An American dating company claims to have cracked the secret to physical attraction and finding that perfect match – body odour.
To the founders of ScientificMatch.com, love is simply a matter of chemistry. It asks members to submit a DNA sample – the saliva-swab commonly used in paternity or drug testing – and then analyses it to calculate their ideal partner.
This will be someone with “a natural odour you’ll love, with whom you’d have healthier children and a more satisfying sex life”, says the company, which claims to be “the only introduction service that creates matches with actual physical chemistry”.
The process works, the founders say, because DNA analysis enables scientists to match people with compatible immune system genes – ie, those with different immune systems with whom they would create babies with more robust immune systems.
And the company claims: “The fact is, we love how other people smell when their immune systems are different from ours – they smell sexier.”
Members, who are charged close to £1,000 for the service, are also asked fill out a questionnaire on their “fundamental, core values” so they can be matched to people who share their beliefs, a process the company likens to “soul matching, or values matching”.
The service has so far been launched in the Boston area, which is seen as a fertile market because of its large number of single people - around 39 per cent of the population, according to local surveys.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Teen dating violence leads to risky health behavior
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Teens who have suffered violence at the hands of an intimate partner are more likely to display a number of risky health behaviors, from disordered eating to suicidal thoughts, research shows.
"There isn't one specific behavior or concern that seems to arise from adolescent dating violence," study researcher Dr. Diann M. Ackard of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, told Reuters Health. For example, girls who've been abused on a date don't always develop eating disorders. "In general, what we've found is that adolescent dating violence puts young individuals, both girls and boys, at risk for a myriad of health risk behaviors," Ackard said.
As many as 1 in 5 female adolescents and 1 in 10 males have been abused physically or sexually by a dating partner, Ackard and her colleagues note in the Journal of Pediatrics.
To understand how this violence might impact teens' mental health, the researchers analyzed data from Project EAT, a study of eating behaviors and weight related issues in adolescents. They compared 23 boys and 102 girls who reported having experienced dating violence with 671 male and 720 female adolescents with no history of intimate partner abuse. Study participants were surveyed in 1999 and again in 2004.
Both boys and girls who had experienced dating violence were more likely to display three or more of 10 behavioral and psychological health problems, including binge eating, cigarette smoking, alcohol or marijuana use, depressive symptoms and low self-esteem, the researchers found. The relationship was particularly strong for girls.
Parents, educators, health professionals and others who work with adolescents should be aware of dating violence, Ackard said, and should also understand today's teens have their own language for talking about sexual relationships, for example "hooking up" or "hanging out."
She suggested that gauging the quality of teens' relationships by asking them how they feel when they are with a partner can help parents and others spot whether a girl or boy is at risk of abuse.
It's also important not to assume that all dating relationships will be heterosexual, or that the victims of dating violence are always female, Ackard said, noting that "there certainly have been instances in which the female partner in a relationship is doing more of the violent acts than the male."
"There isn't one specific behavior or concern that seems to arise from adolescent dating violence," study researcher Dr. Diann M. Ackard of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, told Reuters Health. For example, girls who've been abused on a date don't always develop eating disorders. "In general, what we've found is that adolescent dating violence puts young individuals, both girls and boys, at risk for a myriad of health risk behaviors," Ackard said.
As many as 1 in 5 female adolescents and 1 in 10 males have been abused physically or sexually by a dating partner, Ackard and her colleagues note in the Journal of Pediatrics.
To understand how this violence might impact teens' mental health, the researchers analyzed data from Project EAT, a study of eating behaviors and weight related issues in adolescents. They compared 23 boys and 102 girls who reported having experienced dating violence with 671 male and 720 female adolescents with no history of intimate partner abuse. Study participants were surveyed in 1999 and again in 2004.
Both boys and girls who had experienced dating violence were more likely to display three or more of 10 behavioral and psychological health problems, including binge eating, cigarette smoking, alcohol or marijuana use, depressive symptoms and low self-esteem, the researchers found. The relationship was particularly strong for girls.
Parents, educators, health professionals and others who work with adolescents should be aware of dating violence, Ackard said, and should also understand today's teens have their own language for talking about sexual relationships, for example "hooking up" or "hanging out."
She suggested that gauging the quality of teens' relationships by asking them how they feel when they are with a partner can help parents and others spot whether a girl or boy is at risk of abuse.
It's also important not to assume that all dating relationships will be heterosexual, or that the victims of dating violence are always female, Ackard said, noting that "there certainly have been instances in which the female partner in a relationship is doing more of the violent acts than the male."
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Dating? Use common sense in your holiday gift-giving
A couple of years ago, as Christmas neared, Devan Carter and his friend sat down and talked about what they would give each other for the holiday. Though they did not call each other boyfriend and girlfriend, they had been dating for a while -- six months. And as a result, they decided to go all out, Carter says.Or so he thought.Carter, now 19, gave her a bracelet, some clothes and other gifts, $300 worth of stuff, he says. What did he get?
