Getting back into the school routine can be stressful for some kids. But that stress is something they might be able to just walk off.
What we are talking about is just walking to school in the morning, that might do them a whole day's worth of good.
We can all remember stressful days at school. Turning in homework, taking planned tests and the ever dreadful "pop" quiz can add to the stress. But so to can the social parts of school, wearing the right clothes, having the right lunch, all those things that don't seem important now but were pretty much all you thought about during the school day when you were young.
Unfortunately, those stresses can add up and experts are getting more concerned about it since we are finding out that heart disease is a process that starts in early childhood. So getting that stress under control is important.
And it looks like one simple way to do that is by having them walk to school in the morning. Researchers tested stress levels while taking a quiz in both boys and girls that either rode or walked to school. Those "riding" to school had a 3 times greater rise in blood pressure and reported feeling more stressed than the walkers.
So to help you kid better handle the stress that's always going to go hand in hand with school, have them walk if they can. And while you're at it, walk with them, it'll do you a world of good as well.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Chosing The Right Backpack
It's that time of the year again. Time to start getting your kids ready for school. That means buying supplies and something to carry them in, usually a backpack.
How can you can make sure you get the right kind for your kids?
That backpack they use might be causing more pain than you think. Nowadays, kids are lugging more and more supplies back and forth to school. One popular way is with a backpack. Unfortunately, that same pack might be the main reason up to half of teens 15-16 years old complain of back pain.
Most doctors and physical therapists recommend a backpack weigh no more than 15% of a student’s body weight. That means it shouldn’t weigh more than 15lbs for a 100 pound person. And even if someone weighs more, the pack still shouldn't be more than 20 pounds.
But besides making sure it doesn’t weigh too much, there are other things that can help keep it comfortable.
Make sure it has 2 wide, padded shoulder straps and that both straps are always used. And teach them to stand up straight when using a pack. If they’re leaning forward or hunching over, it probably weighs too much.
And try and convince them to not carry anything they don't need, just bring home the necessities.
Encourage your kids to let you know if they have any back pain, or if they get numbness or tingling in their arms. That's a sign of a heavy pack, or one not used correctly.
The key here is to make sure their homework doesn’t turn into a bigger pain then they already think it is.
How can you can make sure you get the right kind for your kids?
That backpack they use might be causing more pain than you think. Nowadays, kids are lugging more and more supplies back and forth to school. One popular way is with a backpack. Unfortunately, that same pack might be the main reason up to half of teens 15-16 years old complain of back pain.
Most doctors and physical therapists recommend a backpack weigh no more than 15% of a student’s body weight. That means it shouldn’t weigh more than 15lbs for a 100 pound person. And even if someone weighs more, the pack still shouldn't be more than 20 pounds.
But besides making sure it doesn’t weigh too much, there are other things that can help keep it comfortable.
Make sure it has 2 wide, padded shoulder straps and that both straps are always used. And teach them to stand up straight when using a pack. If they’re leaning forward or hunching over, it probably weighs too much.
And try and convince them to not carry anything they don't need, just bring home the necessities.
Encourage your kids to let you know if they have any back pain, or if they get numbness or tingling in their arms. That's a sign of a heavy pack, or one not used correctly.
The key here is to make sure their homework doesn’t turn into a bigger pain then they already think it is.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Girls Starting Puberty Earlier
Girls seem to be starting puberty earlier than ever. Sometimes even as young as 7 or 8. Puberty normally happens between ages 10 and 14 for girls and 12 to 16 for boys.
A new study, just published in the journal Pediatrics, found that girls hitting puberty before the age of 10 is much more common than it was over the past two decades. After looking at over 1,200 girls ages 6 to 8, researchers found a much higher percentage of black, white and Hispanic girls showing early development of breasts and pubic hair.
Researchers found that at age 7, 10% of white girls and 23% of black girls started to develop breasts. Those numbers are about double what they were back in 1997. The problem with early puberty is that it can lead to emotional problems and a greater risk of developing breast cancer later in life.
As to why this is happening, researchers point to the increasing amount of obesity in this young age group or even exposure to estrogen and other compounds in the environment. Their best recommendation is to make sure your daughter eats a healthy diet, has family meals and if she does develop early puberty----discuss with her what that means as far as her sexuality in the coming years.
