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Celebrities aging gracefully

Actress Anjelica Huston,61, who played Morticia in the Adam’s Family movies, hasn’t adjusted her aging process. “This great fear of laugh lines and wrinkles and getting old is really unnatural. It happens to the best of us – what are we going to do?” she said.

When singer Tina Turner turned 60 she was on a world tour! It just goes to show that the singer not only embraces her age, but embraces life. She says age is no issue to her. “I think 50 is the new 30 and 70 is the new 50. There are no rules that say you have to dress a certain way or be a certain way. We’re living in exciting times for women,” she said.

A month before her 72nd birthday, Sophia Loren was voted the world’s most naturally beautiful person. When asked about her secret for staying so naturally beautiful she said: “a love of life, spaghetti, and the odd bath in virgin olive oil.”

Sexy and single at 66, Susan Sarandon says she enjoys aging gracefully, but won’t judge others who don’t. “I haven’t yet had any plastic surgery, but I won’t knock it. I think women have the right to do anything they want to their bodies that makes them feel good about themselves. It’s hard to be in this business and be viewed on a screen that’s huge. You can see every single line. But I think it’s an aesthetic choice for the individual,” she said.

Kim Catrall has admitted to having Botox, but says she is against plastic surgery. “I’m too terrified to get any proper work so I’ve had just little things done. I have a big crease between my eyebrows and I use Botox to get rid of that, but that’s kind of it,” she said. “I look at people such as Helen Mirren or Judi Dench, these amazing women who look great, but look their age.”

At 72 years-old Jane Fonda was aging gracefully until she admitted to having plastic surgery and she isn’t proud of it. “I caved,” she said in an interview with Larry King. “If I was really brave, I would have not. I vowed I wouldn’t – I did, and I don’t feel proud of it.” She is now writing a book about her aging process and her plastic surgery.

Sixty-four year old Bette Midler was quoted as saying “After thirty, a body has a mind of its own.” And it seems she isn’t too fussed about that.

Beautiful model and actress Geena Davis, who is famous for her role in Thelma and Louise, still has that youthful adventurous look about her at 56.

Oscar-winning actress Kim Basinger constantly maintains a youthful glow about her. Kim has never shared her secret of youthful looking skin, but she is rumoured to be a fan of collagen therapy gel, a cream which sits in fine lines and plumps them out.

Joan Collins has always maintained that she has not had cosmetic surgery. “Women who turn to cosmetic procedures look ghastly. They don’t look like themselves,” she said in an interview with Hello magazine. “I quite like the way I look, I’m quite happy with the way I look and I really don’t want to change it.” Read more here

Avatar star Sigourney Weaver is not a fan of Botox or cosmetic surgery. “I would never have plastic surgery or Botox injections,” she said. “How can you as an actress? They both leave you with such a tight, unreal look. “It’s something fans and audiences pick up on instantly. Actors’ faces should actually be able to move.”

Actress Jane Seymour has slammed cosmetic surgery, despite admitting to having some procedures. “When I see people on television and nothing is moving and their eyebrows are up near the corner of their head I think ‘How can they do this? They’re destroying their expression.” she said. “I’ve had some things done to my eyes because I had some mole things and genetically we’ve all had bags under our eyes in my family, so we removed the bags, but that’s it.”

The Devil wears Prada star Meryl Streep says she is all about gracefully aging. “To each his own. I really understand the chagrin that accompanies ageing, especially for a woman, but I think people look funny when they freeze their faces. In Los Angeles there’s a lot of that. I pick up on the part that doesn’t move on a face. I’m immediately drawn to it and that is the opposite of what you’re intending. You pull focus to the area that’s been worked on,” she said.

In a recent interview Sharon Stone opened up about her plastic surgery disaster which swore her off any further procedures. She also made comments about Meryl Streep saying: “Meryl looks like an unmade bed, and that’s what I look like. To me, that looks true.”

Despite not desiring to go under the knife herself Helen Mirren doesn’t have a problem with those who do. “You go, ‘I don’t want to look at that face anymore,’ and I understand that, absolutely,” the actress said in a recent interview about plastic surgery. “I think people should be allowed to do whatever they want to make themselves feel happy.”

