They nailed it! Fans pay artistic tribute to Olympics

Not since the days of American track star Florence Griffith Joyner has nail art been front and center as an Olympic style trend like it is at the 2012 London Olympics. Athletes are showing their competitive spirit through flag-decorated nails and colors meant to mimic the medals they aim to win.

But these special motifs aren't just for Olympians.

Samantha Tremlin is one of many nail art fans getting into the spirit of the 2012 London Olympics with funky fingertips. She wasn't crazy about the Olympics before the summer games came to her country this year. But since then, the manicure fanatic who goes by "the Nailasaurus" has been honing her technique of recreating tiny Union Jack designs.

"Nail art is a hobby of mine, so as the Olympics are quite a big event and being held in my home country this year, I thought I would show some support for Team Great Britain!" said the 21-year-old Cardiff, Wales, resident, who shared her handiwork.

"This year it's very close to home. It feels as though the games have united every single person in the country with all excitement and pride we're feeling."

From swimmers Missy Franklin and Rebecca Addlington to archers, cyclists and weightlifters, athletes everywhere are sporting patriotic nail decor at the games, thanks in part to British "nail queen" Sophy Robson, whose team of nail artists is providing services to athletes and their guests in "grooming salons" in the Olympic Village.

"It was such fun working with the athletes," said Robson, who designed a menu of 207 country flags to choose from in a partnership with corporate sponsor P&G. "There are no egos involved and they are just excited to have something represent their country on their nails."

Even if you're not in London or Europe, participating in the nail art trend connects viewers to the revelry, celebrity nail technician Deborah Lippmann said.

"It's a way that everyone can feel like they're a part of the experience in a supportive way, no matter where you are," said Lippman, whose eponymous nail polish brand is sold worldwide.

It's not as permanent as a haircut and having 10 fingers means the opportunity to sport various themes, with one finger dedicated to the American flag in support of country and the other to Usain Bolt because he's just that cool.

The appeal for fans is probably the same as it is for athletes: you can show off your patriotism without saying a word, said Lisa Bailey, the blogger behind the DIY resource Nail Art 101.

"Nail art can have the stigma of being for "prissy" girls or girls who are afraid to get down and dirty," Bailey said. "These women are showing that you can have hot nails and still break world records! It's no longer just for princesses and rich girls."

Da-Hae West, 25, is from South Korea, but she lives in London. She wrote "Republic of Korea" in Korean on her nails, accompanied by the national flag.

"It's a small way to show my support!" she said in an iReport.

Allison Fitzpatrick of Charlotte, North Carolina, has been experimenting with nail art for about two years as a way to "spice up the average manicure," the 29-year-old said in an iReport. It's also a great way to feel connected to the games, especially since athletes are also wearing nail art, she said.

"With the Olympics being such an inspiring event I wanted to be able to add some of that inspiration to my everyday life," she said.

"Whether the design is the iconic Olympic rings, the Union Jack to celebrate the host city or a recreation of gold medalist Missy Franklin's patriotic nails, nail art is a fun and creative way to show support for the athletes right here at home."

With the home-court advantage, the Brits probably claim the most enthusiastic Olympic-themed nail art. Plus, there's a lot of room to play around with the Union Jack, as nail art enthusiast Jenny Pasha of London demonstrated with her gold studded set of nails.

"I wanted to create a set of nails that were unique and showed off my support for Team GB," said Pasha, who documents nail art inspiration on her blog.

"I have done Union flag nails many times in the past, but for the Olympics everyone's goal is to go for a gold medal, so I decided to do an all gold set of nails," she said. "I am very proud to have the Olympics in my hometown and I love to show my pride through my nail art!"

Why Olympians bite their medals

It's a familiar pose by now: Fresh-faced Olympian grins while pretending to take a bite from the hard-won gold medal hanging around his neck.

But why do athletes feign chomping on their prized medallions, anyway?

Most likely to satisfy the pose-hungry media, says David Wallechinsky, president of the International Society of Olympic Historians. There are only so many things to do with a medal, and the excited champions are usually appeasing requests from the gallery of Olympic photographers when they bite down on their booty.

