Why Praising Kids With Food Doesn't Work

Rewarding children with sweet treats can send the wrong health message, our expert says.By Hansa Bhargava, MD
WebMD the Magazine - Feature

Have you ever been tempted to use food to reward your children? I can tell you honestly I have, even though I'm a pediatrician. Sometimes when my 6-year-old twins refuse to eat their vegetables, the words almost fall out of my mouth: "You'll get dessert if you finish."

So what's the big deal? Here's what tends to happen:

You offer sugar but little or no nutrition. Reward foods aren't broccoli or carrots. They're usually cookies, candy, or similar treats high in sugar and empty calories. For everyone, but especially growing children, too much sugar and too many low-nutrient foods can lead to health problems, including weight gain, cavities, and a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. According to the CDC, a third of children between ages 2 and 19 are overweight or obese and may face adult health problems such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

You enable emotional eating. Food given as a reward can lead to an unhealthy emotional connection between eating certain foods and feeling good. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, kids may use food to avoid feelings or situations that are difficult for them to handle. Eating because they're bored or stressed can cause children to feel guilty or remorseful.

You encourage a desire for sweets and poor eating habits. Giving children food for good behavior teaches them to eat whether or not they are actually hungry, the Connecticut State Department of Education reports. And, by rewarding kids with sweets, you're sending the message that these are more valuable than other foods.

You sabotage your best intentions. If you reward your child with a cupcake, he'll be less keen to eat his peas, not more. "It's like teaching children a lesson on the importance of not smoking and then handing out ashtrays and lighters to the kids who did the best job listening," says Marlene Schwartz, PhD, of the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity.

Next time, for good behavior, say, "Let's go to the park since you did a good job!"

Worried that you've set your kids in the wrong direction with food? Try these tips for teaching them to eat more healthily.

What's cooking? Get your kids involved in grocery shopping and preparing meals. Encourage them to try different foods.

Involve the family. Establish healthy behaviors for the entire family so children know they are not alone in their goal to be healthier.

Switch it off. Turn off the TV and mobile devices at the table so family members can share what's going on in their lives.

Master moods. Help your child learn that food can't solve problems. Teach him how to deal with his feelings instead.

Get moving. Children need 60 minutes of physical activity each day. Help your children set up an obstacle course. Take a walk or ride bikes together.

Sleep well. Make sure your children get the sleep they need each night. They will be better learners in school and have more energy to run, ride bikes, and play.

Find more articles, browse back issues, and read the current issue of "WebMD the Magazine."  And don't miss our Raising Fit Kids web sites -- they're full of information on diet, exercise, and healthy family living.

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Hate Meat? It May Be in Your Genes

Study Shows Some People Carry Genes That Make the Smell of Meat More Intense and Unpleasant

May 2, 2012 -- Whether we like or loathe the smell of a frying pork chop may depend on our genes, a new study shows.

The study, published in the journal PLoS ONE, is one of the first to show how genes may shape our food choices.

"People who are instinctively vegetarian or vegan or instinctively heavy meat-eaters, it could definitely have some sort of underlying biological component to it," says Kara Hoover, PhD, a biological anthropologist and assistant professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She was not involved in the current research.

"When you consider that our food preferences are driven by flavor, which is the intersection of taste and odor, with a heavier emphasis on odor, clearly genetic variation in humans is going to make a difference in how we prefer food," Hoover tells WebMD.

People detect odors thanks to tiny chemical receptors that sit on nerve cells inside the nose. In total, we have genes for about 400 different smell receptors that help sense about 10,000 different odors.

Some of those receptors detect the steroid androstenone, which is found in high concentrations in male pigs.

Farmers have known for some time that uncastrated male pigs can produce meat with a strong odor, so most commercially raised animals in the U.S. are castrated to get rid of the smell, which is known as boar taint.

Previous research found that people who have two copies of a gene that helps sense androstenone -- scientists think that's about 70% of the population -- are able to smell the chemical. These people can have a mixed reaction to the pork.

"For those who are very sensitive to it, it's really disgusting. It's a sweaty, urine-like odor," says researcher Hiroaki Matsunami, PhD, an associate professor of molecular genetics and microbiology at Duke University in Durham, N.C. "For others, you can smell it, but it's not as bad. Those people say it smells fragrant, chemical, or sweet."

In contrast, people with only one copy of the gene or who carry another gene variant for the receptor aren't as bothered by the aroma of androstenone. They find the odor to be weak or unnoticeable.

In the new study, researchers wondered whether a simple smell test could predict who carries the single copy of the gene, and whether the gene influences the sniffer's perceptions of cooked meat.

It wasn't an entirely academic question. Europe is considering banning a practice that allows farmers to control the amount of androstenone in pork by castrating male pigs. Farmers are worried that consumers will turn their noses up at meat that contains higher levels of the hormone.

For the study, researchers recruited 23 healthy participants: 13 average eaters and 10 trained "sensory assessors," people with sensitive noses that can reliably pick out certain smells.

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Does Dopamine Explain Why Slackers Slack?

