Latest news with #hygiene
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Woman Wonders How to Handle Sister's 'Body Odor': 'It's Something Everyone in My Family Has Noticed, but No One Addresses'
A woman wrote on Reddit that she is struggling with how to tell her younger sister about her body odor 'It's something everyone in my family has noticed, but no one addresses directly," she said The woman explained that her sibling's self-esteem "is already very low," so she is trying to handle the situation delicatelyA woman is struggling with how to tell her younger sister about her body odor. 'It's something everyone in my family has noticed, but no one addresses directly," the woman wrote in a post on Reddit's "Am I the A------?" forum about her sister. Detailing that their "parents occasionally hint that she should shower or they give her new soaps,'the woman continued, 'I'm not sure if she realizes it, but the odor is strong enough that her entire room smells, and my mom has to use a special detergent just to get the scent out of her clothes.' The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! According to the woman, she thought her sister's body odor was 'a puberty phase' since it started when her sibling was in middle school. However, she is now about to start college, and the woman said the smell remains. 'It's still a major issue, maybe even worse,' she explained. As for what she thinks could be the cause of the body odor, the woman wrote of her sister, 'I know she deals with anxiety and depression, and it's likely this is a hygiene issue tied to her mental health." "I understand that struggle and really don't want to come across as mean or judgmental," she continued, adding that she feels compelled to address the issue since her sister is about to start college and will be living with roommates in a dorm. 'I'm genuinely worried that people won't be kind about it or that she'll have a hard time socially because of the smell,' she wrote. The woman also said she feels the truth about her sister's scent would be better coming from 'someone who cares, than from a roommate or stranger in a cruel or embarrassing way." "But at the same time, I don't want to hurt her feelings or damage her self-esteem since it is already very low," she continued. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In the comments section of the post, many other Reddit users told the woman she should tell her sister the truth, but to proceed gently. 'How you say it matters more than anything. This is one of those conversations that could either help her or scar her — so it's all about delivery,' one user wrote. They added that the woman's sister may not be aware of her own hygiene, or she could be ashamed to admit to it. 'Don't just tell her. If possible, try to get her to see a doctor and check for hormonal or other physical causes of the odor," one Redditor wrote. "She might need to treat the medical cause first, in order to reduce the odor,' they added. Read the original article on People
The Guardian
17 hours ago
- General
- The Guardian
We decided to become a shoes-off house. It was more complicated than I thought
'Shoes off!' barked my slightly bossy friend Kit as I was about to cross her threshold. I was taken aback: was this a new habit adopted from social media or some lifestyle guru? Kit is not obsessive, but she is house proud. She lives in the country, her house surrounded by muddy lawn near a beach, so it makes sense not to drag dirt on to her beautifully polished parquetry or scratch it with sand. She goes about barefoot year-round: slippers are not her style. She keeps a pair of rubber slides at the back door for putting the bins out, or going to the veggie patch. I had no choice but to comply, relieved that I had on good clean socks and that Kit's house is well heated. I felt a bit awkward at first, slipping and sliding like a shaky beginner skater on an ice rink. But by the end of the evening, I was persuaded that we too should adopt this more hygienic approach, despite misgivings about dropping boiling water or cooking fat on my feet. Sign up for our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Many non-Anglo-Celtic households, of course, have a long-held tradition of removing one's shoes at the door. In Japan, indoor house shoes called uwabaki are usually provided to keep tatami floors, where you sit, sleep and eat, pristine. It is actually illegal to wear outdoor shoes in rental properties and can incur a fine. In Scandinavia, felt and wool indoor slippers are stylish accessories. In Canada, where the