According to recent research, diabetes may affect more teens in the US than previously expected. Investigators determined nearly one in five American teens has an abnormal glucose level, qualifying as either diabetes or pre-diabetes, and over 80% of teens with diabetes have type 1. It's no secret that teens are susceptible to unhealthy eating habits, especially since many of their favorite celebrities advertise unhealthy foods and drinks in the media. However, parents and teens themselves can make simple choices to both improve diabetes and reduce the risk of acquiring diabetes in the first place.
Researchers have found that an extra 1,000 steps a day shows benefits for children with type 1 diabetes and bicycling may help prevent type 2, emphasizing the importance of physical activity for children with the disease. Even beets have been found to help people with diabetes by lowering blood pressure and improving exercise performance.
It's never too late to instill healthy eating habits in children but it starts at home. Consider sharing the following ACPeds resources on healthy eating in your practice and/or on your social media pages.
Although the mainstream media seems to champion the idea that gender is fluid at best and a non-factor at worst, several recent studies seem to support the idea that gender and biological sex differences can have important health implications.
According to one study, children as young as 9 months-old prefer to play with toys specific to their own gender, suggesting that there is both a biological component and a developmental/environmental component to the sex differences seen in object preferences. In another, gender matching was found to be beneficial to reduce risk of corneal transplant rejection and failure because subtle differences between men and women may lead to poorer outcomes for a woman who has received a cornea from a male donor.
In yet another study, researchers identify gender as an important factor in understanding diabetes because men and women bear different risks and fall victim to a different type of diabetes, suggesting that diabetes treatment should be increasingly more gender-specific and thus more personalized.
For helpful information to share in your practice and/or on your social media pages on gender and sexuality issues in children, view the following.
Cyberbullying is on the rise and
more teens are becoming concerned about their personal information not being private on the internet. Yet many parents are unaware of the immense responsibility placed on children when they have virtually constant access to the internet in the palms of their hands.
For statistics on teen internet use and on how many parents actively monitor their children's activities online, click hereand leave a comment. We love to hear from you!
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