Researchers Find Brains of 'Go-Getters' Handle the Chemical Differently Than Do 'Slackers'

May 1, 2012 -- Don't have any motivation at work today? You may be able to blame your brain and its relationship with the chemical dopamine.

The way your brain handles dopamine may predict whether you are a hard worker or a slacker, new research suggests.

"If you look around at the people you know, yourself included, and think of the people always driven to work hard vs. the people who prefer to take it easy, what this study shows is that the range in motivation is in part due to how the dopamine system functions," says researcher Michael Treadway, PhD, a clinical fellow at McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

The new research reflects and reinforces some previous research, Treadway says. The findings could have important implications to help treat conditions marked by decreased motivation, such as depression or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), he tells WebMD.

The study is published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

"Our understanding of dopamine has gone through several reiterations," says Treadway. Decades ago, he says, it was known mainly as the ''pleasure chemical."

Experts know, however, that it also plays a role in behavior, voluntary movement, motivation, and reward, among other activities.

In other studies, experts have found that manipulating dopamine has an effect on decisions about working hard for rewards.

Treadway wanted to focus on how the naturally occurring variation in dopamine in people affects their desire to work hard.

With colleagues from Vanderbilt University, he evaluated 25 healthy men and women ages 19 to 29. They spent about 20 minutes in the lab, completing button-pushing tasks.

Some were difficult tasks. Others were easy. For instance, a hard task required pushing a keyboard button 100 times in 21 seconds with a non-dominant pinky finger.

An easy task would be pushing a keyboard button 30 times in seven seconds, using a dominant index finger, Treadway says.

The rewards varied, from about $1 for easy to over $4 for the hard tasks.

Treadway did brain imaging tests known as positron emission tomography, or PET scans. This allowed him to look at levels of dopamine within different brain areas.

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After Divorce: 8 Tips for Reinventing Yourself

8 ideas to help you shape your post-divorce life.

It's over. You've signed the divorce papers, and the relationship you entered with so much hope is officially dissolved.

Everyone's divorce story is different. Maybe you had been married for decades, maybe just a year or so. Maybe you have children, maybe you don't. Maybe the divorce was your idea and maybe it was your partner's, or maybe you both agreed that separation was best. Maybe you're relieved, maybe you're heartbroken -- or a bit of both.

But however you got here, the question now is where do you go from here? And how do you figure out who you are and what you want as a newly single person? What is your new life going to look like, and how do you start moving in that direction?

Here are eight of the first steps:

Nobody gets married thinking, "I sure hope we can get divorced someday!" Even if, by the time you split, the divorce was something you wanted, a divorce still represents a loss.

"Whatever your marriage and divorce experience has been, there will be emotions that have to do with grief," says psychotherapist Florence Falk, PhD, MSW, author of On My Own: The Art of Being a Woman Alone.

"You may feel remorse for what you did or didn't do, or wonder what you did wrong. Don't dwell on those feelings, but make room for them," Falk says. "Loss is loss. There is an empty space where something once filled it up, even if that something may not have been desirable."

Don't tote that heavy baggage from your previous relationship into your new life. Find a way to work through the lingering emotions from the demise of your marriage, advises psychologist Robert Alberti, PhD, co-author of Rebuilding: When Your Relationship Ends.

That may mean talking out your feelings with a therapist or focusing your energy in a healthy activity you enjoy. "It's common to sweep these emotions under the table, but you have to work through them or they'll pollute your life going forward," Alberti says.

If you find yourself resisting the idea of therapy, you might want to keep in mind that therapy doesn't mean you have a problem or that you're in crisis. It can be a way to work toward a better life, with someone who has no agenda but YOU.

That may sound cheesy and New Age-y. But the fact is that many people feel a lot of self-rejection after a divorce.

"You might think that there must be something wrong with you if you couldn't make this relationship work," Alberti says. "You have to work on getting confidence and faith in yourself and ability to believe in your own worth."

This is also something you could pursue in therapy, or through Tip No. 4:

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U.S. Ranks 131st in Preterm Births

Each Year, Nearly 500,000 Babies Born Prematurely in U.S.

May 2, 2012 -- Preterm birth rates are higher in the United States than in 130 other countries, including many poorer nations, according to a new report from the March of Dimes Foundation, the World Health Organization, and other leading health agencies.

The report, which provides the first-ever estimates of preterm birth rates by country, ranks the U.S. 131st out of 184 countries -- ranking between the Congo and Nigeria -- with a preterm birth rate of 12.0 per 100 live births. Each year in the U.S., nearly half a million babies are born before 37 weeks' gestation.

The March of Dimes has set a U.S. goal of a 9.6% preterm birth rate by 2020.

Worldwide, more than 1 in 10 -- 15 million -- babies are born prematurely each year, and more than 1 million die from preterm complications.

That makes preterm birth the leading cause of newborn death worldwide, and the second-leading cause of death after pneumonia for children under 5, says Chris Howson, PhD, vice present for global programs at the March of Dimes and an author of the report. Those who do survive often face the risk of lifelong health problems.

Of the 65 countries with reliable trend data, all but three show an increase in preterm birth rates over the past 20 years, the report says. The U.S. rate rose to a peak of 12.8% in 2006, after which it started to drop.

