Weird stuff

Woman dumped for eating too much on Valentine's date

A woman was left devastated after her boyfriend abruptly ended their relationship because of the "volume of food" she consumed on their Valentine's Day date.

The woman, who shared her ordeal on Reddit, explained that she struggles to maintain her weight due to a fast metabolism and requires regular, substantial meals.

"I am kind of a string bean - 5'9" and it's a struggle to keep my weight at least 125 pounds (the minimum for my height to not be underweight). There is nothing medically wrong with me, just have a really fast metabolism and have to be careful to eat enough," she said.

Despite her slender physique, her partner found her eating habits unattractive and ended the relationship via text message.

"He texts me to say ... he was embarrassed by how much I ate and turned off. That I made a pig of myself and it's really unattractive. Now, I do not shovel my food in and I have impeccable table manners so it's not that, it's definitely just the volume of food.

"I try calling him but he won't pick up, texts me back saying he isn't up to talking and he needs some time to think. A couple hours ago he texts again saying he's thought about it and wants to break up, that my eating has upset him for a while and he was trying to see if he could get over it but he can't."

Women find men with low voices sexy

Men and women with low voices are considered to be more attractive for long-term relationships.

Vocal communication is known to be one of the most important human characteristics, and those who speak in a lower pitch are regarded as "big and intimidating" by others.

In their study, a team from Penn State University selected two male and two female voice recordings - all repeating identical words - with the pitch in the clip edited until 12 different pieces were created.

These were played to over 3,100 people across 22 countries, who were quizzed about which voice sounded most attractive, flirtatious, formidable and prestigious.

Professor David Puts, co-author of the study, said: "A low voice pitch exaggerates size.

"It makes an organism, whether it's a person or non-human primate, seem big and intimidating."

Professor Puts added: "Understanding how voice pitch influences social perceptions can help us understand social relationships more broadly, how we attain social status, how we evaluate others on social status, and how we choose mates."

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Bald men are 'irresistible'

A study for Valentine's Day has found that men with domes - such as Jason Statham and Prince William - are "super desirable" for the fairer sex.

Females say that broad shoulders, high cheekbones and a hairy chest all made them swoon, but baldness was the top attribute in a man.

Other traits in the top 10 most attractive features include beards and blue eyes, the study from married dating site illicitencounters.com found.

Spokeswoman Jessica Leoni said: "Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder, and it seems like shiny, bald heads are having their moment.

"So, if you're rocking the slaphead look and feeling good about it, own it!

"After all, confidence is universally sexy, regardless of the hairstyle, or lack thereof."

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Americans battle loneliness

The United States of America surgeon general, Dr Vivek Murthy, issued a public health advisory last spring declaring loneliness and isolation an "epidemic" with dire consequences.

Murthy said that widespread loneliness poses health risks as deadly as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. It costs the health industry billions of dollars a year, he said.

About half of US adults say they've experienced loneliness, he said. The problem has been stewing since well before the pandemic, worsening in recent years.

"It's like hunger or thirst. It's a feeling the body sends us when something we need for survival is missing," Murthy told The Associated Press at the time.

"Millions of people in America are struggling in the shadows, and that's not right."