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Skinny jeans and 4 other fashions that can hurt you and your family
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One woman found out that the phrase beauty is pain is more than just a clich after the skinny jeans she was wearing caused her to lose feeling in her legs. - photo by Shelby Slade
One woman found out that the phrase beauty is pain is more than just a clich after the skinny jeans she was wearing caused her to lose feeling in her legs.

The women had been helping a relative move, and doctors reported that the squatting had caused damage to nerves and muscles in her legs, Ariana Eunjung Cha reported for The Washington Post. After walking home through a park she collapsed and had to wait hours before being found and treated.

While the story does end well the woman walked out of the hospital four days later popular trends for both men and women can cause lasting health problems.

Here are four other trends you should watch out for to keep everyone in your family safe:

Flip flops

Everyone loves the ease of slipping on a pair of flip flops when running a quick errand or going to the store, but the popular shoe is less than ideal for your health on several levels.

The shoes can change your natural gait, cause tendinitis from gripping the shoes with your toes and harm the bones in your feet because the shoes dont support them, according to The Huffington Post.

Not only do they cause muscle and bone problems, but the average flip flop has more than 18,000 bacteria on it, Laura T. Coffey reported for Today. The bacteria included Staphylococcus aureus and fecal matter.

High heels

While high heels have been a fashion trend for ages, the health effects might be worse than expected. Heels can cause calluses, hammertoes, bunions and plantar fasciitis, Barbara Stepko wrote for The Huffington Post.

The added height and weird foot position can also throw your entire alignment into disarray, she reported. To compensate, high-heeled wearing women lean back and throw extra strain on the lower back, hips and knees.

Ties and collared shirts

For men, a big culprit of fashion faux pas and health problems come from neckties and collared shirts.

If either is too tight around the neck, it can cause neck pain, decrease blood flow to the brain and increase the risk of getting glaucoma, Melinda Beck reported for The Wall Street Journal.

Its not a small issue either. About 67 percent of men buy shirts that are too small in the neck, Beck wrote.

Heavy bags

While heavy backpacks can be a sign of a studious student, they also lead to chronic back pain that is entirely preventable but can damage the spine, Jane E. Brody reported for The New York Times.

Women tend to have this problem, too. Big purses may be a popular trend but the added carrying space can cause elbow, neck and back pain depending on how you carry your bag, Alyssa Shaffer wrote for Prevention.

You can prevent this by carrying smaller bags, purses and backpacks. Also, switch up how you are carrying them to keep the pressure off one spot, Shaffer reported.
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Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program announces grant
Funds earmarked for Share the Road initiatives
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Grant funding totaling $93,458 has been awarded to the Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program (GMSP) by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. The approved funding will be used to increase motorcycle safety awareness and outreach by encouraging all motorists and motorcyclists to Share the Road.

“The need for motorcycle safety programs is greater than ever, and this support from GOHS enables motorcycle safety programs and impaired riding initiatives to reach riders and non-riders alike” said Commissioner Spencer R. Moore. “Thank you GOHS for helping (the Department of Driver Services) and GMSP educate and encourage all Georgia drivers to ‘Share the Road.’”

The grant allows DDS to further develop the Motorcycle Safety Outreach Program by continuing to fund a position to promote state and national safety initiatives. The GMSP outreach coordinator researches, coordinates and helps maintain an adequate presence at industry events, local schools and colleges, regional meetings and festivals to increase awareness of motorcycles on the roadways and provide the most current information on motorcycle safety initiatives.

Visitors to a GMSP event display are also encouraged to sign up for regular newsletters which provide additional safety information, as well as review the motorcycle safety message on other social media platforms.

GMSP regulates motorcycle training for new riders, as well as seasoned riders, who want to learn how to ride a motorcycle legally and safely. The program is based on a continuum of learning and therefore offers three entry points to rider education.

Students participating in the Basic Riders Course do not need specialized motorcycle equipment, as the GMSP provides both a motorcycle and a helmet to class participants. Upon successful completion of the course, participants receive a 90-day license waiver card that exempts them from both the written and on-cycle skills tests needed to obtain a Class M license in the state of Georgia.

Please visit the DDS website at www.dds.georgia.gov for many online services including the convenience of enrolling in a GMSP training class and accessing many licensing services.

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