Asked why the U.S. ranked so poorly, Howson cites obesity, which increases the risk of gestational diabetes and high blood pressure; increasing numbers of uninsured women; and the rising rate of elective C-sections, some of which may be scheduled too early.

An increase in the number of older women having babies and increased use of fertility drugs, which increases the chance of multiple births, also play a role, he tells WebMD.

In developing countries, high rates of infections (such as HIV), chronic diseases, and smoking contribute to premature births, Howson says.

The report notes that three-fourths of deaths from preterm births could be avoided if currently available interventions were widely implemented. Most importantly, all women of childbearing age should have access to health care -- before, between, and during pregnancy, Howson says.

Other findings:

More than 60% of preterm births occur in Africa and South Asia.In the poorest countries, 12% of babies are born prematurely, compared with 9% in high-income countries.The report also found a dramatic survival gap for preterm babies depending on where they are born. For example, more than 90% of extremely preterm babies born before 28 weeks in low-income countries die within the first few days of life, compared with less than 10% of their counterparts in high-income countries.

Hyagriv Simhan, MD, chief of maternal-fetal medicine and medical director of obstetrical services at Magee-Womens Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, says the report is "incredibly valuable."

The best way to minimize the risk of preterm birth is to plan pregnancy carefully, Simhan tells WebMD.

"Don't wait until there is a complication to seek care, as then it is too late. Start planning even before conception, and make smart lifestyle choices, such as eating right and quitting smoking," he says.

Also, babies should be spaced at least a year apart, Simhan says.

Preterm births cost the U.S. more than $26 billion annually, according to a 2006 Institute of Medicine report.

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When Should I Take My Child to the Dentist?

The best time for that first visit may be earlier than you think, our expert says.By Eric Yabu, DDS
WebMD the Magazine - Feature

Q. How old should my child be before I make his first dental appointment?

A. You should take him in by the time he celebrates his first birthday.

Flossing Teeth for Dummies: No More Excuses!

Do you floss? Or, like many people, do you always seem to find a reason not to? A 2008 survey found that only 49% of Americans floss daily, and 10% never floss. That’s most unfortunate, dentists say, because flossing is even more important than brushing when it comes to preventing periodontal (gum) disease and tooth loss.  "If you were stuck on a desert island and a boat could bring only one thing, you’d want it to bring floss,” says Samuel B. Low, DDS, professor of periodontology at the University...

Read the Flossing Teeth for Dummies: No More Excuses! article > >

First visits are mostly about getting kids used to the dentist's chair and educating parents about how to care for baby's teeth. If your child has transitioned from the bottle to cup and doesn't snack or drink in the middle of the night, you get a one-year pass, until age 2. That's when the standard every-six-month dental visit recommendation kicks into gear. When your child is between ages 4 and 6, expect your dentist to take a first set of X-rays to check for cavities lurking between the teeth.

Prevention is the name of the game between ages 6 and 12, when baby teeth give way to permanent teeth. Your child's dentist will probably suggest a sealant, a plastic resin that bonds to teeth's chewing surfaces, between ages 7 and 9. Cavity-prone molars are the most likely site for treatment. The resin keeps cavity-causing bacteria from getting into the grooves and valleys of teeth.

Also, when your child is around age 7, his dentist will likely suggest an orthodontic evaluation. Most kids will wait until their early teens for braces, but orthodontics is about modifying jaw growth, so identifying skeletal causes of crooked teeth early helps ensure a beautiful smile later on.

In the end, it's the basics -- brushing twice a day, flossing daily, and getting regular dental checkups -- that have the most impact on a kid's smile.

Find more articles, browse back issues, and read the current issue of WebMD the Magazine.

SOURCE:

Eric Yabu, DDS, WebMD oral health expert.

© 2012 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

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Summer Safety for You and Your Kids

By Joanne Barker
WebMD Feature

When the last school bell of the school year rings, children race outside and parents reach for the first aid kit. Summer activities often bring scrapes and bruises -- or worse. Here are simple things you can do to ensure that your children's summer fun involves minimal risk.

Head to the Helmet

Accidental falls are the number one cause of childhood injury, according to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Usually it's just a scraped leg or arm, but when kids fall off bikes, they can hit their heads. You can reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85% by equipping your child with a well-fitting helmet. Any time your child rides her bike, scooter, or roller blades, she should wear a helmet.

Take a close look at last year's helmet to see if you should get a new one. Helmets break down with age and use. "Pay attention to how many crashes a helmet takes," says Beth Johns-Thomas, director of summer programs at the Fenn School, Concord, Mass. After a number of small crashes or one large one, replace your child’s helmet with a new one.

Run a Sports Equipment Safety Check

Helmets aren’t the only thing. All sports equipment should be well maintained and the right size for your child. "Kids grow from one year to the next," says Johns-Thomas. This may sound like a no-brainer but your child's growth can be hard to keep up with. Run a size check on all of your child’s equipment. Does his bike still fit? Has he outgrown his athletic padding?

If your child is headed to summer camp, or attending day camp in town, check out the camp's equipment as well. Is the equipment covered in cracks and dents? "It’s perfectly reasonable to call a camp director and ask when the camp’s equipment was last inspected," says Johns-Thomas.

