What your teen sees when they look in the mirror can impact their mental and physical health, including how active they are and their risk for an eating disorder. According to the National Institutes of Health nearly half of children and teens have body image issues. And it’s no wonder since our society has an image-driven culture that focuses on
Read moreAt a time when many have made New Year’s Resolutions to lose weight, it might seem odd to be promoting weight gain, but pediatricians say it’s an important message for parents of adolescents. American culture clearly values small bodies and weight loss. We are bombarded with unhealthy messages about body image. And at the same time, we have heard there
Read moreNew research, published last month in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, demonstrates that potentially toxic chemicals found in everyday products are altering the hormonal and metabolic pathways needed for human growth and development in teens. What are “forever chemicals”? Researchers analyzed study samples from young children, teens and young adults, all of whom had a mixture of different synthetic compounds
Read moreAccording to the American Osteopathic Association, hearing loss in teens has risen by 30 percent since the 1990s, with 1 in 5 teens having some form of hearing loss. It’s important to know that the number one cause of hearing loss is noise, not age. Unfortunately, hearing loss due to excessive sound exposure is permanent, and there is no cure for
Read moreMore than a million kids ages 5 to 14 are injured each year in sports and require a trip to the emergency room, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Football has the highest incidence of injury, followed by basketball. Along with sports, the agency also reports significant injuries from things like playground equipment and skateboards. While high contact
Read moreYouth sports have been proven to offer teens substantial benefits. Unfortunately, almost half of youth stop playing sports by the time they get to high school. The way our nation currently views youth sports doesn’t set most teens up to participate. This article will examine the reasons sports are invaluable for our teens, the reasons more teens aren’t participating in
Read moreClasses, social stress, homework, sports, chores, part-time jobs, after-school activities… teens live busy lives. Does your teen seem to be dragging? Many teens feel tired from their many commitments and look for ways to increase their energy. Some of these ways may be unhealthy. Before your teen gets burnout, it’s a good time to teach your adolescent about how their
Read moreAs our nation deals with extreme weather, heat deaths in the U.S. have increased 56% from 2018 to 2021. The high heat and humidity across our country are a danger to all of us, but particularly athletes who are participating in sports outdoors. High school sports practices are either underway or starting now, and youth are at a high risk
Read moreNext month, July, is UV Awareness Month. With summer in full swing, it’s important to educate teens about the dangers of sun exposure. Exposure to ultraviolet (or UV) rays, from either the sun OR from tanning salons, can cause wrinkles, blotchy skin, cataracts, and skin or eye cancer. The important thing to teach youth is that their sun exposure now
Read moreAs we wrap up Mental Health Awareness Month, we want to focus on one of the most overlooked influencers of mental health: sleep. There are many studies that connect sleep loss with poor mental health. It is not a coincidence that today’s teens are the most sleep-deprived generation in history and that adolescent mental health is also at its worst
Read moreBody piercings are quite common in the United States, and so it should come as no shock that parents often face that difficult question from their child, “Can I get my _____ pierced?” Young people get body piercings for many reasons, including to make a fashion statement, feel a sense of belonging with peers, express their identity, or rebel against
Read moreThere’s been a lot of talk about “mindfulness” in our culture lately, but many people don’t fully understand the term. Mindfulness is when we try to stay consciously aware of an experience while it’s happening. This can be a helpful practice in any number of situations, but it can be especially useful while eating. Many Americans will eat junk food
Read moreAmerican culture does not value sleep. In fact, it almost seems a badge of honor to be slurping down coffee as you tell anyone who will listen how busy you are and how late you stayed up to get everything done. It’s no wonder then that our adolescents don’t seem to value sleep either. Why is Sleep Important? Both the
Read moreToday begins a national awareness week for eating disorders. It’s estimated that 30 million Americans (20 million women and 10 million men) have struggled with an eating disorder at some point over their lifetime. Eating disorders can affect people of every age, sex, gender, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic group. They are a serious illness; in fact, eating disorders are the
Read moreWith the start of a new year, many people are making resolutions, and the most common resolution is to eat healthier. This is a worthy goal! About one in three children in the United States is overweight or obese, and sadly an overweight child has a 70 to 80 percent chance of staying overweight as an adult. As a result,
Read moreAs confirmed COVID-19 cases rise across the United States, parents might feel confused by or frustrated with teens who don’t seem to care about the pandemic, ignore recommended safety precautions, or believe the virus isn’t a problem at all. Parents need to remember that it is perfectly natural for adolescents to push boundaries, question authority, and embrace risk – their
Read moreNew college students have always faced an increased risk of illness from the flu, meningitis, mononucleosis and colds. But the COVID-19 pandemic brings a whole new host of worries. Some colleges are keeping instruction online to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but many universities are bringing students back to campus with new health precautions in place. However, when you’re living
Read moreThe stay-at-home orders across the country have been met with a variety of reactions from the public. Some people are eager to follow the directives, while others believe the restrictions are an overreaction. This can cause a lot of tension in homes if family members don’t agree on the lockdown. Just last week, in Atlanta, GA, a stepfather argued with,
Read moreDue to the rapidly spreading COVID-19, many families are facing the unimaginable … being stuck together inside for weeks in quarantine. With no outings or visits from friends allowed, this can be a daunting prospect and a recipe for boredom. So here is a checklist of possible activities to undertake with your teens: Make music (singing / dancing / lip
Read moreThe number of children and teenagers visiting doctor’s offices with overuse injuries is climbing dramatically. An overuse injury is any type of muscle or joint injury – such as tendinitis, shin splints, or a stress fracture – that’s caused by frequent repetitions of the same movements. These types of injuries occur in a wide range of sports, including baseball, basketball,
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