A new study, just published in the journal Pediatrics, found that girls hitting puberty before the age of 10 is much more common than it was over the past two decades. After looking at over 1,200 girls ages 6 to 8, researchers found a much higher percentage of black, white and Hispanic girls showing early development of breasts and pubic hair.
Researchers found that at age 7, 10% of white girls and 23% of black girls started to develop breasts. Those numbers are about double what they were back in 1997. The problem with early puberty is that it can lead to emotional problems and a greater risk of developing breast cancer later in life.
As to why this is happening, researchers point to the increasing amount of obesity in this young age group or even exposure to estrogen and other compounds in the environment. Their best recommendation is to make sure your daughter eats a healthy diet, has family meals and if she does develop early puberty----discuss with her what that means as far as her sexuality in the coming years.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Our Behavior Set By 1st Grade
Who we are now is something that might go back as far as first grade.
It's looking more and more like our personalities, even when we're gray haired, gets set in place when we are kids.
Think back to your first years in school and the classmates you had. Some were talkative, others pushy and others shy. Chances are they are still that way well into adulthood.
Researchers of a newly released study say that how we behave in 1st grade is a very strong predictor of how we will behave later on in life. They looked at how teachers rated over two thousand children's behavior back in the 1960's then checked up on these same kids forty years later as adults.
Even they were surprised by the closeness of personality traits. They reported in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science some examples. Those children identified as verbally fluent, meaning very talkative, tended to be middle age adults who displayed interest in intellectual matters, tried to control situations and had a high degree of intelligence. Impulsive students ended up being adults that spoke loudly and were talkative. On the other hand, those rated low on impulsivity ended up being timid adults who tended to be insecure.
So, it seems that it's tough to change what's already set in motion by first grade.
It's looking more and more like our personalities, even when we're gray haired, gets set in place when we are kids.
Think back to your first years in school and the classmates you had. Some were talkative, others pushy and others shy. Chances are they are still that way well into adulthood.
Researchers of a newly released study say that how we behave in 1st grade is a very strong predictor of how we will behave later on in life. They looked at how teachers rated over two thousand children's behavior back in the 1960's then checked up on these same kids forty years later as adults.
Even they were surprised by the closeness of personality traits. They reported in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science some examples. Those children identified as verbally fluent, meaning very talkative, tended to be middle age adults who displayed interest in intellectual matters, tried to control situations and had a high degree of intelligence. Impulsive students ended up being adults that spoke loudly and were talkative. On the other hand, those rated low on impulsivity ended up being timid adults who tended to be insecure.
So, it seems that it's tough to change what's already set in motion by first grade.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
When To Worry About Cholesterol
The big question is, when should you start worrying about your cholesterol? It's probably sooner than you'd think.
In the case of cholesterol you might think of it as "the younger, the better." Right now government guidelines call for 20-year-olds to have their cholesterol checked, then retested every five years. If it's high, especially LDL, the bad cholesterol, it gets treated. But if it's only borderline, it sometimes gets ignored by doctor and patients during young adulthood.
But new research is showing this could be a very unhealthy move. In a recent 20-year study, researchers found the collective effect of even modestly abnormal cholesterol levels over the years increased the risk of having signs of heart disease by the age of 45. Now experts are thinking the exposure your body gets to even slightly elevated levels of cholesterol during young adulthood does matter---and can lead to lasting damage to your heart and blood vessels in middle age.
Right now LDL levels are considered good if under 100. But researchers in this study found the magic number in young adults seemed to be 70. They think we, as doctors, need to be more aggressive with both children and young adults than we've done in the past, especially if their cholesterol is in that borderline range. But instead of starting off with medications, they do recommend diet and exercise as the first choice to try and get a young adults cholesterol down as low as possible.
In the case of cholesterol you might think of it as "the younger, the better." Right now government guidelines call for 20-year-olds to have their cholesterol checked, then retested every five years. If it's high, especially LDL, the bad cholesterol, it gets treated. But if it's only borderline, it sometimes gets ignored by doctor and patients during young adulthood.
But new research is showing this could be a very unhealthy move. In a recent 20-year study, researchers found the collective effect of even modestly abnormal cholesterol levels over the years increased the risk of having signs of heart disease by the age of 45. Now experts are thinking the exposure your body gets to even slightly elevated levels of cholesterol during young adulthood does matter---and can lead to lasting damage to your heart and blood vessels in middle age.