Prevent Heat Stress and Dehydration

It seems so simple, and it’s so easy to forget. Children need to stay hydrated. Playing in the hot sun without water breaks can lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke, which can be life threatening.

"We recommend that kids hydrate before any athletic endeavor," says Wayne Moss, senior director of sports, fitness, and recreation at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America in Atlanta. Moss advises children to drink 2 to 3 cups of water about 2 hours before a game. The nonprofit group Safe Kids USA suggests 12 ounces half an hour before a game. Even with pre-hydration, children should take a break every 20 minutes or so during the game to drink some water or a sports drink.

Lock Away Chemicals and Medications

When children hang around the house, they have time to get into things. Household products as mundane as laundry detergent or oven cleaner can be poisonous for curious kids at home.

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For a Healthy Aging Brain, 'Use It or Lose It'

Social, Mental, and Physical Engagements Help Maintain Memory

April 27, 2012 -- Newly minted octogenarian Burt Garrett says he doesn't actively work to keep his mind and memory sharp, but a new research review suggests that he's doing a lot of things right.

Days before his 80th birthday earlier this month, Garrett drove from his home outside Athens, Ga., to the Georgia coast, and then -- on a whim -- crossed the state into the Florida Panhandle to bicycle along the shore at St. George Island State Park.

The roughly 1,000 mile, three-day trip was not unusual for Garrett, who also plays golf, likes to hike, and says there aren't enough hours in the day to do the things he wants to do.

"I stay pretty busy," he tells WebMD. "Other than trying to stay in decent physical shape, I don't really work at it. Crossword puzzles frustrate me and I've never gotten into Sudoku."

People like Garrett who remain physically, socially, and mentally engaged as they grow older just may have found the secret to successful aging, according to the new review, published this week in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences.

Although some memory decline is inevitable with age, the research now shows this decline to be highly variable from person to person.

Imaging studies also confirm that the brains of older people with no evidence of memory loss more closely resemble those of much younger people than their memory-impaired contemporaries.

This suggests that avoiding the changes linked to memory decline, rather than trying to "fix" declines that already exist, may be the key to successful aging, the researchers write.

"There is quite solid evidence that staying physically and mentally active is a way toward brain maintenance," says researcher and Umea University professor of neuroscience Lars Nyberg.

This "use it or lose it" message is not new, but the review highlights a shift in thinking about brain health in the elderly, says Pepperdine University psychology professor Louis Cozolino, PhD, who in 2008 published the book, The Healthy Aging Brain: Sustaining Attachment, Attaining Wisdom.

"The brain is a very complex organ, with many different systems," he tells WebMD. "Some of these systems start to decline in the third or fourth decade of life and others actually function better with age."

Although our genes certainly play a role in how our brains age, it is now clear that our social interactions do, too, especially new interactions, Cozolino says.

"Social relationships stimulate the neurochemistry of the brain to help it stay healthy," he says. "One formula for sustained brain health is continuing to engage in social adaptation."

On the other hand, social isolation can cause accelerated brain aging, he says.

"If you want your brain to deteriorate, just watch TV all day and don't do anything else."

Garrett, who almost never watches television, agrees.

"There are two kinds of people -- those who walk into a room and turn the television on and those who walk into a room and turn it off," he says. "I turn it off."

Though Garrett certainly has good genes -- his mother lived independently until two years before her death at age 96 -- his days also include lots of social interaction.

He celebrated his 80th birthday with his wife, BJ, along with his daughters, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and other members of his large, close family.

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No Safe Way to Text and Drive for Teens

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Botox Only Modestly Effective for Migraines

Chronic Sufferers Had, on Average, 2 Fewer Headaches a Month

April 24, 2012 -- Botox injections are only modestly effective for preventing migraines in the most frequent sufferers, a new research review shows.

Among chronic sufferers who had at least 15 migraines a month, the treatment prevented, on average, about two headaches a month.

Botox was no more effective than some of the most widely prescribed drugs used for migraines when the treatments were compared.

Best known as a cosmetic therapy to banish facial frown lines, botulinum toxin type A, or Botox, was approved to prevent migraines in 2010, but only for patients who experience 15 or more migraine headaches a month.

Today, about half of the $1.6 billion annual sales of Botox are from migraine and other non-cosmetic uses, a company spokesperson tells WebMD.

In the new study, which appears this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers analyzed findings from 27 trials that compared Botox to placebo and four studies that compared it to other migraine treatments.

The analysis found that Botox injections were not effective for preventing migraines in patients who have less than 15 headaches a month. The treatment also did not appear to benefit patients with chronic tension headaches.

But Botox-treated patients with chronic migraines and daily headaches had an average of two fewer headaches per month.

Researcher Jeffrey L. Jackson, MD, of the Medical College of Wisconsin, says it is clear that much better migraine therapies are needed, especially for the most frequent sufferers.

"All of the available migraine treatments benefit some patients and not others," he tells WebMD. "Until we really understand migraines it will be hard to design treatments that work well for all patients."

