5 Weird Studies You Might Have Missed

We can barely go a day without seeing some new study pop up in our Google News tab. Sometimes, these studies prove what we already thought we knew: "Bisexual Men Exist" or "Women Reject Promiscuous Female Peers As Friends." (Well, there's the nature slut-shaming for you.) Still, many of these studies are worth knowing about. Here, we give you five studies you might have missed:

1. The Fact That Your Parents Were Stoners Might Make You a Stoner

Here's a weird PSA for you: The effects of cannabis on metabolism and behavior may carry on three generations down the road — especially among males.

Scientists at New York's Mount Sinai hospital discovered these findings by experimenting on rats, like you do. Rats injected with 1.5mg/kg of THC were more likely to have male offspring who weighed more and exhibited the behavioral effects of THC — such as higher likelihood for long-term depression and obsessive behaviors. The scientists did not inject the offspring with cannabis, which suggests the traits were somehow passed down. Those male offspring were also likely to see the same effects in their male offspring.

Of course, these are just findings, not proof of the fact that being a stoner is inherited.

2. Obese and Healthy? Scientists Say It's Not Possible

Researchers at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital released a study this week that suggests you cannot be fat and fit at the same time.

Researchers studied 60,000 adults, some of whom were "metabolically unhealthy" obese adults and others who were "metabolically healthy" obese adults. Researchers found that even if you have good cholesterol, normal blood pressure, and maintain your sugar levels, obesity can still increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Well, that's a bummer.

3. The IUD Is Getting Better and Better

Know this: You have more longterm birth control options than just the pill.

Unlike the IUD decades ago, today, the IUD is safe for most women to use — though fear still surrounds it. A University of Texas study this year proved it: among 90,000 women aged 15 to 44 who used either the copper or the hormonal IUD, only one percent had complications.

4. Obesity Is Rising For Young Women

Obesity is rising among teenage girls in the U.S. — in fact, according to Leeds Metropolitan University, 60 percent of teenage girls will be obese by the time they turn 16. The average teenage girl's waistline has also increased by a whopping five inches.

But how should we react? Well, fatphobia is at an all-time high, and teenage girls get enough crap as it is about their body image. Yes, we should be wary of this trend (see #2). Yes, we should genuinely focus on health. But we should also chuck fat-shaming out the window.

5. You Can Sing Your Way to Happiness

Yes, we're not joking. The British Psychological Society says it's conducted many-a-survey and determined that singing — be it in a choir or on your own — can be good for your emotional health.

Maybe 375 online surveys isn't the most scientific way to be going about determining things — but, eh, let's ignore that and just break out the karaoke. We all need to indulge a little bit of confirmation bias every now and then.

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