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12-18 years: Teen

For several decades, much of the focus on body image disorders has focused on females. In American society, the feminine ideal is to appear thin. Males, however, are encouraged to be muscular. Lately, we are witnessing a shift in how males perceive their bodies. Boys Feel the Pressure Too Many of today’s young males want a strong body; specifically, they want more muscles. With action figures such as Batman, Captain America, and Superman to magazine covers boasting “Double your muscle!” and “Bigger arms now!” it’s no wonder that teens view being chiseled and ripped as the ideal male body image. It’s one thing to play with an action figure or peruse a magazine, but it’s quite another to think obsessively about becoming muscle-bound and to diet and exercise compulsively to look this way. Sound like obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)? Yes. Sound like an eating disorder? Yes. What Is Muscle Dysmorphic […]

Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of car accidents in teenagers and young drivers. According to NHTSA, each day in the United States, approximately nine people are killed and more than 1,000 injured in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver. In 2017, 3,166 people were killed in a crash involving a distracted driver. These statistics are frightening. Parents should talk to the young drivers in their family about distracted driving and methods to avoid tragedy. Taking Your Mind Off the Road Most of us are guilty of distracted driving at one time or another. It happens maybe more than we’d like to admit — we drive while letting another activity take our attention away from focusing on the road. When your brain is thinking about anything other than what is happening on the road, it makes it difficult to react during a potential crash. This […]

Few things can cause a parent’s heart to stand still like having a teenage child complain of chest pain. Unfortunately, it’s a common complaint. According to national data from 2016, people aged 15 to 24 years comprise 14.2% of all emergency room visits and chest pain is one of the top diagnoses. Causes of Chest Pain Many people have experienced chest pain, and a variety of words are used to describe it, ranging from dull to squeezing. There are equally as many causes, the most serious of which usually involve the heart or lungs. Luckily, in teenagers, the most serious are not the most likely. Frequently, the cause of chest pain in teens is chest wall pain. The chest wall includes the skin, fat, muscles, and bones that form a protective structure around the heart, major blood vessels, lungs, and esophagus. The bones in the chest wall include the ribs, sternum (breastbone), […]

In September, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced bold new steps to address what they call an “epidemic of youth e-cigarette use.” The new enforcement actions aim directly at the sale and marketing of e-cigarettes to kids. Warnings and fines were sent to retailers who are selling Juul and e-cigarettes to minors. This article explains what you need to know about “vaping.” What are E-Cigarettes? Electronic cigarettes (or “e-cigs”) are battery-operated, nicotine-dispensing devices. They’re marketed as a safe alternative to smoking. But they’re not safe because they usually put nicotine — a highly addictive drug — into the body. They also mimic the act of smoking a real cigarette, possibly making it harder to quit. How Do E-Cigarettes Work? E-cigarettes use cartridges filled with a liquid that contains nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals. A heating device inside the e-cigarette turns the liquid into vapor to be inhaled. […]

It can be a challenge to talk to your teen about reaching a healthy weight. It’s all too easy to imagine the ways in which the subject can backfire. But it’s more important than ever to get this discussion started. Because even as more American teens are carrying extra pounds, fewer are trying to lose weight. A recent study in JAMA Pediatrics found the percentage of teens aged 16-19 who are overweight or obese sharply increased in recent decades, to 34 percent. Meanwhile, the percentage of overweight teens trying to lose weight fell to 23 percent for boys and 54 percent for girls. As teens see more people who are overweight, their ideas about what’s a healthy weight might be changing. Emotionally, it’s a positive when teens accept their body — but there are health risks to having extra weight. Overweight teens are at higher risk for: diabetes high blood […]

It may be hard for kids everywhere to think about, but there aren’t many lazy days of summer vacation left — and some students are already back in the classroom. No doubt, with all the summer activities and getaways, your kids’ sleep schedules may have gone a bit haywire. But there’s still time to help get them on a back-to-school sleep schedule and practice some healthy sleep habits if you start, well, now. How to Make the Dreaded Transition to a Back-to-School Sleep Schedule The best way to prepare your children for a back-to-school sleep schedule is by beginning early — 10 days to two weeks early, to be exact. If you don’t have that much time left between now and your kids’ first day, don’t fret — just start as soon as you can. Progressively wake your kids 15 minutes earlier each morning and put them to bed 15 […]