He says that while the average Botox patient may not experience big improvements, results for some patients might be dramatic.

Headache specialist Satnam Nijjar, MD, of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, says the research analysis will surprise few clinicians working in the field.

"This review emphasizes that most patients experience modest benefits, but we already knew that," he tells WebMD.

He says most of his Botox patients have tried several drugs to prevent migraines and lessen their severity, and they either did not benefit or could not take the side effects.

Anti-seizure drugs, such as topiramate (Topamax, Topiragen) and gabapentin (Fanatrex, Gabarone, Gralise, Horizant, Neurontin), are widely prescribed for migraine prevention, but these drugs can have side effects such as fatigue, dizziness, and nausea.

But he says patients who don't like needles may find drugs preferable to Botox, which involves 25 to 30 small injections in the?head region every three months or so.

Neurologist Robert Duarte, MD, tells WebMD that many of his patients who are helped by Botox are not bothered by the injections.

Duarte directs the Pain Center at the Cushing Neuroscience Institute at the North Shore-LIJ Heath System in Manhasset, N.Y.

"A significant number of patients that I treat experience fewer headaches and less intense headaches on this treatment," he says. "Many still require drug treatments, but they are feeling a lot better."

In an interview with WebMD, a spokesperson for Botox manufacturer Allergan Inc. says the study reinforces its role as a treatment to prevent chronic migraines.

Crystal Muilenburg, Allergan's director of corporate communications, says some patients in company-sponsored trials experienced a 50% reduction or more in headache days per month after two cycles of Botox, and more than 2 out of 3 patients showed some improvement.

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8 Healthy Facts About Pineapple

Our guide to this thorny (but sweet) fruit -- plus a delicious shrimp and pineapple kebab recipe!By Ana Ferrer
WebMD the Magazine - Feature

Pineapple Discovery

In 1493, explorer Christopher Columbus found pineapples on Guadeloupe Island in the Caribbean. The fruit is also native to southern Brazil and Paraguay.

Pineapples in Colonial America

American colonists regarded pineapples as a luxurious treat because of their rarity and cost.

Pineapple Anatomy

A pineapple is the result of many flowers whose fruitlets have joined around the core.

Pineapple Nutrition

Pineapples contain bromelain, an enzyme that may help arthritis pain by reducing inflammation. They are also a good source of vitamin C, which helps strengthen your immune system.

Pineapples in Hawaii

Some of the largest pineapple crops are in Hawaii, which produces 500,000 tons of the fruit each year.

Pineapple Selection

Pass over sour-smelling or bruised pineapples. Fruit from Hawaii or Central America tends to be freshest.

Pineapple Care

To make your pineapple softer and juicier, keep it at room temperature for one or two days before cutting.

Pineapple Calories

One cup of pineapple has 70 to 85 calories.

Hawaiian Grilled Pineapple Shrimp Kebabs

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp fresh (or bottled) minced ginger

1 tbsp cider or rice vinegar

1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

1 tsp five-spice powder (optional)

1 tsp dark sesame oil

1 tsp honey

½ cup pineapple juice1 lb large shrimp, peeled (can substitute top-sirloin beef)

2 large sweet red peppers, cut into bite-sized pieces

12 pearl onions, fresh (or frozen) and peeled

1 8-oz package whole mushrooms, cleaned

2 cups fresh pineapple chunks (or canned in fruit juice, no sugar added)

vegetable cooking spray

Directions

1. Combine first eight ingredients in zip-top plastic bag, then add shrimp. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes.

2. Remove shrimp from marinade. Place marinade in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and set aside for basting.

3. Preheat grill to medium high. Spray with cooking spray. Thread vegetables, pineapple, and shrimp onto metal skewers. (If using wooden skewers, soak in water 30 minutes to prevent burning on the grill.) 

4. Place kebabs on grill, covered, over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes per side until done, basting with reserved marinade. 

5. Drizzle remaining marinade over kebabs. Serve with brown rice.

Per serving: 251 calories, 27 g protein, 29 g carbohydrate, 4 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 170 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 19 g sugar, 311 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 13%.

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Are Your Teens Sleep-Texting?

Adolescents send so many texts that some do it in their sleep. Here's why that's bad for their health and how you can help.

Here's a decidedly 21st-century sleep issue: "Sleep-texting" is apparently a growing phenomenon among teens. That's right: Teens are reaching for their phones during the night, firing off messages, and waking up with no recollection of their actions.

Social media and technology are part of daily life for everyone today, but especially for young people. One study suggests that U.S. teens send an average of 100 texts per day! If that activity extends to their sleep time, we've got a serious health issue on our hands.

10 Tips from the Mom of 10

By Bari Nan CohenShe has three sets of multiples, but her sanity's intact. Here's how the star of TLC's reality show Table for 12 keeps it together. Betty Hayes isn't easily fazed. "My husband, Eric, and I aren't the high-strung type," she says. "We don't get flustered easily" — which is a good thing. The couple had two sets of twins within four years and then decided to give fertility treatments one more try (they wanted a sister for their only daughter) and found themselves greeting sextuplets...