"She gave me a hat," he says.With the holiday season in full swing, questions of whether to give, what to give and how much to give hang over people's heads like mistletoe in the doorway. How do you navigate the gift-giving season without hurting your relationship?"Part of it is people have to use common sense," says Peter Post, author of Essential Manners for Couples and a great-grandson of the queen of etiquette herself, Emily Post. "Look at the relationship, and see how long you've been committed to the relationship."He says you likely should take it easy if you've met your S.O. (or potential S.O.) recently."I think probably if you have one date with a person, a diamond is a mistake," he says laughing.When it's new, Post says, it's better to approach the idea as if you're giving a gift to a good friend.A CD of a band or music genre they really like, a book or poster are good beginning-relationship gift ideas, he says."Keep the romance or personal statement out of the gift," he says.Thom Reznik, 28, of Hanover, did that when he and his wife of three years started dating, which was around the holidays. He gave her chocolates and a little teddy bear."Especially for Christmas, if they celebrate Christmas, you should give them something," he says. "Even if it's small."Ronnie Pulley, 19, of East Baltimore, says it's not a matter of whether to give, but what to give.One year, he gave a woman a bath set."She tried to play it off, but I knew she didn't like it," he says.Post says you can avoid displeasing people if you try your best to think about what they would want, rather than what you want."I'm going to make a conscious effort about your interests, how you live your life," he says. "I'm not going to buy a French maid outfit for fun. That's for me."And beyond the material goods, focus on the words, Post says. Give a card with your gift and write down how you feel."The word that underlies all that we're talking about is 'sincerity,' " he says. "If you do it within your heart, it's going to be received well."Nidhi Goel, 26, of downtown Baltimore, got more than she gave one year, for Valentine's Day. The guy she'd been dating for about four months gave her concert tickets. She gave him a cactus.But he says her boyfriend didn't mind; it was the thought: "He always killed plants," she says. "... You can't kill a cactus."Though it is a cliche, the adage is true: It's the thought that counts. Beyond price and relationship length, it's all about the feeling and intent behind the gift."The point of the gift is to give out of your heart," says Pulley, "not to expect something equal in return."Carter of East Baltimore agrees. He says he broke up with his not-official-girlfriend not long after Christmas, but that the gift disparity was not a big deal. He has no regrets about giving her the gifts, he says."I give because I can," he says. "Not because I must."
"She gave me a hat," he says.With the holiday season in full swing, questions of whether to give, what to give and how much to give hang over people's heads like mistletoe in the doorway. How do you navigate the gift-giving season without hurting your relationship?"Part of it is people have to use common sense," says Peter Post, author of Essential Manners for Couples and a great-grandson of the queen of etiquette herself, Emily Post. "Look at the relationship, and see how long you've been committed to the relationship."He says you likely should take it easy if you've met your S.O. (or potential S.O.) recently."I think probably if you have one date with a person, a diamond is a mistake," he says laughing.When it's new, Post says, it's better to approach the idea as if you're giving a gift to a good friend.A CD of a band or music genre they really like, a book or poster are good beginning-relationship gift ideas, he says."Keep the romance or personal statement out of the gift," he says.Thom Reznik, 28, of Hanover, did that when he and his wife of three years started dating, which was around the holidays. He gave her chocolates and a little teddy bear."Especially for Christmas, if they celebrate Christmas, you should give them something," he says. "Even if it's small."Ronnie Pulley, 19, of East Baltimore, says it's not a matter of whether to give, but what to give.One year, he gave a woman a bath set."She tried to play it off, but I knew she didn't like it," he says.Post says you can avoid displeasing people if you try your best to think about what they would want, rather than what you want."I'm going to make a conscious effort about your interests, how you live your life," he says. "I'm not going to buy a French maid outfit for fun. That's for me."And beyond the material goods, focus on the words, Post says. Give a card with your gift and write down how you feel."The word that underlies all that we're talking about is 'sincerity,' " he says. "If you do it within your heart, it's going to be received well."Nidhi Goel, 26, of downtown Baltimore, got more than she gave one year, for Valentine's Day. The guy she'd been dating for about four months gave her concert tickets. She gave him a cactus.But he says her boyfriend didn't mind; it was the thought: "He always killed plants," she says. "... You can't kill a cactus."Though it is a cliche, the adage is true: It's the thought that counts. Beyond price and relationship length, it's all about the feeling and intent behind the gift."The point of the gift is to give out of your heart," says Pulley, "not to expect something equal in return."Carter of East Baltimore agrees. He says he broke up with his not-official-girlfriend not long after Christmas, but that the gift disparity was not a big deal. He has no regrets about giving her the gifts, he says."I give because I can," he says. "Not because I must."
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