
As for why so much hair ends up in the vacuum in the first place, experts at Healthline say that it is normal to lose about 50 to 100 hairs a day. Factors such as stress, diet, hormone changes, or even hair-care routines can cause increased shedding, but daily hair loss at this rate is generally not a cause for concern.
If you don't have a vacuum on hand—or want to prevent hair from getting tangled in one—there are several effective ways to remove hair from carpet manually.
Experts at wikiHow say that tools such as a rubber broom, squeegee, or even a damp sponge can lift hair from carpet fibers. The static created by rubber helps gather it into clumps, making it easy to pick up and throw away. You can also put on rubber gloves and run your hands over the carpet, as the friction pulls strands up from the surface. These low-tech methods are especially helpful for quick cleanups or in hard-to-reach areas.
TikTok users rushed to the comments with empathy—and advice.
"You can take that bit out, sooo much easier!" posted one user.
"Babe get yourself an unpicker/seam ripper it's a gameeee changer for this," said Christie.
Stock image: A man vacuums around his lounge in gray pajamas.
Stock image: A man vacuums around his lounge in gray pajamas.
shironosov/iStock / Getty Images Plus
"You've just reminded me to go and do mine, it's not even been a week and I'm terrified," commented another woman.
"Absolute fact, the first time he watched me cut it out he was so grossed out," said Jen.
"On the side, there is a screw, you can turn it and pull the whole thing out. Makes it way easier to clean," added Manu.
Do you have any viral videos or pictures that you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@newsweek.com and they could appear on our site.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
America's Obesity Epidemic Is Finally Easing. Will MAHA Take Credit?
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. When the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative launched in early 2025, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. framed it as nothing short of a national reset. School meal reforms, bans on artificial dyes and restrictions on sugary drink purchases under SNAP were promoted as the first steps in addressing what Kennedy called a "childhood chronic disease crisis." The administration projected measurable progress within two years: a nation reversing decades of rising obesity. But the first signs of change had already appeared. In 2023, national data showed adult obesity plateauing for the first time in more than a decade. An analysis of 16.7 million health records found the average U.S. body mass index (BMI) dipping slightly from 30.24 to 30.21, while the unweighted obesity rate fell from 46.0 percent to 45.6 percent. Researchers credited one factor: a surge in prescriptions for GLP‑1 weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. That timeline sets up a political and scientific tension, according to experts consulted by Newsweek. If obesity rates keep dropping into 2026 and beyond, MAHA's policy agenda could be positioned to claim credit for a trend largely driven by pharmaceutical breakthroughs that predate it. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva/ChatGPT 'Good Intentions' "The intention of what RFK Jr. wants in this area is good," said Dr. Robert Klitzman, professor of psychiatry and director of the bioethics program at Columbia University. "In terms of improving Americans' diets and fighting chronic disease, his stated intentions are good. But I'm not convinced the administration will act effectively on those intentions." Klitzman pointed to contradictions between MAHA's public messaging and broader Trump administration policy. While MAHA emphasizes banning dyes, swapping out cane sugar for high-fructose corn syrup and cutting sugary drinks from public programs, the administration has simultaneously cut federal nutrition research, reduced SNAP benefits and eliminated CDC environmental health programs. "The president's proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget would cut more than $18 billion in NIH research funding, 40 percent of the budget," the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) warned in a June 2025 report. "In addition, the Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice at the CDC was eliminated as part of a widespread reduction in force of 10,000 employees across HHS." "Good intentions are not enough," Klitzman said. "The real impact on public health remains unclear." Kennedy's high-profile food policy moves—such as urging Coca-Cola to switch back to cane sugar—illustrate the risk. "If people think, 'Oh, we got rid of the food dyes, now junk food is healthy,' they may actually consume more unhealthy food," Klitzman said. "Replacing high-fructose corn syrup with cane sugar doesn't make a product healthier if the calorie count is the same." Research backs this up: FDA and JAMA studies show cane sugar and HFCS have nearly identical metabolic effects when consumed in similar amounts. A 2022 meta-analysis found no significant difference in weight or blood markers between the two. A stock image shows a person holding Ozempic Insulin injection pens for diabetes/ weight loss. A stock image shows a person holding Ozempic Insulin injection pens for diabetes/ weight loss. getty images The GLP‑1 Surge Experts widely agree that the modest nationwide weight-loss trend so far stems from the pharmacological innovation of GLP‑1 drugs, not health policy. Prescriptions for medications like Ozempic rose nearly 600 percent between 2019 and 2024, with roughly 4 percent of U.S. adults using them as of last year, according to FAIR Health/IQVIA data. "GLP‑1s are already showing real results," said Dr. Raj Dasgupta, chief medical advisor at Garage Gym Reviews. "Banning additives or restricting sugary drinks sends a message, sure, but on their own they're unlikely to move the needle in a big way." For dietitians like Dasgupta, GLP‑1 medications delivered what the U.S. had lacked for decades: a treatment that not only helped patients lose weight but also improved key health markers. Clinical trials show users can lose 15 to 25 percent of their body weight while also improving blood sugar control, lowering blood pressure and boosting cardiovascular health. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, testifies before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Washington DC, May 14, 2025. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, testifies before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Washington DC, May 14, 2025. Aaron Schwartz/Sipa via AP Images Yet the surge of Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy has reframed weight loss as a medical intervention—but one largely limited to those who can afford it. Users often regain weight once they stop treatment, and with prices ranging from $1,000 to $1,400 a month and patchy insurance coverage, access remains out of reach for many. In a country where 42 percent of adults live with obesity—a rate that has nearly doubled since the 1980s—the arrival of a drug that actually works is hard to ignore. But Dasgupta warned of a policy risk if future improvements are credited to MAHA's incremental measures. "If obesity rates drop because of GLP‑1 use, but we claim it's because of soda taxes or additive bans, we double down on the wrong things. That kind of misalignment can set us back." Aviva Musicus, science director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, told Newsweek the pattern is already emerging. "RFK Jr. recently posted that 'MAHA is winning' in response to a fast-food chain switching to cane sugar in sodas," she said. Studies consistently show sugar-sweetened beverages are linked to higher risks of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, regardless of the sweetener source, according to the CDC. "Sugary drinks are one of the most harmful products in our food supply. To actually improve health, the administration should focus on less sugar, not different sugar," Musicus added. MAHA's emphasis on prevention has merit, experts say, but its impact will take years to measure. "Prevention takes time—15 to 20 years to see real results," Dr. John Magaña Morton, professor of bariatric surgery at Yale, told Newsweek. "In the meantime, what do we do for patients suffering now? That's where treatment comes in. You need both prevention and treatment. It's like love and marriage—you can't have one without the other." Morton noted that severe obesity (defined as a BMI over 40) continues to rise even as overall rates plateau. "The new drugs are paradigm-shifting, but about 20 percent of patients can't tolerate them or don't see results," he said. "Not everyone wants surgery either. We need metabolic centers to figure out who's most at risk and what other approaches work." A stock image of an obese man seated in a crowd outdoors, August 26, 2016. Obesity rates vary significantly across the U.S., with the highest rates in the Midwest and South. A stock image of an obese man seated in a crowd outdoors, August 26, 2016. Obesity rates vary significantly across the U.S., with the highest rates in the Midwest and South. Richard T. Nowitz/Getty Images Setting Up a Future Claim To be sure, Kennedy hasn't explicitly claimed credit for the national weight-loss trend. But MAHA's framing—that its policies will "end the chronic disease epidemic" within years—positions the initiative to take a victory lap if obesity rates decline during its tenure. That's exactly what worries experts. "It's very risky," Klitzman said. "If we credit the wrong things, we risk building future policy on shaky ground. We can't afford to misread what's actually helping people." Musicus shared the same concern. "So far, we haven't seen MAHA use policy to drive real improvements in the food system. Instead, it's leaned on voluntary industry commitments that have failed before," she said. Many of MAHA's pledges—like altering soda recipes—aren't enforceable regulations and historically have had little measurable impact. "If they start taking credit for GLP‑1-driven declines without making structural changes, we risk losing the chance to create lasting, meaningful improvements." CSPI also questioned the administration's approach. "Even when the report outlines a good idea—like increasing consumption of whole, unprocessed foods—the administration's actions since January are at odds with these ideas," the group noted. "Back in March, the administration terminated more than $1 billion in funding that helped small farmers put fresh, local food into schools and food banks." For Morton, the solution lies in balance. "Obesity is a health tax on everything," he said. "We are finally paying attention, which is good. But this is going to require a multi-pronged approach, not a single narrative about who gets the credit." With the MAHA Commission set to release its next policy recommendations in August, the stakes are high: the story America tells itself about reversing obesity could shape public health strategy for decades. A March 2025 JAMA Health Forum article raised similar concerns. "The MAHA commission's priorities depart from the known causes of chronic diseases," it said. "There is no mention of added sugars in food, reducing sodium intake, or the use of alcohol or tobacco. Instead, the charge includes issues that contribute in limited ways, rest on shaky evidence, or reflect the Secretary's long-held views."