Read the 10 Tips from the Mom of 10 article > >

Even without sleep-texting, teens have their own particular set of shut-eye needs and challenges. For one, teens generally need at least nine hours of sleep per night. Unfortunately, most don't get it. Biological changes associated with puberty make it harder for teens to fall asleep and stay asleep. And their lifestyles -- increased academic and social pressure, late nights, and sleep-in Saturday mornings -- also make it harder for them to maintain regular sleep schedules. 

Unhealthy sleep habits can lead to serious sleep deprivation, posing a threat to teens' academic success and also to their physical and mental health. Sleep problems among this age group are linked to obesity, high blood pressure, depression, behavioral problems, and drug abuse. Some evidence suggests that sleep problems during adolescence can affect health well into adulthood.

Research already shows that social media can interfere with teens' sleep habits. Teens spend 53 hours per week engaged with some form of electronic media, according to a large-scale study by the Kaiser Family Foundation. That's more than seven hours per day. 

The study also found that teens' daily consumption of social media is on the rise, with their use of mobile media increasing at the fastest rate. Another study indicates that teens who text and use the Internet are more likely to have trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep. And more than half of kids and teenagers who text or surf the Internet at bedtime have mood, behavior, memory, and thinking problems during the day. 

Let's not forget that texting during sleep is disruptive not only to the texting teen, but also to the teen who receives a message -- a beeping cell phone in the middle of the night is not exactly restful.

Here's how parents can help keep teenagers from overusing technology:

Set limits. Self-discipline and time management are hard enough for adults, much less teenagers, but you can establish boundaries. The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that only three in 10 teens have rules at home about electronic media use. It also says that such rules do help decrease teens' overall tech time.

Get them outside. Whether it's organized sports or regular family hikes, physical activity has many benefits, including time away from online distractions. Regular exercise and exposure to sunlight also improve sleep quality.

Keep the bedroom tech-free. This one's a no-brainer. The easiest way to prevent technology from interfering with your teenager's sleep is to keep cell phones, computers, and other electronic devices out of the bedroom.

Find more articles, browse back issues, and read the current issue of WebMD the Magazine .

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Survey: 1 in 3 Kids Hurt Playing Sports

Simple Prevention Can Help Kids Play It Safe

April 24, 2012 -- About 1 in 3 kids who plays sports will need medical attention due to injuries sustained on the field or court, such as concussions, broken bones, and dehydration, a new survey shows.

While some of these injuries can be serious, some easy-to-follow prevention tips including drinking enough water and wearing protective sports gear that fits appropriately can help children play it safe and still receive all the benefits of regular sports and physical activity.

The new survey was commissioned by Safe Kids Worldwide and Johnson & Johnson. It includes data on sports injuries and attitudes about prevention from 516 children ages 8-18 who played several sports, as well as 750 parents and 752 coaches.

About 1 in 5 traumatic brain injuries in kids occurs during sports and recreation activities. Yet more than half of all coaches surveyed believe there is an acceptable degree of head contact -- in the survey described as "getting your bell rung" or "seeing stars" -- that children can receive without risking a serious brain injury.

There's not.

"The concussion issue is a really big one," says Kate Carr. She is the president and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide in Washington, D.C. The mantra should be "when in doubt, take them out."

Children who may have sustained a concussion should remain out of the game until they are cleared by a doctor. Signs of a concussion may include dizziness, confusion, loss of consciousness, vomiting, and fatigue. Many concussions don't involve a loss of consciousness. "They may seem disoriented, confused, and/or have hard time remembering something somebody just told them," Carr says.

Signs of a concussion do not necessarily occur immediately after the initial injury. They can happen days or weeks after a blow to the head.

Anders Cohen, MD, is the chief of neurosurgery and spine surgery at the Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York. When it comes to head blows, "one plus one equals three," he says. "If you have one and then another in a short time frame, this more than doubles the initial injury."

According to the survey, getting kids off the field may be easier said than done. Nearly half of all coaches said they have felt pressure from parents or children to play an injured child. What's more, 30% of kids think they should keep playing even when they're hurt unless a coach or adult makes them stop.

It's also important to drink enough water to stave off dehydration, Carr says. In the survey, 40% of parents underestimated the amount of fluids a child needs per hour of physical activity. Kids need three glasses of water for each hour of sports they play. This is akin to drinking a glass of water every 15 to 20 minutes, she says.

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High Reps With Low Weights Builds Muscle, Too

Study Shows That Lifting a Ton Is Not the Only Way to Bulk Up

April 27, 2012 -- Want to build up your muscles in time for beach season? High reps with low weights may be the way to go, a new study suggests.

"There is nothing magical about heavy weights beyond the fact that they make you work hard," says researcher Nicholas Burd, PhD, of Maastricht University Medical Centre in the Netherlands.

In a series of experiments, Burd and colleagues tweaked some resistance-exercise variables to see which had the greatest effect on building muscle mass. More repetitions with lighter weights can build muscle as well as heavier weights -- assuming they are done to the point of exercise-induced fatigue. And fatigue is the important point. That means even with light weight, the last two to three reps should be hard.

The findings appear in the June issue of Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.