severe cold requires heavy footwear such as snow boots, houses usually have a wet room in which to remove all waterproof gear and leave it out of the way. A bit of reading informed me that shoes carry in germs, bacteria, pesticides and a variety of other nasties such as carcinogenic asphalt sealants that are invisible but can linger in domestic dust. As just two adults at home, we weren't worried about small children crawling at ground level, nor do we have a pet, but this relatively minor adjustment sounded healthy and sensible. The decision proved to be surprisingly divisive and complicated. When I raised it with friends, some said they disliked being asked and avoided houses where it is required. Even small changes demand thought. Unforeseen decisions suddenly have to be made: how best to suggest this new approach? On the phone, when inviting people round? Or at the door? And then: where to take off the shoes? Outside, where spiders and other critters might make their home in them? Inside, where they will look messy? (Should we get a box to contain them? Or a rack?) Enthusiastically embracing our decision, we buy stylish slip-ons so as to avoid the kind of tartan woollen footwear our grandparents wore (one friend with a shoeless home told me his partner said he'd leave him if he ever adopted slippers); we try to remember not to step outside in them on any account, not even to go to the bins or pick a herb; we keep separate shoes for outside by the back door. The key is not to have to bend down or lace them up. It takes a few weeks to adapt, with a few stumbles evidenced by muddy sole tread marks on the stairs. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion In the city where the risk is more likely to be dog shit, the shoes-off trend has spread for other reasons. Friends in inner-city apartments in older buildings tell me that it is common for bodies corporate to ask residents to remove their shoes out of consideration to those living below them, so that they don't have to endure the clip-clop of heels on boards as it seems no one has carpet any more. We are still in the beginning of our new shoeless lives, but already there is no turning back. In hindsight, we probably should have eased into this gradually over summer, instead of starting now, when everyone is getting back into boots. As with all change, it's one step at a time.
New York Times
2 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Quote of the Day: The Toilet That Won the Heart of Japan
'Now it's very much the case that anywhere we go it's like, 'Ugh it's not even heated, what are we doing here?'' RYAN GREGORY, a biology professor at the University of Guelph in Canada, who after a recent visit to Japan changed his views on bidets.
CBS News
3 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
LA city budget deficit threatens future of free showers program for homeless
Homeless in Los Angeles for the better part of 20 years, Anthony Rodabaudh may not have a roof over his head, but he still has a lot of pride. Three times a week, he goes to a mobile shower in the Westlake District. "I don't want to offend people," Rodabaudh said. Eight trailers similar to the one Rodabaudh uses serve a part of the city with a large homeless population. Shower of Hope is funded through the LA Sanitation Department, but with City Hall dealing with an $800 million budget deficit, the service's future is in jeopardy. "If this went away, everybody would smell pretty bad," Rodabaudh said. Mel Tillekeratne, the executive director of the 5-year-old program, said personal hygiene is essential for public health. "In the last two weeks, the City of LA has had two hepatitis and one typhus outbreak," Tillekeratne said. The showers and bathrooms are sanitized between each use. The staff, which consists of former gang members and convicts trying to turn their lives around, also offers free hygiene products. "It's very prideful for me because I get to help out people in the way I was helped before, when I was in the street," mobile manager Estefani Bandala said. Last week, Council Hugo Soto-Martinez introduced a motion to locate funding to restore the program that people often use before they go to work. "Nobody is going to hire you if you don't show up clean," Tillekeratne said. "Nobody wants you at work if you're not clean, and you're not going to feel comfortable if you're not clean." Rodabaudh echoed Tillekeratne's message. "It's better to be dressed well and presentable," he said. "People give you a shot at a career and whatnot. If you look like crap, they won't."