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis recently said Hollywood was experiencing a conspiracy when it comes to plastic surgery. “Everybody is saying that to get jobs you have to dye your hair and get injectables. It’s a conspiracy, a complete catastrophe, a surgical industrial complex. Somehow we are being fed this belief that to continue on we have to do this. Yet people are being disfigured. It’s shocking what people are doing to their faces.”

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Elizabeth Taylor’s scandalous love life exposed

A new biography of screen icon Elizabeth Taylor reveals scandalous details the actress' romances with Ronald Regan and John F. Kennedy.
Elizabeth Taylor

A new biography of screen icon Elizabeth Taylor reveals scandalous details of the actress’ romances with Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy.

Taylor’s saucy love life is laid bare in Elizabeth Taylor: There is Nothing Like a Dame, an explosive biography years in the making by authors Danforth Prince and Darwin Potter who have spent the past few years tracking down “all the gossip unfit to print from the glory days of Hollywood.”

The tell-all biography reveals that the Hollywood legend, who passed away last year, allegedly slept with Ronald Reagan as a teenager.

The authors claim Reagan was 36 when he seduced a teenage Taylor after inviting her to dine with him at his home in Hollywood.

“Reagan was treating me like a grown women, and that thrilled me. We sat on his sofa and I could tell he wanted to get it on but he seemed reluctant to make the first move. I became the aggressor,” she told a close pal — according to the book.

“After a heavy make-out session on the sofa, we went into the bedroom.”

The book goes on to detail revelations that Taylor also had a fling with JFK, and to even greater shock, enjoyed three-way sex with the president.

Prince and Porter claim that a nude dip in the politician’s pool turned into a three-way with Taylor and actor Robert Stack.

But those aren’t the only flings Liz Taylor enjoyed, the book goes on to detail sexual encounters with several stars including Peter Lawford, Errol Flynn, Paul Newman, and Frank Sinatra.

Her romance with Sinatra didn’t last long, as the book alleges the fling fell flat after Taylor told him she was expecting his child in a bid to blackmail him into marrying her, instead scaring the crooner off.

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Kids under 10 admitted to hospital with eating disorders

Kids under 10 admitted to hospital with eating disorders

Australian eating disorder services are treating children as young as seven

Already one of the most common chronic disorder affecting young girls, eating disorders are starting to strike at a younger age with children as young as seven being admitted to hospital for treatment.

Data from the UK shows that more than 50 under ten-year-olds were admitted to hospital with eating disorders in the past year, and the figures from Australia are just as shocking.

Related: How you can boost your daughter’s body image

Forty-seven children aged between five and nine were admitted to hospital for eating disorders in the UK in 2011/12, a dramatic increase from 17 the year before.

Total admissions for eating disorders tallied 2,288, with young girls aged 10 to 19 accounting for half of all admissions.

The shocking data also showed that girls under the age of five were being admitted for eating disorders , though experts said these were likely to be with physical problems with eating rather than mental health disorders like anorexia.

These issues have been echoed closer to home as well, with the Children’s Hospital at Westmead Eating Disorder Service, the largest eating disorder service in New South Wales, receiving an enormous increase in demand for admissions.

The latest data from the hospital shows a 270 percent increase in admissions since 2000 and a 1000 percent increase in outpatient appointments.

The eating disorder service, which treats children up to age 16, has admitted patients as young as seven for treatment.

Related: Why we should leave the body image debate to teens

The group showing the greatest demand for treatment for eating disorders were 14-year-olds, who made up 60 percent of admissions in 2009/10, but children up to age 12 made up 20 percent of the hospitals 81 admissions.

The majority of Westmead’s children’s eating disorders facility patients are treated for anorexia nervosa, the third most common disorder affecting adolescent girls, with a lifetime mortality rate of up to 20 percent, a rate higher than any other psychiatric disorder.

Video: Media gave me anorexia

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Naughty nude Harry makes Vegas millions

Harry in Las Vegas: 'Too much army, not enough prince'

Prince Harry's nude photo scandal has generated millions of dollars worth of publicity for the city of Las Vegas

A failed case of ‘what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas’ may have publicly humiliated Prince Harry and the royal family, but it has paid off for Sin City in publicity valued at 23 million dollars.

