Changing bodies, changing needs: teens, ages 13 to 19

It would be nice if teens came with an owner's manual, but, of course, they don't. Actually that's part of the fun and challenge of parenting teens. Each one is unique. The best you can do as a parent is to try to guide your teen through the obstacle course of adolescence with love, firmness, patience and healthy role-modeling. It is extremely important to stay involved in your teenager's day-to-day life. Here are some helpful tips:
SAFETY
[check] Openly discuss and role-play ways to handle temptations, such as peer pressure to have sex, drink, smoke or take drugs.
[check] Explain the health risks of smoking, abusing household products such as inhalants, and abusing alcohol and nonprescription and prescription medications.

[check] Insist that your teen wear a helmet when cycling and appropriate protective gear when engaging in other sports.
[check] Insist that your teen always wear a seat belt.
[check] Talk about the danger of handling guns.
[check] Offer to pick up your teenager anywhere, anytime--with no questions asked--if he or she is tempted to drive while high or drunk or is asked to ride in a car driven by an intoxicated friend.
[check] Be alert for signs of drug use, depression, eating disorders and gang participation. If a problem seems too serious for you to handle alone, seek help. Contact a health care professional, clergy member, support group or school counselor.
NUTRITION AND EXERCISE
[check] Provide nutritional, well-balanced, high-fiber meals and snacks that are rich in whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables. Teens should consume at least three servings of dairy foods per day.
[check] Challenge your teen to seek out healthier alternatives to fast food.
[check] Limit television watching and eating in front of the TV.
[check] Encourage regular physical activity. Plan family outings, such as swimming and hiking. Play sports together.
[check] Be a healthy eating role model yourself.
WELLNESS
[check] Emphasize the importance of self-care, including regular exercise, a balanced, low-fat diet and regular oral health checkups.
[check] Answer your teen's questions about sex honestly and provide resources to help him or her make safe and healthy decisions about sex.
[check] Make age-appropriate rules and follow through with your enforcement of those rules.
[check] Encourage your teen to get at least nine hours of sleep each night.
[check] Engage in regular discussions about the powerful influences of peer pressure.
[check] Keep the lines of communication open; avoid judging or preaching.
[check] Help your teen learn how to roll with the punches and put life's stresses into perspective.
Sources: American Medical Association; The Nemours Foundation; and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
WHY SO MANY TEENS HAVE ACNE
If your teen has acne, she or he isn't alone. Acne occurs in almost 85 percent of 12- to 24-year-olds. Though the precise cause is unknown, experts believe acne results from hormones, which increase during puberty and can cause the glands to enlarge and make more sebum (oil). Another factor is heredity. Stress, certain drugs, greasy cosmetics, friction and environmental irritants can worsen acne. But it's a myth that chocolate or other foods, or dirt, are to blame.
ACNE SELF-HELP TIPS
[check] Wash skin gently with a mild soap made for acne-prone skin. Scrubbing your face or washing too often can make acne worse.
[check] To help prevent scarring, avoid picking or frequently touching pimples.
[check] Shave carefully to avoid nicking blemishes. Try both an electric razor and a disposable razor (always use a sharp blade) to see which works better.
[check] Avoid sunbathing.
[check] Use only oil-free cosmetics.
[check] Try over-the-counter acne treatments to help dry the skin and prevent new blemishes.
[check] For severe cases of acne, ask your pediatrician or dermatologist about an oral prescription medication or a topical acne treatment.
Sources: American Academy of Dermatology and the National Institutes of Health
Teen Depression Warning Signs
* Changes in personality or eating and sleeping habits
* Sustained boredom, irritability or sadness
* Unexplained violent or rebellious behavior, significant problems with parents
* Withdrawal from family or friends
* Tobacco, alcohol or other substance abuse
* Significant weight gain or loss and unusual neglect of appearance
* Difficulty concentrating, unexplained drop in schoolwork quality and grades
* Unplanned pregnancy
* Problems dealing with sexual orientation
* Unusual interest in themes of death; giving away prized possessions
* Talking about suicide or threatening or attempting to kill oneself
* Running away or being arrested
If your child displays any of the above warning signs, call a pediatrician, mental health professional, school counselor or the National Suicide Hotline, 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433).
Eating Disorder Warning Signs
Eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia, are devastating illnesses for both the affected individual and their families. They are most common among teenage girls and women in their early 20s, but can occur in boys and men, as well. Untreated, eating disorders can lead to serious health problems and death. Not all health care professionals are trained to treat eating disorders. Ask your health care professional for a referral to a specialist if your teen exhibits any of these behaviors or symptoms:
* Intense fear of weight gain; anxiety around mealtimes
* Strange behavior around meals, including moving food around on the plate without eating it and hiding food
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* Unrealistic or distorted body image
* Missing menstrual periods
* Withdrawing emotionally from people and avoiding social activities
* Eating large amounts of food in one sitting or secretively (bingeing), then getting rid of it by forced vomiting or abusing laxatives (purging)
* Disappearing into the bathroom after meals for long periods of time
* Exercising to excess
Parents can do a lot to discourage unhealthy eating behaviors and encourage positive body images among their teens. Try these approaches:
* Explain that it's healthy and normal to gain some weight and experience other physical changes during adolescence.
* Don't criticize your teen's weight.
* Talk about the idealized physical images of men and women portrayed by the media and how these images are unrealistic for most people.
* Model healthy attitudes about your own body.
Sources: American Psychiatric Association; American Academy of Pediatrics; and the Harvard Eating Disorders Center
How to Quit Smoking Tips to Share with Teens
Tobacco use produces substantial health problems among teens, including an increase in the number and severity of respiratory illnesses, such as asthma and bronchitis, and decreased physical fitness. Tobacco use also increases the risk for cancer, heart disease, stroke, emphysema and other health problems later in life. The first symptoms of tobacco dependence among 12- and 13-year-olds can appear within days to weeks after occasional use begins, often before the onset of daily smoking. Here are some tips for teens:
* Choose a "Quit Day" in the next two weeks.
* Use the Internet: www.smokefree.gov, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, is one of several smoking-cessation sites for Web-savvy teens.
* If you are looking for a job, try to apply only at smoke-free workplaces.
* Get involved in team sports where you are likely to meet friends who don't smoke.
* Ask your health care professional about treatments to quit smoking. Many over-the-counter products that include self-help programs are available for smokers 18 and over. For younger teens, ask your health care professional for guidance.
* See if your school or community offers N-O-T (Not on Tobacco), a teen program of the American Lung Association, www.lungusa.org.
* Consider enrolling in group or individual therapy aimed at smoking cessation.
Suggest your teen do one of the following activities when he or she feels like smoking:
* Go for a walk.
* Call a friend.
* Drink water or juice.
* Take a deep breath and count to five. Let your breath out slowly. Repeat five times.
* Tell yourself, "I can quit smoking."


Sources: American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics
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