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Florida Removes Over Quarter of People From Health Care Plan
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. More than one quarter of the enrollees on a major health plan in Florida have been rolled off the program in two years, according to data by KFF, a nonprofit health policy research and news organization. Around 1.4 million Americans have been disenrolled from Medicaid in the state as part of the unwinding process happening nationwide after Medicaid coverage was expanded following the COVID pandemic. Florida Department of Children and Families told Newsweek, "Individuals who are determined to no longer qualify for Medicaid are educated on the other health care options available to them, including those found within Florida Healthy Kids." "For any child deemed ineligible for Medicaid coverage, Florida Healthy Kids proactively reaches out directly to the family to provide these options," the spokesperson continued. They added that recipients who "fail to submit a redetermination timely" have an additional 90 days to submit a late application. "If they are determined to be eligible, their coverage is reinstated retroactively to their closure date to ensure there is no gap in coverage," the spokesperson said. Why It Matters There has been growing concern in recent months about how high levels of uninsured Americans could impact health outcomes and medical costs. While some of those rolled off the program as part of the COVID unwinding process may have access to private plans through their employment, others could be left stranded. Experts have warned that this could result in those Americans avoiding seeking necessary medical care, driving up emergency room visits and medical costs, as well as worsening chronic health and mental health conditions across the country. File photo: A doctor operates a CT scan. File photo: A doctor operates a CT scan. Photo_Concepts/Getty Images What To Know To help support more Americans cover their health insurance during the COVID pandemic, some states expanded access to Medicaid, the federal health program for those with limited income and resources. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), more Americans were added to the program, causing nationwide enrollment levels to increase. In the wake of the pandemic, states were forced to keep Medicaid recipients on the program, regardless of changes to eligibility, until the requirements expired in March 2023. From March 2023 onward, states began the "unwinding" process, where more and more Medicaid recipients were removed from the program, driven by both eligibility losses and procedural disenrollments. In Florida, there were 5,088,076 covered by Medicaid in March 2023, but by March 2025, that number was 3,735,641, KFF data shows. This marks a change of roughly 1.4 million, a rate of decline faster than in other highly populated states like California and New York—although Texas saw a larger drop in those insured by Medicaid, of around 1.8 million. The number of people with Medicaid coverage is now just higher than February 2020 levels, a difference of 4 percent, but the drop in the two-year window between 2023 and 2025 shows around 27 percent of those recipients were disenrolled from the program. Variations in the rates at which states disenroll Medicaid recipients are down to many factors, one being how successful they were in avoiding "procedural terminations," William Schpero, a professor of Population Health Sciences at Weill Cornell Medicine, told Newsweek. "Procedural terminations" refer to the loss of coverage among individuals "who technically maintained eligibility, but whose coverage was dropped because the state did not have access to information they needed to definitively confirm eligibility," he said. He said that such terminations may happen if, for example, "an enrollee did not receive a required renewal form due to a change in address." "Many states attempted to mitigate procedural terminations by conducting ex parte, or automated, renewals, for which enrollees did not have to take any action to maintain coverage," Schpero said. "Some of the states with higher rates of enrollment losses also had lower rates of ex parte renewals." The concern is that many of those rolled off the program may now be left without access to affordable health insurance. "We know that many of those who have lost Medicaid will not have access to affordable alternative sources of coverage," Schpero said. Loss of Medicaid coverage has been "associated with increased financial strain as patients are hit with medical bills they are unable to afford," he added. What People