A report released by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority earlier this week suggests the Prince Harry photo scandal reached over 154 million people, generating an estimated $23 million in publicity for the city.

In pictures: The most shocking royal scandals

The photos released by entertainment website TMZ in August showed a naked Prince Harry reportedly playing ‘strip billiards’ with a nude female companion in a Las Vegas hotel suite.

The images taken on a camera phone at the private party went viral, along with news coverage of an online tourism campaign by LVCVA.

LVCVA also placed an ad in USA Today reprimanding those who leaked the images of the prince while wittily publicising Las Vegas’ ‘Know the Code’ campaign.

The campaign urges people to leave their never-to-be-told moments in the city of sin and out of conversations and twitter feeds.

Over 93 thousand people have submitted the campaign’s ‘Know the Code’ online oath with another video advertisement gracing the online world approximately a month after the Prince Harry photo scandal.

“For everyone’s sake, it’s important that ‘What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,’” said Cathy Tull, LVCVA’s marketing senior vice president.

While LVCVA continue to passionately front the growing campaign, we have a feeling they secretly appreciated someone in Prince Harry’s Las Vegas Suite breaking the code on the night of ‘strip billiards’.

Related: How the Queen will punish Harry for his naked Vegas photo

LVCVA cannot directly measure whether the scandalous images of Prince Harry have brought more tourists to Las Vegas, but according to the Las Vegas Sun Chairman Tom Collins has praised the party prince for his contribution.

“God bless Prince Harry. He made us a bunch of money,” he reportedly said in a meeting this week.

Your say: Do you think Harry’s Vegas romp has helped lift the city’s profile?

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How flirting can help you get ahead

How flirting can help you get ahead

A new study shows that flirting is a better strategy for negotiating than appearing tough for women.

Women may be filling seats in university lecture theatres and beating men to top jobs more than ever before, but scientists say the best way for a woman to get ahead is to employ her “feminine charm”.

A US study suggests flirtation is an effective negotiation strategy for women when negotiating with men, rather than trying to be tough.

The study suggested a cheeky wink and a suggestive smile could help women get discounts, better deals, and get ahead at work, but wouldn’t work so well for men, who were found to gain no ground by flirting.

“Women are uniquely confronted with a trade-off in terms of being perceived as strong versus warm. Using feminine charm in negotiation is a technique that combines both,” said Professor Laura Kray of the University of California who led the study.

But researchers advised that women shouldn’t go too far by making over sexual advances, recommending subtle flirting tactics like appearing interested in the man they are dealing with.

“The key is to flirt with your own natural personality in mind. Be authentic. Have fun. That will translate into confidence, which is a strong predictor of negotiation performance,” Professor Kray said.

The 100 participants in the study were questioned over how much they relied on charm when negotiating, and their partners were asked how effective they were.

Women who were more willing to bat their eyelids to get what they want were judge by their partners to be better negotiators, while men who said they used more charm were not found to have an advantage.

Another part of the study explored negotiating while buying a car from a deal in a scenario where the participant was in full flirt mode, touching the seller’s arm, winking and laying on flattery.

The study found that male sellers were more likely to knock $100 off the selling price for flirtatious buyers than serious ones.

Your say: Have you flirted with someone to get ahead? Contact us at [email protected]

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Josh leaves *Big Brother* house due to family tragedy

Josh leaves Big Brother house due to family tragedy

The Nine Network has released a statement saying contestant Josh Moore has left the Big Brother house due to tragic personal circumstances.

Last night, Josh’s parents flew to the Gold Coast to break the news of the sudden death of his 32-year-old brother Toby. It is believed Toby suffered a heart attack.

The 28-year-old from Adelaide was called to the Captain’s Quarters as the housemates prepared to go to bed and given the news.

He was immediately released from the house so he could spend the night with his devastated parents. Josh later announced he would leave the competition to go home to support his family.

Live updates from the house have currently ceased to give Josh time to say goodbye to the housemates in private, and to allow them to process the news. Josh’s farewell conducted in privtae and was not filmed.

As a result of Josh leaving the house, this week’s voting has been closed and funds from this period will be donated to The Salvation Army, a charity nominated by Josh and his family.

There will be no Big Brother Eviction this Sunday night; instead Big Brother will show extended footage from the weekend and celebrate Josh’s time in the House. From Monday, Live Nominations will continue as scheduled.

