Health - In General
- Dec 30
- 2009
Editor’s Web Note: This is one of my favorite columns of the year and this year the panel had so much to say that the column will continue next week. I’m honored to work with this generation. Once dubbed Generation Y, this generation is so far from being an offshoot of Generation X, that they are now mostly referred to as the Millennial Generation or “Millennials.” —Lauren
DEAR READERS: The young people on this panel range from age 12 to 24. They are part of the Millennial Generation, born from 1982- 2001. The most striking thing about “Milllennials” is that they grew up hard-wired to instant communication technologies. Young people today are strongly…
- Jul 1
- 2009
Editor’s Note: We get a lot of mail from both parents of overweight teens and overweight teens themselves. Aside from girls writing in about relationship problems, it is our most common form of mail. — Lauren
DEAR STRAIGHT TALK: I’m concerned about my 14-year-old daughter. She is rapidly gaining weight and is now 130 lbs at only 5’1”. She eats obsessively, sometimes hiding food in her room. I’ve asked if she is hungry when she’s randomly snacking and she usually isn’t, explaining that “cheese is…
- Jun 10
- 2009
DEAR STRAIGHT TALK: I read your column on gray hair in teens (APR 1) and have personally observed the non-stop competitiveness of school, sports, and “always-on” electronics. Everyone is way too stressed. But what is missing in this discussion is the importance of diet in the ability to…
- Apr 1
- 2009
DEAR STRAIGHT TALK: I am writing about gray hair in teenagers. My 16-year-old nephew, who has an intense schedule, is noticeably gray. I thought this was a fluke, but he tells me he knows a dozen other kids the same way. In my high school days, gray hair was unheard of. Is this from stress?…
- Nov 7
- 2007
Dear Straight Talk: A friend, who I will call “Ashley,” has a lot of freedom. Her parents have told her to trust her own judgment regarding sex and her body. She usually makes good decisions but there is one thing we are arguing about because I think it could be harmful. She wants to take…
- Feb 14
- 2007
Dear Straight Talk: How do you get teenagers to stop mumbling?—Frustrated teacher
Dear Frustrated: Wait for them to grow up? I’ve never found a good solution to this, other than to remain sincerely interested in what they are saying. (What? Tell me again!) I often blame my own hearing—which…
- Jul 19
- 2006
Dear Straight Talk: Your advice to wear sunglasses couldn’t be more right on. Recently you warned teenagers about the dangers of too much sun, not just for the skin, but for the eyes, too.
I strongly disliked sunglasses and for years refused to wear them, especially when speaking to another…