"It's become an obsession with the photographers," says Wallechinsky, co-author of "The Complete Book of the Olympics." "I think they look at it as an iconic shot, as something that you can probably sell. I don't think it's something the athletes would probably do on their own."

He's seeing the practice more this year than ever before, especially among swimmers -- though he has no idea why.

Photogs have caught star gymnast Gabby Douglas, track champ Sanya Richards-Ross and swimmer Ryan Lochte giving their medals some tooth. Lochte's shots sometimes feature the added bonus of a jewel-encrusted "grill."

It's not just an Olympic phenomenon, though. Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal famously gnaws his trophies when he wins.

Historically, the practice of biting into metal seems to have its roots in money counterfeiting. Money handlers would bite down on coins to test their authenticity, said David W. Lange of Numismatic Guaranty Corporation. Gold is a relatively soft metal and would show wear when distressed.

Since coins have not contained precious metals for about the past 50 years, it would be silly to try munching on them nowadays.

So how much of an Olympic gold medal is actually gold? It varies by the Games.

This year, the gold medal consists of 1.34%, or about 6 grams, of gold. The remainder is 93% silver and 6% copper.

The amount of gold used to make a medal shrunk after each of the two World Wars, according to Olympic medal collector and expert Jim Greensfelder. Gold medals were made of solid gold at three Olympics -- in 1904, 1908 and 1912 -- but the medals themselves were smaller.

Stressed-out men find heavier women attractive

The study

Eighty-one heterosexual, white men, aged 18 to 42, were put into two groups. The first group took the Trier Social Stress Test, which increased stress levels by asking participants to take on the role of a job applicant in front of a hiring committee. The second group was sent to a room to wait quietly.

Both groups were then shown images of women with various body mass indexes. Study participants evaluated the women's attractiveness on a scale of 1 (very unattractive) to 9 (very attractive). They were then asked to select the woman they found most attractive, the largest woman they found attractive and the smallest woman they found attractive.

The results

While both groups rated underweight women the same, the men with more stress gave significantly higher ratings to women in the normal and high BMI categories than their calmer counterparts. The stressed group's picks for the largest woman they found attractive was also much heavier, on average, than the control group's picks.

The take-away

Not much, if we're being honest. Scientists have long known that a society's ideal body size is shaped by their access to resources. Larger women are preferred when there is a threat, like limited food, because their bodies signify the ability to survive in hostile environments. In today's world, that threat can be as simple as the possibility of unemployment.

Even hunger has an impact on the male mind - previous studies have shown that hungry men find heavier women attractive, according to the study. (Yet another reason to keep the chocolate in your hands!)

Jennifer Aniston engaged to actor Justin Theroux

Jennifer Aniston is heading back to the altar, after accepting a marriage proposal from Justin Theroux, representatives from both actors said Sunday.

The love life of Aniston, who was married from 2000 to 2005 to actor Brad Pitt, has been a subject of tabloid fodder for years, where she has been linked to a number of men, including musician John Mayer and comedic actor Vince Vaughn.

The 43-year-old actress has kept busy since departing the hit NBC sitcom "Friends" in 2004, including roles in films such as "Horrible Bosses," "Marley and Me" and "The Break-Up." Still, fans questioned whether she'd find a soul mate, especially after Pitt united with actress Angelina Jolie and their family grew.

"Having experienced everything you don't want in a partner over time, it starts to narrow down to what you actually do want," the actress told InStyle earlier this year. "As I get older, I realize what qualities are important in love and what suits me. And what I won't settle for.

"Justin Theroux had an amazing birthday Friday, receiving an extraordinary gift when his girlfriend, Jennifer Aniston, accepted his proposal of marriage," Theroux's representative Ina Treciokas said Sunday.Her quest ended Friday, when she got engaged to Theroux on his 41st birthday, Aniston's representative Stephen Huvane said.

Theroux has established himself in Hollywood on several fronts. According to the entertainment website IMDb.com, he was a screenwriter for the films "Tropic Thunder," "Iron Man 2" and "Rock of Ages" and has been in a number of films and TV series since the mid-1990s. These include "American Psycho," "Mulholland Drive," "Zoolander" and, most recently, "Wanderlust" along with Aniston.