“The Southern Star production team and the Nine Network wish to express their sympathy to the family and ask the fans of Big Brother and the media to allow them privacy at this time,” a Nine spokesman said.

See how you can send a message of support to Josh and his family at www.bigbrother.com.au.

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Orphaned puppy and kitten think they’re sisters

Orphaned puppy and kitten think they are sisters

An orphaned puppy and an abandoned kitten have become inseparable since being brought together at the Battersea Cats and Dogs Home in the UK, and now think they are sisters.

Kitty the cat was found alone in a garden at just one day old and handed into the rescue centre. Buttons, a Jack Russell, was born at the centre but was rejected by his mother.

They were originally put together at just two weeks old to keep each other company and have since formed a close bond.

Battersea veterinary nurse Sascha Taylor says the pair eat, sleep and play together, and that Buttons cries as soon as Kitty is taken to the cattery to spend time with other felines.

“Normally we’d hand-rear puppies and kittens separately but we thought we could try putting them together as they are both so young,” she says.

“Luckily it’s paid off as they adore being with each other and do everything together – it’s really very sweet.”

Staff at the shelter are now hoping someone will adopt both Kitty and Buttons together.

“Hand-rearing them is hard work – I have to feed them every two hours, even throughout the night – but it’s totally worth it,” Sacha says.

“We’re not sure if they’ll be rehomed together, though it would be great if they did.”

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The Duchess of Cambridge’s solo royal engagements

The Duchess of Cambridge was confident carrying on royal duties on her own as her husband left her to perform official engagements solo while he paid respects to his beloved nanny at her funeral.
Kate Middleton royal engagement

The Duchess of Cambridge was confident flying solo in Stockton as her husband left her to carry on royal duties on her own as he paid respects to his beloved nanny at her funeral.

If the Duchess was nervous performing duties on her own, it certainly didn’t show.

Wearing a berry coloured winter coat and her favourite suede boots, Kate seemed as comfortable and excited as the crowds who lined up to greet her.

The luckiest onlooker was 10-year-old Terry Campbell who scored a hug from Kate.

Kate looked surprised as 10-year-old Terry Campbell nervously asked for a hug.

All year round

If Kate was nervous on her first solo engagement, she certainly didn’t show it.

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Was the Prime Minister’s tirade at Abbott justified?

Misogyny tirade inspired dictionary rethink

The Prime Minister has blown up at Tony Abbott in an explosive speech

A fuming performance by the Prime Minister attacking Tony Abbott for his ‘sexism’ and ‘misogyny’ not only shocked the Opposition Leader, but has the whole world talking.

Julia Gillard’s explosive tirade made international headlines, caused feminists to cheer, and has also been a source of embarrassment for the PM following the Speaker’s resignation — a call for which spurred the attack.

Related: Prime Minister blasts ‘sexist’ Abbott in parliament

There’s no doubt the impassioned rant unleashed in parliament yesterday got our attention, but was it justified?

The ferocious speech came in reaction to calls from the Opposition to sack Speaker Peter Slipper over ‘sexist’ text messages, a motion which Gillard rejected and sent her into a scathing attack on Tony Abbott over his hypocritical idea of sexism and misogyny.

“I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man, I will not… not now, not ever,” she said.

“If he wants to know what misogyny looks like in modern Australia… he needs a mirror.”

Only hours later, Slipper resigned as Speaker, leaving the Prime Minister and fellow supporters red-faced.

Political commentators have come out in criticism of the Prime Minister’s rant, saying it showed poor political judgment, and that she should be embarrassed for supporting the former Speaker over the same issues that led to his resignation.

“Gillard’s parliamentary presentation was brilliantly ferocious, emotionally stirring and evocative of a wronged and injured party,” wrote The Australian’s Dennis Shanahan.

“But the substance and argument fell well short of an acceptable political strategy and risked only alienating more voters disenchanted with the grubby, hypocritical and personal abuse from both sides of parliament.”

In rare agreement, the Sydney Morning Herald’s Peter Hartcher acknowledged Gillard’s flawed judgment, saying all she achieved was a serious loss of credibility.

“She chose power over principle. It was the wrong choice,” he wrote.

