Zeroing In On Teen Depression

In discussing teen depression, many factors come into play, ranging from genetics to social, physical, as well as environmental factors. Defining the manner whereby a particular teenager could be at risk requires discussing his inherent personality aside from the previously mentioned factors. Teen girls are said to have a higher risk since they often obtain their self-esteem through their relationships.

However, depression cannot be contained to only one life premise. With the many challenges confronting adolescents as they struggle with growing up, it can be surmised that like every body else, depression is a perennial threat if they're not careful.

Most cases of teenagers who had depression experienced the following: teen pregnancy, drug or substance abuse, and lagging behind their peers in academics or other areas. Once depression sets in, the ultimate risk would be having that compulsion to commit suicide. To keep teens safe, parental support and guidance are important. As with other health issues, preventing the disorder from settling in is the best way to ensure that your teen is protected from its adverse effects. Prioritizing their health concerns means being attentive not only to their physical needs, but also to their mental needs as well.

Contributed By: Maris Modesto

Plate Size Matters

In telling the reasons behind the compulsion driving people to overeat unconsciously, a food psychologist pointed out that several factors come into play. Some studies revealed that one common reason in particular has a lot to do with the plate size we use for eating. Nevertheless, despite the variations of these factors, a food expert maintains that all these reasons compelling us to overeat without our noticing it are united under the fact that they exist only in our minds.

A problem generated by the demands of today's busy lifestyle, such tendencies are referred to as mindless eating by Brian Wansink, a behavioral scientist at the Cornell Food and Brand Lab. According to him, people are so preoccupied with the many things they are busy with during the day that they tend to lose track of how often they eat. He claims that the stomach has nothing to do with these compulsions. The mind is the sole culprit. However, as powerful as it is, it could be fooled easily using a simple technique: change plate sizes. Dr. Wansink confirmed, “Based on our studies, people get more food servings when their plates are bigger. They add up to 20-28% more.”

Contributed By: Maris Modesto

What It's Like to Be a Hypochondriac

Getting sick due to a cold or flu hardly fazes anyone anymore. However, when the sickness becomes frequent, it can't be helped that others would be alarmed. Besides the possibilities that the concerned individual could just be feigning sickness or is really suffering from a particularly debilitating disease, another plausibility most of us overlook is hypochondria.

For some, hypochondria is a possibility after having experienced the demise of a loved one due to illness. Likewise, the same anxiety grips persons who are nearing the specific age whereby a loved one has passed away prematurely because of the same reason. Despite having a healthy disposition, anyone who has gone through the aforementioned experiences could become anxious over a particular disease that caused a loved one's death. They may suffer from panic attacks and mull over the idea that they're also troubled by the same symptoms.

Usually, majority of illnesses beleaguering hypochondriacs are nowhere near as serious as they thought. However, from their vantage point, it's magnified greatly. Though the physical aches and symptoms they're griping about could be real, the causes they associate these with aren't. Often, these arise from their elevated stress level resulting from their anxiousness about having the condition in the first place.

Contributed By: Maris Modesto

Identifying Giardiasis

Unquestionably, drinking contaminated water poses a variety of health problems, which includes giardiasis. One of the primary causes of diarrhea in the United States, this disease derived its name from the microscopic parasite known as giardia lamblia, which disrupts the body's absorption of carbohydrates and fats from the food it digests. Even in typical chlorinated water, this parasite could survive. It can even thrive up to two months in cold water.

The primary symptom indicating the onset of giardiasis is when the patient begins to suffer from diarrhea. The characteristic of his stool would be watery and odorous without any trace of mucus or blood. Unlike the usual excrement that sinks in the toilet bowl's water, the stool of a person suffering from giardiasis would float. It would also have a characteristically shiny-like appearance since the fat hasn't been properly absorbed by the body.

In treating giardiasis, your doctor would prescribe medication to kill the giardia lamblia parasite. The process usually takes five days up to a week. For children, medicines in liquid form are usually administered. Since some of these medications have side effects, it is best to stay vigilant as soon as the child starts taking them.


Contributed By: Maris Modesto