National Eating Disorder Awareness Week starts today. Eating disorders can affect people of every age, sex, gender, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic group. National surveys estimate that 20 million women and 10 million men in America will have an eating disorder at some point in their lives. The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) states that the scope and severity of eating
Read moreAfter a holiday full of tempting treats and a new year where everyone seems to be jumping on the weight loss bandwagon, teens can easily fall victim to body image issues. Adolescence is a stage in life where teens begin to care a lot about how others view them, and they may become self-conscious of every blemish or extra pound.
Read moreHypertension, or high blood pressure, occurs when blood pushes too hard against a person’s blood vessels, potentially causing damage to the vessels and organs. The majority of people associate high blood pressure with older adults, but that is not always the case. Even children can have high blood pressure. Many people who have high blood pressure don’t realize they have
Read moreResearchers have already proven that teens who are not getting enough sleep are more likely to be overweight, become depressed, use drugs, take risks, suffer from colds and viruses, and perform poorly in school. But, a new study released in the journal Scientific Reports (6/12/17) found that students who do not have regular sleep schedules (go to bed and wake
Read moreWhat should a parent say to their overweight teen? What’s the best way to guide them to better health? It can be a real struggle for parents to know what to say or do when they have a teenager who is overweight. It can feel overwhelming, but experts actually have a lot of valuable advice for parents. Here are some
Read moreJust in time for March, National Nutrition Month, recent research shows that women who ate poorly as teenagers were more likely to develop pre-menopausal breast cancer. The study, which was published March 1, 2017 in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, found that women who ate the most inflammatory diet – heavy in red meat, sodas, sweet foods and
Read moreEating disorders frequently emerge during adolescence, but often, the symptoms aren’t what parents might expect. Unfortunately, many eating disorders go undetected and untreated because parents don’t recognize the warning signs. General Information about Eating Disorders An eating disorder occurs when eating habits or food-related behavior cause significant distress or impairment in someone’s life. Eating disorders include: Anorexia. Teens with anorexia
Read moreJuly is UV Awareness Month. With summer in full swing, it’s important to educate our teens about the dangers of sun exposure. Ultraviolet (or UV) ray exposure (from the sun OR from tanning salons) can cause: skin cancer (the most common type of cancer in the United States) eye cancer wrinkles blotchy skin cataracts Skin damage often starts during
Read moreAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), high school students who get too little sleep are also more likely to drive drunk or take other risks. Scientists could not say whether the lack of sleep caused teens to take risks, the risk-taking caused sleep disruptions, or both were just a reflection of depression or other problems. Regardless
Read moreMore than 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV infection, and almost 1 in 8 are unaware of their infection. But, more important for parents to know is that the fastest growing population of people with HIV are teens and young adults. In the United States, one in four of all new HIV infections is among
Read moreMarch is National Nutrition Month, so it’s a great time to take stock of our family’s eating habits. About one in three children in the United States is overweight or obese. Eating out, large portion sizes and junk food are all major culprits. An overweight child has a 70 to 80 percent chance of staying overweight as an adult. So,
Read moreFebruary is American Heart Month. More than likely, you are not worried about your teen’s heart health, and for obvious reason: the majority of teens have strong, healthy hearts because they are young! But, many of the habits that are established in the adolescent years can impact our children’s heart health throughout their lives. Parents can make a difference in
Read moreThe latest American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ (ASPS) statistics show that cosmetic surgery is increasing in the 13- to 19-year-old age category. While many assume that cosmetic surgery is for the older individual trying to look younger, studies are showing that cosmetic surgery is being more frequently applied to the teen who is not satisfied with his/her appearance. A recent
Read moreIn the United States, 20 million women and 10 million men suffer from an eating disorder at some time in their life, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating disorder. If you would like more information about these specific disorders, visit the National Eating Disorders website. Eating disorders are not a phase or lifestyle choice, but rather serious, life-threatening conditions
Read moreParents tend to worry about their children for a million reasons, ranging from whether they will fit in, be respectful, get good grades, and stay safe. Keeping our teens healthy is probably one of the top concerns that a parent has. To keep you up to date, here is a list of some of the biggest health risks today’s teens
Read moreWe might hate to admit it, but all of us have at least one bad habit, and children are not immune to having some less-than-ideal behaviors. If you want your child to start adolescence in the best way possible, you might want to observe your tween’s habits to see where they are not making the best decisions. Below are a
Read moreWith obesity becoming a growing trend in our society, parents may struggle over what to say to their teens about weight. Regardless of whether your child is thin or overweight, parents should be careful what they say to their impressionable teenagers. Recent studies have shown that when parents talked to their teens about losing weight or being thin, their children
Read moreAccording to the American Academy of Dermatology, nearly 100% of all teenagers have at least the occasional skin breakout. More than 40% of teen acne is serious enough to require treatment by a doctor. While a pimple on your chin may not seem like an important life issue to an adult, parents should understand that even mild acne can have
Read moreWhen you hear about dating violence, what age do you think is affected? Many of us believe dating abuse is an issue for high school students and young adults, but a new study challenges that misconception. A recent study from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Blue Shield of California found that 75% of middle school students had already had a
Read moreYour teen’s body image is not the shape of their body, but rather, how they VIEW the shape of their body. How a teen perceives the way they look has a powerful influence on their life and self-esteem. Adolescence is a stage in life where teens begin to care a lot about how others view them, and they may become
Read more