One of the best ways to prevent and improve your health as an adult is to constantly be in front of it. Your Health is a FREE e-newsletters that serves as your easy, smart link to the world-class experience of Johns Hopkins University. The mission of Johns Hopkins is to advance our knowledge of human health, understanding more of its processes and outcomes, and the care we provide for patients with a wide range of conditions, from chronic to catastrophic. Your Health Matters provides a forum for sharing what you already know about health-related issues, news, and advice with people who can help you find solutions, manage your own health, and share your experience with others.
While the media portrays unhealthy behaviors and lifestyles as the norm, there are many teens and kids in our society that don’t fit this mold. Many of these teens and kids don’t feel comfortable talking about certain health concerns with their parents or with their friends. Because of this, they may be developing mental health problems without realizing it, and they may be at risk for a mental health problem later on in life. It’s important for parents and other adults in their lives to be aware of these subtle signs and talk to their teens and kids about their mental health.
One of the most common mental health problems affecting teenagers and kids today is depression. According to the National Comorbidity Study, depression among teens and kids has been steadily increasing in recent years. Some of the most common symptoms of depression include extreme changes in mood (also known as mania), fatigue, sleep disturbance, social withdrawal, increased use of drugs or alcohol, and changes in appetite, sex drive, and energy levels. If your teen or kids experience even one or two of these symptoms, they should be evaluated immediately by their parents or health care providers for depression.
Another serious but under talked about issue affecting kids and teens today is the obesity crisis. According to the World Health Organization, over one million children enrolled in United States’ schools are considered obese. Excessive weight is very dangerous for kids and adolescents both physically and mentally. In fact, being overweight can cause a variety of health risks including heart disease, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and even death. Being overweight can be very difficult to get help for, but if you know where to look, you can find great deals on weight loss programs for kids and teens that will get them healthy and back to enjoying their lives. If you want your child to become happy and healthy, then you should consider weight loss programs for kids and teens.
Parents should encourage their kids to develop healthy habits. In order for kids to become happy and healthy, they need to have positive influences in their lives. The type of positive influences depends on where your child lives, but there are many places that parents can go to get advice and develop healthy eating habits for their kids. One great place to start is with their pediatrician. Doctors are very aware of the obesity crisis that is taking place throughout the United States. They know that by teaching healthy eating habits to children, they can help them lead happier and healthier lives for the rest of their lives.
Healthy habits for kids also include exercise. Exercise can be as easy as walking the dog around the block or taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work. Exercise can be as difficult as going for a jog through the park or as easy as joining a sports team. Physical activity is good for the body, mind, and spirit. It can promote self-esteem, improve concentration, improve memory, decrease stress levels, and provide an overall sense of well being.
Teenagers are not the only age group that is facing health issues; they are not the only age group that gets sick at an alarming rate either. Regardless of where your teenager is at in their life, it is important to get professional help when necessary. The longer that you wait to get professional help for your teenager’s health problems, the more likely you are to face serious health issues later in life. Teenage mental health problems can be handled with therapy and medication.
The better health that we have comes from a combination of healthy habits for all of us, including teenagers. There is no reason that adults can’t learn the same healthy habits for themselves that they learned when they were teenagers. If you think that your teenager may have a health problem, it is important to get medical help immediately.