This is not a slight to working out with heavier weights. They are effective at increasing muscle mass, too. "However, certain conditions may preclude an individual to train with heavy weights, such as the frail elderly, an athlete recovering from injury, or maybe [someone with] no access to heavier training weights," Burd says. "The bottom line is that there is nothing wrong with lifting heavy weights. Our work simply highlights that heavy weights are not the only way to build bigger muscles."

The new findings are music to Jordan Metzl's, MD, ears. He is a sports medicine doctor at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. They reinforce everything he tells his patients and what he does in his own life. "High reps with lower weights a couple of times a week is the answer."

He encourages injured athletes and weekend warriors to engage in this type of strength training to help build the muscles around damaged joints or ligaments. "It helps prevent and treat injuries."

To keep your muscles guessing, mixing high reps and low reps, either in the same or different workouts, is a great way to stimulate muscle growth and prevent boredom.

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Best Paid, Worst Paid Doctors

Best Paid, Worst Paid Doctors Skip to content Home & News WebMD Home WebMD News Home Free Health Newsletters Health A-Z ADD/ADHD Allergies Alzheimer's Anxiety Disorders Arthritis Asthma Back Pain Bipolar Disorder Breast Cancer Cancer Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Cholesterol Cold & Flu Colorectal Cancer COPD Depression Diabetes Erectile Dysfunction Eye Health Fibromyalgia Heart Disease Heartburn/GERD Herpes HPV/Genital Warts Hypertension IBS Incontinence/OAB Inflammatory Bowel Lupus
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WebMD Health News Reviewed byLaura J. Martin, MD

April 24, 2012 -- Radiologists and orthopedic surgeons are the best paid of all doctors and pediatricians earn the least, Medscape/WebMD's annual Physician Compensation Survey finds.

Overall, doctors are earning less and worrying more, according to the online survey of more than 24,000 doctors from 25 medical specialties.

The most disturbing finding: If they had it to do over again, 46% of doctors would not choose medicine as a career. That's way up from last year, when only 31% regretted their career choice.

Best-Paid Doctors

Even so, the top-earning doctors aren't going broke. The top 10 highest paid doctors are:

Radiologists: $315,000 Orthopedic surgeons: $315,000 Cardiologists: $314,000 Anesthesiologists: $309,000 Urologists: $309,000 Gastroenterologists: $303,000 Oncologists: $295,000 Dermatologists: $283,000 Plastic surgeons: $270,000 Ophthalmologists: $270,000 Worst-Paid Doctors

The 10 least paid doctors are:

Pediatricians: $156,000 Family medicine doctors: $158,000 Internal medicine doctors: $165,000 Diabeticians/Endocrinologists: $168,000 Psychiatrists: $170,000 HIV/infectious disease specialists: $170,000 Rheumatologists: $180,000 Neurologists: $184,000 Nephrologists: $209,000 Ob-gyns: $220,000

 

Why Doctors Worry

A doctor's specialty may make less of a pay difference than a doctor's sex. Female doctors make 40% less than male doctors, although female primary care doctors make only 23% less than their male peers.

One possible reason: Female doctors spend more time with patients than male doctors do.

To some Americans, these salaries may seem pretty high. But only 11% of doctors consider themselves rich. And 45% of doctors agree that "My income probably qualifies me as rich, but I have so many debts and expenses I don't feel rich."

So what makes doctors worry? According to the survey:

Declining income worries and frustrates many doctors. Some doctors resent the greater pay earned by doctors in other specialties. Increased regulation and documentation take the joy out of medicine. Doctors fear how new accountable care organizations will affect their patients -- and their pay. Doctors feel they must continue to practice "defensive medicine" to avoid malpractice claims. View Article Sources

SOURCE:

WebMD/Medscape Physician Compensation Survey, 2012.

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Berries May Slow Memory Loss

Study: Eating More Blueberries and Strawberries Is Linked to Better Brain Function With Age

April 26, 2012 -- Eating berries at least once a week may protect the brain from age-related memory loss, a large new study shows.

The study included more than 16,000 women who are taking part in the Nurses' Health Study.

Researchers have been keeping tabs on the women's diets since 1980. Between 1995 and 2001, researchers also measured the mental function of women who were over 70 and had not had a stroke.

Mental functioning was measured during three telephone interviews that were spaced about two years apart. In the interviews, researchers asked the women to recall details from a paragraph they'd just heard, for example, or to remember the order of words or numbers in a list.

When researchers compared women who ate the most blueberries and strawberries to those who ate the fewest, they found that those who ate the most had a slower rate of developing memory problems. The difference was equal to about two-and-a-half years of aging.

"This is pretty compelling evidence to suggest that berries do appear to have memory benefits," says researcher Elizabeth E. Devore, ScD, instructor in medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

What may be even better news is that the biggest berry eaters in the study weren't eating mounds of them every day. On average, they were eating a single half-cup serving of blueberries or two half-cup servings of strawberries each week.

"These are simple interventions that appear to have pretty healthful effects," Devore says.

The study can't prove that berries protected the women's brains directly.

In fact, women in the study who ate berries regularly also got more exercise and had higher incomes -- two factors that are also linked to having better health.