Are Saying William Schpero, a professor of Population Health Sciences at Weill Cornell Medicine, told Newsweek: "Steeper losses of coverage are always concerning for two principal reasons. First, it may suggest a large portion of enrollees losing coverage actually remain eligible for the program—they are losing coverage for purely administrative reasons, like a missed renewal form in the mail. Second, many of those losing coverage likely do not have access to alternative sources of health insurance, meaning they will become uninsured." He added: "In addition, we would expect spillover effects for the safety-net providers that disproportionately provide care for low-income populations: as the share of patients served by these health systems without insurance increases, they will be forced to take on higher amounts of uncompensated care. This will increase their financial precarity in advance of significant cuts to Medicaid that will soon be implemented under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act." Florida Department of Children and Families told Newsweek: "In 2023, when states began the process of returning to normal Medicaid redetermination processing, Florida completed robust outreach to individuals to ensure eligible recipients had the necessary supports they needed to complete the required process. This included an extensive public outreach campaign utilizing multiple channels of communication as well as enhancements to supporting tools to improve the end user experience. At the time, these efforts and others, resulted in a response rate that nearly doubled those of pre-pandemic rates." What Happens Next As the unwinding continues, more reductions in enrollment are expected in the state and across the country. With millions already having lost health coverage, concerns remain about access to care for low-income individuals and families.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
The nerve-zapping device that ‘could help improve your fitness'
A small device that zaps a major nerve connecting the heart and brain could help improve fitness, an early trial suggests. The device, clipped to the outer ear, sends gentle electrical pulses to increase the activity of the vagus nerve, which plays a key role in regulating heart function. Wearing the stimulator for just 30 minutes a day increased oxygen intake during exercise, according to researchers, who hope it could one day be used to help people who are not very active. The study, led by researchers at University College London and Queen Mary University of London, involved 28 healthy volunteers. Half were given the nerve stimulator to wear for 30 minutes every day for a week, while the other half were given a dummy device. Following a two-week break, the groups swapped devices. All of those taking part in the trial had an exercise test at the beginning and end of the week they wore the stimulator. The trial, published in the European Heart Journal, found those wearing the nerve stimulator were able to exercise more intensely than when wearing the dummy device. After a week, the stimulator increased oxygen intake during exercise by 4 per cent. It also boosted maximum breathing rate by an average of four breaths per minute, and maximum heart rate by four beats per minute during exercise. Gareth Ackland, a professor of perioperative medicine at Queen Mary University of London School of Medicine, said: 'Maintaining physical activity is essential for every aspect of cardiovascular, emotional, and cognitive health. 'The outcome of the trial is consistent with the significant body of evidence pointing to an important role of the brain in optimising exercise performance and regulating the activity of the immune system, helped by the vagus nerve'. Blood samples were also take from five people, with researchers suggesting wearing the nerve stimulator for a week helped reduce inflammation. Prof Ackland added: 'We will need to carry out larger trials to confirm our findings, but the results of this study in healthy volunteers suggest that increasing vagus nerve activity can improve fitness and reduce inflammation, potentially offering new approaches to improve heart health.' Professor Bryan Williams, chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation, which funded the study, said: 'This early study suggests that a simple technology, which harnesses the connection between the heart and the brain, can lead to improvements in fitness and exercise tolerance. 'While more research is needed involving people with cardiovascular disease, this could one day be used as a tool to improve wellbeing and quality of life for people with heart failure.'