“It was an unprincipled decision and turned out not to be pragmatic either. The Prime Minister gained nothing and lost a great deal.”

While there are many critics, the defensive Prime Minister, as we’ve never seen her before, has also won public support, as well as many new international fans.

Supporters rushed to Twitter praising “the real Julia” as a champion for women. Twitter feeds overflowed with ‘Go Julia’ hash tags and Facebook newsfeeds with statuses of appraisal.

And though she may have critics closer to the home, Gillard’s speech has seen her praised as a “badass” and champion for women around the world.

Clips from the speech and some of the PM’s impassioned quotes have being doing the rounds on the world wide web, earning top spots on popular US websites Jezebel, The Daily Beast, Salon, and was even praised by conservative British magazine The Spectator.

“No matter what you think of her politics, there’s much to admire in the manner in which Julia Gillard, the Prime Minister, sets about Tony Abbott, the Leader of the Opposition,” columnist Alex Massie wrote.

The speech prompted enthusiastic praise from the popular US women’s website Jezebel, which highlighted the PM’s quotes and flatteringly described her as “one badass mother—er”.

International mainstream media has also picked up the speech, London’s Daily Telegraph praising Ms Gillard for “playing her best hand”.

Related: Julia Gillard defends ‘sexist’ slush fund claims

“Watching a female Prime Minister tear apart the male leader of the Opposition with such aplomb, composure — but most importantly armed with a brilliantly impressive set of insults – backed up with dates and times of when each shocking comment was said — was the best card Gillard, ever the political animal, could have played in such a situation,” wrote women’s editor Emma Barnett.

But Barnett also acknowledged how the move may have cost her, as critics have closer to home.

“Defending the indefensible is a pretty tough job and could still cost her dear,” she said.

Your say: Do you think the Prime Minister’s tirade was justified?

Video: Gillard blasts Abbott on sexism

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Top five exercise myths

Weight training is just as important for woman as it is for men

Think you know all the facts and fiction about getting fit? Exercise physiologist and nutritionist Caitlin Reid busts the most common exercise myths.

1. Lifting weights will make women ‘bulky’

This is simply just not true, as women don’t have enough of the male anabolic hormone testosterone, which is required to build large and bulky muscles. Weight training is just as important for woman as it is for men, as it increases strength, improves balance, reduces the likelihood of injuries, keeps bones strong and helps with weight maintenance. Include two to three weight-training sessions each week and enjoy the benefits minus the bulk.

2. Exercise turns fat into muscle

Fat and muscle are two entirely difference tissues composed of different cells, therefore it’s impossible to turn fat into muscle. With exercise you can lose fat and increase the amount of muscle you have, but the two will never convert into the other. Regular exercise is a great way to reduce body fat, while increasing your muscle mass at the same time.

3. You can choose where you lose weight

When it comes to weight loss, spot reduction is just not possible. Exercise use energy from fat and carbohydrates stores all around your body, not just from around the muscles doing the work. So, if you want to lose weight from your stomach you need to lose weight from all over.

4. A cardio work-out boosts your metabolism for hours after your work-out

While exercise does increase your metabolism after your work-out, it’s not as large as what many people think. In fact, this metabolic boost following exercise only burns an extra 84 kilojoules — equivalent to about one Jelly Baby. So don’t think you can eat whatever you like after your work-out.

5. To have a good work-out you need to sweat

Sweating is your body’s cooling down mechanism — it doesn’t necessarily indicate how hard you are working. It’s possible to complete a great work-out without sweating. Going for a walk, practising yoga or going for a swim are all great work-outs that provide a number of health benefits such as boosting heart health, but don’t necessarily make you sweat.

6. No pain, no gain

Taking on this mantra increases the risk of injury. While exercise can be intense and cause some level of discomfort during and even for a couple of days after, pain is not required for a successful work-out. If you’re feeling pain during a work-out stop for a minute and see if it goes away. If it doesn’t, there is a good chance you have an injury.

The bottom line is that moderate exercise can improve your fitness. It also contributes to overall physical and mental health — it’s not just about body weight. The sooner you accept the truth about exercise, the closer you’ll be to achieving your desired results.

Your say: What exercise myths are keeping you from achieving your goals?

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