If a young man is a chronic gambler, the chances are extremely high that he also suffers from depression, finds a study that is is the first to investigate the extent to which gambling and depression develop hand-in-hand from the teenage years to early adulthood.
Category: children
Tracking the Taxation Movement
In the struggle to reverse the childhood obesity trend, one of the most pervasive tropes about junk food is to “tax it like tobacco.” In 2008, at the National Childhood Obesity Congress, Dr. Pretlow met Steven K. Galson, who was at the time the acting U.S. Surgeon General. They talked about the feasibility of taxing junk food, and the official felt that neither consumers nor food companies would allow it to happen. The anti-tobacco movement had, and has, unavoidable political implications. Nicotine was proven to be habit-forming, and many of the 400-odd ingredients of cigarettes were shown to be carcinogenic. The public learned that the industry had been covering up these guilty truths. Since there are laws around selling addictive drugs, and the intentional
Racial socialization in early childhood may increase child’s ability to excel in school
A child’s ability to succeed academically is one of the strongest determinants of his or her future quality of life. In particular, it has been directly linked to overall longevity and several other critical health outcomes.
Growing up with smokers doubles risk for adult smoking among Hispanics
For Hispanics/Latinos living in the United States, growing up in a home with a regular smoker nearly doubled their chances of becoming an adult smoker. The findings are based on data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), the largest ongoing study of this ethno-culturally diverse population in the U.S.
New studies contradict earlier findings on Rett syndrome
Bone marrow transplant does not rescue mouse models of Rett syndrome, a severe neurological disease that affects very young girls, a new study shows. The findings contradict seemingly promising results published in 2012, which initiated a clinical trial for human patients. Rett syndrome is caused by mutations in the X-linked MECP2 gene and affects about 1 in every 10,000 girls (it is most often fatal in boys at or near birth). Rett syndrome causes many disabilities, both intellectual and physical.
How to Prepare Your Child for the Pediatrician
A trip to the doctor can be traumatic for young children. Adults often forget just how frightening sitting in a medical office can be, and parents may not realize the stress their children go through. It’s important for parents to prepare their children before each trip to the pediatrician. Whether the visit is to treat […] The post How to Prepare Your Child for the Pediatrician appeared first on .
Animals’ presence may ease social anxiety in kids with autism
When animals are present, children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have lower readings on a device that detects anxiety and other forms of social arousal when interacting with their peers. According to a study, companion animals — like dogs, cats or the guinea pigs in the study –may prove to be a helpful addition to treatment programs designed to help children with ASDs improve their social skills and interactions with other people.
Statistical study of first-year college rape
A survey of more than 480 female freshmen students conducted in 2010 at a university in upstate New York found that 18.6 percent said they experienced at least one attempted or completed rape in the year after they started college.
The Philosophy Behind Junk Food Taxation
The government is supposed to protect us. If people are jumping off a certain bridge, the authorities strengthen the fencing and paint the whole structure a bright color, to discourage suicidal ideation. But when other threats tempt us from the path of health, the government only has the crude tools of prohibition and taxation. Dr. Pretlow says: Our country has to approach the obesity problem similar to smoking, first banning fast food outlets in hospitals, like cigarette machines were first banned in hospitals, and banning fast food outlets in the vicinity of schools. Recall that, 50 years ago, smoking was the norm and even “cool.” Smoking is now socially unacceptable. Overeating needs to become socially unacceptable. Certain foods have become like drugs, and our society’s
Pennsylvania state departments remind parents to never leave children alone in cars
The departments of Human Services (DHS) and Health today reminded Pennsylvanians to never leave children alone in cars, which could prove deadly after only a few minutes.
Bullying in childhood to blame for one million obese Britons
Frequent bullying by peers increases the chances of being obese by the age of 45 by 50 per cent, Kings College London has found