Right now LDL levels are considered good if under 100. But researchers in this study found the magic number in young adults seemed to be 70. They think we, as doctors, need to be more aggressive with both children and young adults than we've done in the past, especially if their cholesterol is in that borderline range. But instead of starting off with medications, they do recommend diet and exercise as the first choice to try and get a young adults cholesterol down as low as possible.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
"Dirty Dozen" In Dietary Supplements
Millions of Americans take dietary supplements, but some of what they are taking could be risky.
We are talking about some of the ingredients in popular over-the-counter supplements. Consumer Reports just issued a warning about what some are calling the "dirty dozen" ingredients you should avoid.
These ingredients have side effects that most consumers don't know about but that experts say can cause heart, liver and kidney problems. The issue, according to Consumer Reports, is that most consumers might not realize that manufacturers of these supplements don't have to show they are safe or effective before putting them on the shelf. The FDA, which does regulate the safety of drugs and medicines, doesn't have much authority over these types of supplements.
The ingredients being listed as ones you should avoid include aconite, bitter orange, chaparral, colloidal silver, coltsfoot, comfrey, country mallow, germanium, greater celandine, kava, lobelia and yohimbe.
If you are taking any of these supplements your best bet is have an honest, open talk with your doctor about how risky they are to your health. The same goes for any other supplement or herb you're taking, since they might have side effects you aren't aware of, or could even be interfering with medication you are already taking.
We are talking about some of the ingredients in popular over-the-counter supplements. Consumer Reports just issued a warning about what some are calling the "dirty dozen" ingredients you should avoid.
These ingredients have side effects that most consumers don't know about but that experts say can cause heart, liver and kidney problems. The issue, according to Consumer Reports, is that most consumers might not realize that manufacturers of these supplements don't have to show they are safe or effective before putting them on the shelf. The FDA, which does regulate the safety of drugs and medicines, doesn't have much authority over these types of supplements.
The ingredients being listed as ones you should avoid include aconite, bitter orange, chaparral, colloidal silver, coltsfoot, comfrey, country mallow, germanium, greater celandine, kava, lobelia and yohimbe.
If you are taking any of these supplements your best bet is have an honest, open talk with your doctor about how risky they are to your health. The same goes for any other supplement or herb you're taking, since they might have side effects you aren't aware of, or could even be interfering with medication you are already taking.
Monday, August 2, 2010
New Weight Loss Drug
There might be new hope in the weight loss battle that's both safe and effective.
We've heard this promise so often that it's hard not to turn a deaf ear, but this time, researchers might have found a diet pill that both works and doesn't seem to have a lot of side effects. It's called Contrave.
One thing that separates this from other diet pills is that it's actually a combination of two different medications, naltrexone and buproprion, both medications that have been around for a few years. Naltraxone is used normally used to treat addictions, like smoking, and buproprion, which goes by the brand name wellbutrin, treats depression. But by combining these two medications into one pill, researchers have found a treatment that helped participants in a clinical trial lose, on the average, 6.1 percent of their body fat in one year. Researchers involved in the study thinks this pill is effective because the two drugs target different brain areas important to weight loss at the same time.
Although there were some side effects, including nausea, headache and dizziness, researchers said there were no signs of the depression or suicidal thoughts that came with other weight loss pills.
This medication is still in clinical trial but if results pan out, it could help shed some of those unwanted pounds in the near future.
We've heard this promise so often that it's hard not to turn a deaf ear, but this time, researchers might have found a diet pill that both works and doesn't seem to have a lot of side effects. It's called Contrave.
One thing that separates this from other diet pills is that it's actually a combination of two different medications, naltrexone and buproprion, both medications that have been around for a few years. Naltraxone is used normally used to treat addictions, like smoking, and buproprion, which goes by the brand name wellbutrin, treats depression. But by combining these two medications into one pill, researchers have found a treatment that helped participants in a clinical trial lose, on the average, 6.1 percent of their body fat in one year. Researchers involved in the study thinks this pill is effective because the two drugs target different brain areas important to weight loss at the same time.
Although there were some side effects, including nausea, headache and dizziness, researchers said there were no signs of the depression or suicidal thoughts that came with other weight loss pills.
This medication is still in clinical trial but if results pan out, it could help shed some of those unwanted pounds in the near future.
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