Time of India
3 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Tata Trusts' new film reframes periods as a sign of health, not fertility
HighlightsTata Trusts has launched a campaign to change the perception of menstruation in India, emphasizing it as a normal biological function and a marker of health rather than a source of shame and stigma. The campaign, which is supported by ethnographic research and aims to engage families, includes films that depict positive conversations about menstruation, encouraging open discussions and education around the topic. Divyang Waghela, head of water, sanitation and hygiene at Tata Trusts, stated that the initiative aims to tackle deeply entrenched stigmas and empower girls and women to view menstruation as a normal part of health, fostering a cultural shift in understanding. Tata Trusts has unveiled a new campaign to reframe how India understands menstruation. Every month, roughly 355 million people in India menstruate. Yet, the subject remains shrouded in silence and shame and is linked to impurity, drawing societal stigma and burdened by age-old beliefs that link periods to fertility and marriage. In fact, 71 per cent of Indian girls are unaware of menstruation until they experience their first period. For generations, this silence has shaped how menstruation is understood, reducing it to a marker of sexual maturity or the end of childhood, rather than recognising it as a normal biological function. This campaign flips that narrative, inviting families to recognise menstruation for what it truly is: an indicator of health. Rooted in deep ethnographic research conducted across rural regions in Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, this campaign is anchored in a combination of Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) across seven states, with a series of cause-driven campaign films and development interventions on-ground that shift the ways in which communities understand, feel and talk about menstruation. Given the universality of the insight, the campaign also has a strong digital presence. The research explored women's lived realities of restrictions in matters of personal hygiene and healthy menstrual practices. It also uncovered social norms surrounding menstruation, with mothers avoiding the conversation, fearing that their daughters will be seen as 'ready for marriage' – a worry also echoed by Anganwadi Workers. Men shared limited menstrual awareness, often seeing it through the lens of household disruptions – like how it would affect women's cooking. However, they did show support when prompted, including getting their wives pads and taking them to the doctor when needed. Shaped by a talented team of behavioural researchers and grassroots and creative partners, this campaign seeks to empower girls to remain children even after their first period, and women to feel confident and well-informed, with nothing left to fear or hide about this natural monthly process. Divyang Waghela, head – water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), Tata Trusts, commented, 'Built on the Trusts' rich work in menstrual health and hygiene, and considering how deeply entrenched stigmas remain, we strive to tackle barriers around infrastructure, belief systems, and environments perpetuating them. Through this, girls can view periods as a normal part of health, not something to be hidden away.' These insights laid the foundation for Tata Trusts' campaign that presents a disruptive, perspective-shifting goal: for periods to be seen as a marker of health and not just sexual maturity. At the heart of the campaign, running across the series of films as a common thread, is a catchy jingle, 'Maheena Aa gaya' (In this case, Maheena – month – refers to Periods, translating to, 'I've got my periods'). It acts as a cultural bridge, bringing to life everyday scenarios where menstrual symptoms, whether cramps, fatigue, or mood changes, are acknowledged openly by both men and women only as a lakshan (symbol) of health and nothing more. By making these conversations feel comfortable, respectful, and even light-hearted, the campaign aims to de-stigmatize menstruation and create space for empathetic dialogue within families. Deepshikha Surendran, head of brand and marketing communications, Tata Trusts, said, "'Maheena aa gaya' is more than just flipping a calendar page – it's a symbolic call to action, urging families to rethink what a period means, which we hope will nudge a generational, cultural shift in how menstruation is supported.' The hero film is supported by films specific to key segments of audiences that shape everyday beliefs around menstruation. In one, a mother lovingly guides her daughter through her first period, explaining that it's simply biology, not a sign of readiness for marriage and that there is nothing to fear or be ashamed of. Another depicts a husband ensuring his wife's needs during menstruation are met without waiting for her to ask because periods are not just her problem. In another film, a mother-in-law gently supports her daughter-in-law, encouraging her to rest and eat iron-rich food while reminding her, "Yeh siraf sehat ka ek lakshan hai' (this is only about health). These stories, told with warmth and emotional honesty, in real settings, replace fear with familiarity and shame with science. To ensure that the message percolates into conversations at a societal level, another film targeting Asha didis and other health workers, who are the bridge between the community and healthcare system, has been developed. "We're not asking people to radically shift their thinking – simply, to understand that a period is just a 'lakshan' — a symptom, like hair loss. Capturing this, we created a simple, light film that we shot in people's aangans and homes, with a powerful, memorable song with a hook rooted in Indian pop culture, offering an important reminder: 'Maheene ko sirf sehat se jodo' (link that time of the month – menstruation – to only health),' added Keigan Pinto, the creative director. Watch the video here:
