Cynthia Barros asked:


Often stress in teenagers can be attributed to acne. As adults, we know that acne will pass, but this is small comfort to the many teenagers who suffer from the embarrassment of having it. Frequently the signs of stress or depression in teens go unnoticed by today’s busy parents.

If you notice your teenager passing up on outings or dates with friends, staying home from school, neglecting school work or being abnormally argumentative, you may find that acne has got them down. So much value is placed on beauty in today’s world that your teenager may be suffering from low self-esteem and a loss of confidence due to a poor complexion.

Talking with your teenager about acne can be difficult because he or she is likely to be embarrassed by their appearance. Always be supportive and understanding. Never accuse your child of following habits that cause acne. The myths about oily foods, chocolate, or *** causing acne have been proven to be untrue.

Let your teenager know that you are available and that you are willing to help him or her with their acne. Explain the connection between stress and acne and how each affects the other. Talking about your own experiences may help.

Do not attempt to ‘brush off’ or minimize the severity of their concerns about acne. Listen and be morally supportive. Learn everything that you can about acne. Be a source of information, advice and comfort to your teenager. Do not assume that you know what is best for you teen based on your own experiences. Acne is different in each individual, what worked for you may not work for your teenager.

There are many options available when treating acne today. Often, trial and error is necessary to find the acne product or treatment that is right for your teen. Light therapy and herbal remedies offer a natural a safe treatment that has proven to be very successful for many. There are also a multitude of topical medications and skin care products available without prescription.

If your teenager is having little success in finding the right acne treatment, encourage a visit to a dermatologist. Medical treatments can include oral medicines or physical treatments. These treatments can help clear up the acne while offering relief from the physical discomfort it causes.

Stress in teenagers due to acne is a very real problem. Do not overlook it or dismiss it.Acne does not last forever. As your child gets older the acne should become less of a problem, and, hopefully, by the time they are in their early 20’s should be a thing of the past.



EMILIO

Cynthia Barros asked:


Often stress in teenagers can be attributed to acne. As adults, we know that acne will pass, but this is small comfort to the many teenagers who suffer from the embarrassment of having it. Frequently the signs of stress or depression in teens go unnoticed by today’s busy parents.

If you notice your teenager passing up on outings or dates with friends, staying home from school, neglecting school work or being abnormally argumentative, you may find that acne has got them down. So much value is placed on beauty in today’s world that your teenager may be suffering from low self-esteem and a loss of confidence due to a poor complexion.

Talking with your teenager about acne can be difficult because he or she is likely to be embarrassed by their appearance. Always be supportive and understanding. Never accuse your child of following habits that cause acne. The myths about oily foods, chocolate, or *** causing acne have been proven to be untrue.

Let your teenager know that you are available and that you are willing to help him or her with their acne. Explain the connection between stress and acne and how each affects the other. Talking about your own experiences may help.

Do not attempt to ‘brush off’ or minimize the severity of their concerns about acne. Listen and be morally supportive. Learn everything that you can about acne. Be a source of information, advice and comfort to your teenager. Do not assume that you know what is best for you teen based on your own experiences. Acne is different in each individual, what worked for you may not work for your teenager.

There are many options available when treating acne today. Often, trial and error is necessary to find the acne product or treatment that is right for your teen. Light therapy and herbal remedies offer a natural a safe treatment that has proven to be very successful for many. There are also a multitude of topical medications and skin care products available without prescription.

If your teenager is having little success in finding the right acne treatment, encourage a visit to a dermatologist. Medical treatments can include oral medicines or physical treatments. These treatments can help clear up the acne while offering relief from the physical discomfort it causes.

Stress in teenagers due to acne is a very real problem. Do not overlook it or dismiss it.Acne does not last forever. As your child gets older the acne should become less of a problem, and, hopefully, by the time they are in their early 20’s should be a thing of the past.



ASA

Kelly Yuile asked:


Regrettably, weight loss for teenage girls often entails unsuitable, unhealthy eating habits, such as crash dieting or experimenting with diet pills. Sadly this is often the onset to eating disorders and other serious health problems.

Studies undertaken show that nearly 70% of young teenage girls have attempted to lose weight before their 18th birthday. Is it necessary for these young girls to be dieting, and are they doing it in a way that is not detrimental to their health?

It is crucial to teach your teenage daughter how to develop a healthy lifestyle which is more than merely encouraging her to eat healthy meals. A healthy lifestyle means to develop habits that she can practice for the rest of her life.

This article addresses the issues of healthy weight loss habits, weight management and body image.

Promote Gradual Weight Loss

As a parent it is not always easy to get your child to eat healthy balanced meals, and there are circumstances where your child may need to lose a little weight. It is then your role as a responsible parent to promote safe, gradual weight loss.

Many teenage girls will put themselves onto strict crash diets. The problem with crash diets is that not only are they potentially damaging to your daughter’s health, but gaining the weight back again is inevitable and unfortunately the gain is often beyond that of her original weight.

A loss of 1-2 pounds per week is recommended to achieve permanent weight loss results.

Get The Whole Family Involved

To get your teenage daughter to adopt healthy eating habits, the whole family needs to be involved. Rather than filling your kitchen with unhealthy snacks or “forbidden foods”, stock your kitchen with foods that are good for you.

Offer snacks that are nourishing, satisfying, and tasty. Always prepare nutritious, well balanced meals and replace those sugary snacks and potato crisps with fresh fruit and nuts.

Teenagers who get the support from their families will achieve better weight loss results and are more likely yo maintain their weight loss, than those who don’t. Additionally, children who grow up educated in healthy eating habits at home will adopt those habits for the rest of their lives.

Start The Day With A Nutritious Breakfast

There are a number of reasons why teenage girls will often skip breakfast such as; not feeling hungry, they’re running late, or they believe that skipping breakfast will help them to lose weight.Missing breakfast wil in factl slow down her weight loss efforts. Eating a nutritious breakfast fuels the brain and the body, and kick-starts the metabolism to burn off additional calories right throughout the day.

Drink Plenty Of Water

One of the biggest weight gain perpetrators is high sugar drinks, energy drinks and fruit juices. Instead, try to promote water as an alternative to these high calorie beverages. Not only is water calorie free, but it flushes out harmful toxins and rejuvenates the body.

Discuss Body Issues

Many teenage girls struggle with body image issues and it is vital to discuss openly with your daughter any of the concerns that she may have with her weight and body image. Encourage her to discuss her worries, about her body image and why she thinks she needs to lose weight. For the health and safety of your daughter these issues should never be brushed aside. Your support and assistance will allow your daughter to continue to grow in happiness and good health.



DANNY

Kelly Yuile asked:


Regrettably, weight loss for teenage girls often entails unsuitable, unhealthy eating habits, such as crash dieting or experimenting with diet pills. Sadly this is often the onset to eating disorders and other serious health problems.

Studies undertaken show that nearly 70% of young teenage girls have attempted to lose weight before their 18th birthday. Is it necessary for these young girls to be dieting, and are they doing it in a way that is not detrimental to their health?

It is crucial to teach your teenage daughter how to develop a healthy lifestyle which is more than merely encouraging her to eat healthy meals. A healthy lifestyle means to develop habits that she can practice for the rest of her life.

This article addresses the issues of healthy weight loss habits, weight management and body image.

Promote Gradual Weight Loss

As a parent it is not always easy to get your child to eat healthy balanced meals, and there are circumstances where your child may need to lose a little weight. It is then your role as a responsible parent to promote safe, gradual weight loss.

Many teenage girls will put themselves onto strict crash diets. The problem with crash diets is that not only are they potentially damaging to your daughter’s health, but gaining the weight back again is inevitable and unfortunately the gain is often beyond that of her original weight.

A loss of 1-2 pounds per week is recommended to achieve permanent weight loss results.

Get The Whole Family Involved

To get your teenage daughter to adopt healthy eating habits, the whole family needs to be involved. Rather than filling your kitchen with unhealthy snacks or “forbidden foods”, stock your kitchen with foods that are good for you.

Offer snacks that are nourishing, satisfying, and tasty. Always prepare nutritious, well balanced meals and replace those sugary snacks and potato crisps with fresh fruit and nuts.

Teenagers who get the support from their families will achieve better weight loss results and are more likely yo maintain their weight loss, than those who don’t. Additionally, children who grow up educated in healthy eating habits at home will adopt those habits for the rest of their lives.

Start The Day With A Nutritious Breakfast

There are a number of reasons why teenage girls will often skip breakfast such as; not feeling hungry, they’re running late, or they believe that skipping breakfast will help them to lose weight.Missing breakfast wil in factl slow down her weight loss efforts. Eating a nutritious breakfast fuels the brain and the body, and kick-starts the metabolism to burn off additional calories right throughout the day.

Drink Plenty Of Water

One of the biggest weight gain perpetrators is high sugar drinks, energy drinks and fruit juices. Instead, try to promote water as an alternative to these high calorie beverages. Not only is water calorie free, but it flushes out harmful toxins and rejuvenates the body.

Discuss Body Issues

Many teenage girls struggle with body image issues and it is vital to discuss openly with your daughter any of the concerns that she may have with her weight and body image. Encourage her to discuss her worries, about her body image and why she thinks she needs to lose weight. For the health and safety of your daughter these issues should never be brushed aside. Your support and assistance will allow your daughter to continue to grow in happiness and good health.



ELIAS

Michael Lee asked:


If you’re not aware of the impact of insomnia in teenagers, you might want to take a second look. No wonder why you can’t keep your teens from watching the late night show, or why they still looked tired in the morning after going to bed early. Sleeplessness or problems sleeping among teenagers may not appear serious at first, but insomnia in teenagers is very much a reality. In fact, insomnia in teenagers is very common.

In a study particularly among US teens, more than 90% reported having problems sleeping at least twice per week within the past year. For some, insomnia seemed chronic and recurrent, beginning from the age of 11.

And because of school the next day, teens still need to get up early despite lack of sleep. This sleep deprivation can cause irritability, moodiness, and difficulty learning and concentrating, thus affecting teenagers’ school performance. An even more serious effect of insomnia is that it can be a prelude to depression or anxiety disorder. Studies also show that young people (16-29 years old) are most prone to auto accidents as a result of falling asleep behind the wheel.

Causes of Insomnia in Teenagers

At the onset of puberty, a person’s body clock changes. Before adolescence, this clock directs the person to naturally fall asleep around 8 or 9 pm. For teens, though, this time is delayed two hours or later.

Moreover, as this age is usually the time of exploration and discovery among teens, this is when they start drinking, smoking, and staying out late with their friends. They may also start drinking coffee to stay alert during the day. These habits, though, can cause or aggravate insomnia in teenagers and may give rise to other sleep disorders.

Stress in school, like peer pressure, school performance, and relationship with teachers can also contribute to insomnia.

Some cases of insomnia, though, can start as early as childhood and continue up to the teenage years. Insomnia in children usually occurs when the child has become dependent on a person or condition that he/she associates with sleep – for example, a parent. Without that, these children have a hard time sleeping.

Treatment of Insomnia in Teenagers

Below are some treatments for insomnia in teenagers. Though these may be done on your own, it is still best to seek advice from a doctor or qualified medical practitioner.

1) Light Therapy. Expose your teens to bright light in the mornings. This will help their body feel that it is time to wake up. A device called a light box can be used for this purpose.

2) On the other hand, keeping the bedroom dark or in subdued light can signal to the body that it is time to sleep.

3) Chronotherapy. Delay bedtime by two or three hours progressively every night for several succeeding nights. For example, if your teen usually sleeps at midnight, you can make him/her stay up until 2 or 3 am and get up at 10 or 11 am. The next night, he/she will sleep at 6 am and wake up at 2 pm, and so on. Continue with this until you reach the desired bedtime. This may be best to do towards the end of the summer break.

4) Medications with melatonin. Melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone, can help. Let your teen take it five hours before the desired bedtime. Taking this, though, should be more of a last resort as this can have side effects. It is best to take this under a doctor’s supervision.

Apart from these treatments, you can do the following to help your teens sleep better:

1) Encourage them to exercise during the day, but not within three hours before bedtime. Regular exercise can help establish healthy sleep patterns.

2) Discourage them to do homework or anything mentally stimulating one hour before bedtime.

3) Decrease caffeine in their diet.

4) Remove distractions from their bedroom, like the telephone or TV.

5) If they are worried about the things to do the next day, let them make a list to eliminate anxiety for the moment.

Though insomnia in teenagers can be serious, it is treatable. With you and your teens working together, they can sleep better and be healthier.



BARRY

Darlene Nicholson asked:


If you have an overweight or obese teenager, you are certainly not alone. Nearly 9% of our youth ages 6-19 are obese. That’s over 9 million kids in the United States! We’ve heard this statistic over and over again and still, we aren’t quite sure how to tackle it even though we know the problems behind it. Finding workable teenage diet plans amidst all the problems behind obesity is a difficult task.

Healthy teenage diet plans for weight loss need to consist of the following things:

1. Positive motivation that involves respect for the teen’s feelings and an understanding of their eating issues and how this affects their choices.

2. A healthy eating plan that helps the teenager not only lose weight healthfully, but teaches the teenager how to eat healthfully for life.

3. An exercise plan that not only burns calories and helps tone muscle, but is something that the teenager can continue to do on their own and will have a desire to do so.

In speaking of positive motivation, I can’t tell you how important this piece is in developing teenage diet plans that work. So often, I see parents use shame or guilt to try to motivate their teen. Being overweight or obese has a stigma attached to it. Your child faces this everyday and is well aware. Don’t let his or her home become yet another place to be judged for their weight problems!

Understanding their eating issues is also important. Many of us overeat when we are feeling down. We do this because we were sort of taught this as youngsters. Food was often a reward and we’ve probably passed that on to our children. “You were so good today. Here’s the ice cream cone I promised you.” Or, a classic is to give a treat whenever one of your children has a scraped knee. It shuts off the tears, but it also promotes a sense of instant gratification that they will continue to use whether the pain is a physical hurt or emotional hurt. Once you help your teen make the switch from instant gratification to lasting gratification fueled by positive change and facing problems head on, he or she will find healthy teenage diet plans to be much easier to tackle.

Along the lines of quick fixes, it is important to remember that healthy teenage diet plans allow for long-term, steady weight loss. A safe amount of weight to lose is anywhere from 1-3 pounds per week. When your teen begins a diet plan, weight loss may be faster in the very beginning. This is normal. It can be frustrating to all of a sudden see that weight loss stabilize to a more reasonable 1-3 pounds per week. Help your teen to stay the course by explaining or having their dietician or physician explain (always sounds better coming from someone other than a parent!) how slow, steady weight loss leads to lasting weight loss for life. And speaking of the rest of their lives, make sure to include a variety of foods from every food group but especially a lot of veggies, some fruit and lean protein sources. When choosing carbohydrates (important as well), help your teen to choose the right ones by buying whole grain, high fiber products instead of white bread or refined sugars.

And last, but not least, be creative in coming up with an exercise routine that will complement healthy teenage diet plans for weight loss. Exercise needs to be enjoyed by your teenager or it will forever be a battle to get he or she actually doing it on a regular basis. What are your teens likes and dislikes? What kind of activities do they enjoy? Think outside the box. If your teenager likes the outdoors but doesn’t enjoy running, how about a regular daily walk at a botanical garden or other outdoor facility? Or shopping? Mall walk in the morning with your teenager. Maybe talk with some other parents and get a group together that could benefit from playing a regular game of flag football at the park a few times a week or more. By showing your teenager how fun and enjoyable exercise can be, you are helping him or her develop a daily habit that will not only complement healthy teenage diet plans, but will stay with them for life!



ERIC

Blair Stephens asked:


All around the world, teenagers face the same angst and turmoil over how they look and their own personal confidence. Many teenage girls are plagued by teasing about their looks and they watch their own mother’s struggle with body image and today’s standards of beauty. Without the confidence to find the beauty within, thousands of teenage girls are turning to cosmetic surgery to “fix” what they feel is wrong about their face and bodies. Commonly, young women as young as 14 or 15 are getting nose jobs, breast augmentation, chemical peels and other cosmetic surgery procedures. Teenage boys are also getting more and more cosmetic procedures like liposuction, nose jobs, treatment for gynecomastia and other reconstructive procedures. In all cases under the age of 18, their parents must give consent, and in fact, plastic surgery is becoming a popular high school graduation gift or reward for accomplishing a goal. Americans may assume this is a phenomenon in the US alone, but plastic surgery is incredibly popular in Australia, Japan and Korea and the BBC reported in 2005 that 4 out of 10 teenage girls want plastic surgery in Britain.

There are absolutely appropriate reasons for a young person to get cosmetic surgery. Common procedures on your people include the following:

· Ostopolasty - A procedure in which ears which protrude significantly from the head are surgically “pinned” back making them less noticeable. This procedure is often done for young children any time after the age of five.

· Breast Asymmetry Correction - Many young women experience unequal breast development and those with the most evident cases may want to see augmentation of the lesser developed breast in order to achieve symmetry.

· Breast Reduction - Some young women develop breasts that may be too large for their frame and cause physical problems with their back, shoulders and even impede breathing. These young women will often seek a breast reduction to improve their overall health and self confidence.

· Acne Treatment - There are cosmetic surgery procedures that specifically target the skin, including chemical peels, dermabrasion, microdermabrasion and laser procedures that can reduce redness and acne scarring on the face. In many instances, these procedures will be coupled with prescription medications and strict protocol for cleansing and diet.

· Gynecomastia Treatment - Young men sometimes develop breast tissue, for a variety of reasons, and although some cases will reduce themselves, some require surgical correction.

· Reconstructive Operations - Obviously if a young person is disfigured in any way or has a physiological problem that must be addressed surgically, any reconstructive or cosmetic surgery necessary to restore normal function and appearance is acceptable.

In many of these instances, families can secure partial or complete insurance coverage for the procedure and the health benefits, not to mention the emotional benefits, outweigh the risks of surgery. Additionally, in many of these cases, parents are very involved in the emotional implications before and after the surgery and can help guide their child through the event.

When a young person wants to undergo plastic surgery to attain a face or body that more typically aligns with the standards of beauty of society, many things must be considered. Every teenager is bombarded with plastic surgery from television shows like I Want a Famous Face on MTV, to The Swan, to Extreme Makeover, to Dr. 90210. Although these shows reveal the graphic and painful nature of cosmetic surgery procedures, they typically show more positive results than negative, making the surgery seem well worth the risks. It is incredibly important for parents and teenagers to truly weigh the pros and cons before they move forward.

First, organizations like the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) have outlined specific criteria that a teenager must meet in order to be eligible for plastic surgery.

The surgery must be at the behest of the teenager. Not only does the teenager need to initiate the request, it must be something they have thought about and spoken of for a long period of time. They also must have parental consent if they are under 18 and they need to be able to articulate why they want the surgery to the doctor. The teenager must be realistic about the outcome of the surgery. No one can look just like Britney Spears or Brad Pitt because of bone structure and genetics. No surgery will make a teenager “perfect” and in some cases, the results may be very different from what the teenager had ultimately envisioned. The teenager must demonstrate a high level of maturity and level headedness. Not only will they have to deal with the pain and short term disfigurement of the surgery, they need to be able to deal with a rapid change to their body or face and there may be emotional repercussions. If a teenager is prone to depression or mood swings, plastic surgery is not recommended until the underlying emotional issues have been addressed.

Before a parent and teenager embark on this kind of exploration though, it should be considered why a teenager wants to undergo permanent cosmetic surgery. What is the underlying reason for their personal and physical discomfort with themselves? Why do they want to change? What do they think the change will bring? A parent must explore these questions and consider the image they are projecting to their child and what their child is going through, emotionally and physically, that is prompting them to go to such an extreme degree for change.

This is not to say that cosmetic surgery is inappropriate for all teenagers, or that a young woman should not get a breast augmentation or that a young man should not get a nose job. In many cases, the lifelong benefits of increased self confidence and the improvement of things like clothing fitting better can really have a positive emotional impact on any person, especially a young man or woman. In fact, the improved confidence may help them to achieve their goals faster, and increase their confidence across their lives. Cosmetic surgery is sometimes the missing puzzle piece that can help a teenager overcome obstacles and be a happier person.

The key to making a decision like this is to ensure that it is being done for the right reason and that the teenager involved understands the short term and long term risks associated with cosmetic surgery. Although the surgery may seem like a quick fix to them, and they may put blinders on as to the downsides, it is critical for a parent or guardian to find a way to communicate those risks, with the help of their doctor, to help everyone make the right decision.



DARNELL

Kelly Yuile asked:


Too many of our teenagers are drastically over weight. The shocking fact is that 14% of our teenagers suffer from obesity. That number has doubled since the 1970s. The illnesses that can affect teenage obesity are vast and include high blood pressure, diabetes and, heart disease. Why has the teenager obesity rate doubled?

Many experts blame the obesity effect on the technology of video games, video arcades and, too many television channels to choose from. Sadly, it’s not as often anymore that we see a bunch of children playing kick-ball in the school or park. Nor do we see pick-up stickball or softball games. Can we blame this all on technology? Some, but perhaps not.

Society itself has made the family unit more private these days and instead of neighbourhoods full of closeness, children, and parents who all know each other, we have developed into a society of staying in and playing in. Too many state and local governments are the first to cut park and park supervision expenses. After all, parents are so busy themselves and at the end of the day, their energy level isn’t helping the teenage obesity problem or their own overweight issues.

Hollywood still promotes those frail and skinny men and women that our children are supposed to emulate. Let’s all get real here, most of these photos are airbrushed, and we shouldn’t teach our children that their appearance is the best appearance. Further, we can’t expect the everyday teenager to look at those pictures and movies and then the mirror and set a goal to look like that — that’s just absurd! So how can we get our teenagers who suffer from obesity to change their lifestyle, eat healthy, and get more exercise?

First, we must start at home and limit television, computer and, video time. As a parent, to encourage it is only pushing your teenager into obesity. Many parents are also guilty of over-providing snacks that are not healthy and contain too many calories for a sedentary teenager. A good place to start in your home when dealing with teenage obesity is to have an honest and open family meeting.

At this meeting, discuss what things your teenagers like to do and don’t like to do. Be honest and explain to them that their lifestyle is dangerous and unhealthy. Don’t shade the conversation with roses, if they don’t know how obesity can affect them, they’ll continue on the obesity trail. Talk about eating right and what foods the family will be eating in the future and make sure you participate in the new healthy diet yourself. Finally, as tired as you might be after a long day at work, put on some sneakers and get your teenager outside. Actually, a healthy jog, walk, or basketball game can give you more energy than just sitting around.

The teenage obesity problem will continue to exist in today’s society if we don’t join together as a family and give examples to other families with teenage obesity problems. We may lose our children long before their time—that’s how important this is and that’s why you need to set goals and make sure your child lives a happy, healthy life that is full of good food and exercise and fun.



AMADO