But researchers say that even after they adjusted their results to account for differences like that, having a diet high in fruits and vegetables, particularly berries, still appeared to be linked to having a sharper memory.

Brain Foods That Help You Focus

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Cholesterol Levels in the U.S. on the Decline

Experts Credit Medication and Healthier Diets for Falling Cholesterol Levels

April 25, 2012 -- The number of American adults with high cholesterol is on the decline, according to the latest data from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics.

Slightly more than 13% of U.S. adults had high cholesterol in 2009-2010 -- a 27% drop from the 18% with high cholesterol a decade earlier, the CDC says.

High cholesterol -- levels of 240 milligrams per deciliter of blood or higher -- is a major risk factor for heart attacks.

The CDC researchers didn't examine reasons for the decline. But experts who reviewed the findings for WebMD credit the increased use of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs and healthier diets.

Previous research in people aged 65 and older showed that "the drop in bad LDL cholesterol levels from 2001 to 2006 paralleled an increase in statin use," says American Heart Association President Gordon Tomaselli, MD, head of cardiology at Johns Hopkins.

"As the CDC researchers delve further into this data, they will likely find the same thing is going on," he says.

More than 255 million prescriptions for statins were filled in 2010, up from 210 million in 2006, according to IMS Health.

Meanwhile, more people are eating heart-healthy diets, says Robert Eckel, MD, a heart specialist at the University of Colorado in Denver. "Data show that people are eating fewer of the bad, artery-clogging types of fat -- trans fats and saturated fats," he says.

The big question, Tomaselli says, is whether the gains in cholesterol will translate into fewer heart attacks, strokes, and deaths.

"What we really need is long-term data that tells us if people are living longer and having fewer cardiovascular events," he says.

There are two major types of cholesterol. "Bad" LDL cholesterol can build up on the walls inside your arteries and increase your chances of getting heart disease. The lower your LDL cholesterol number, the lower your risk.

When it comes to HDL cholesterol -- "good" cholesterol -- the higher the number, the lower your risk. This is because HDL cholesterol protects against heart disease by taking the "bad" cholesterol out of your blood and keeping it from building up in your arteries.

Both high total cholesterol and high LDL cholesterol levels or low HDL levels can increase risk of heart disease, the No. 1 killer in the U.S.

While the CDC report was generally positive, some groups fared better than others. Among adults aged 40 to 59, total cholesterol levels fell in men but not in women. Women in that age group mostly likely buck the trend because LDL levels rise at menopause, Eckel says.

Also, about 12% of women and 31% of men had low HDL in 2009-2010, the report says.

The new findings are based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-2010.

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Type 2 Diabetes in Kids a Challenge to Control

Study Shows Early Aggressive Combo Treatment May Result in Better Blood Sugar Control

April 29, 2012 -- The obesity epidemic has created a generation of children and teens who have type 2 diabetes, and a new study hints that the solution to this problem is not going to come easily.

Because type 2 diabetes among children is a relatively recent development, many treatment decisions have relied on what is known about adults with type 2 diabetes. Now, in the first major trial to compare treatments for the disease in young people, researchers have learned that two drugs are better than one for maintaining blood sugar control in these children.

Combined treatment with the diabetes drugs metformin and Avandia proved more effective than metformin alone or metformin plus lifestyle changes for keeping blood sugar at normal levels. Still, the combination failed to help more than a third of patients who took it.

The findings suggest that aggressive and early drug therapy may help children and teens with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of complications such as heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, and nerve damage.

They also confirm that for many children with the disease, standard treatment with metformin alone is not enough, says Barbara Linder, MD, PhD, of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

Metformin is the only oral diabetes drug that has been approved by the FDA for use in children.

"These kids did not do as well on metformin as anticipated based on our experience in adults," she tells WebMD. "The assumption has been that kids will do fine on metformin, but clearly that is not the case."

Closely linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes was almost unheard of in children just a few decades ago.

The obesity epidemic has changed this, however, and doctors have made troubling discoveries about early-onset type 2 diabetes, says pediatric endocrinologist and researcher Philip Zeitler, MD, PhD, of the Children's Hospital Colorado.

"We are learning that type 2 diabetes is a more aggressive disease in youth than in adults and progresses more rapidly, which could be why metformin alone has a higher than expected failure rate," Zeitler says.

The finding that adding Avandia to metformin resulted in better outcomes raises more questions than it answers, since Avandia is no longer a treatment option for children and teens, says University of Wisconsin professor of pediatrics David B. Allen, MD.

In September of 2010, while the trial was under way, the FDA placed broad restrictions on Avandia's use following reports of heart attacks and strokes in adults taking the drug.

Participants in the Avandia part of the study continued taking the drug following a safety review, and no serious side effects were reported.

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Studies Point to Reasons for Mammograms in 40s

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Losing Weight May Help Lower Cancer Risk

Weight Loss Linked to Reduced Inflammation in Postmenopausal Women

May 1, 2012 -- For postmenopausal women who are overweight or obese, new research offers more incentive to start shedding pounds.

According to a study published in the journal Cancer Research, losing even a small proportion of your overall body weight significantly reduces inflammation in your body and potentially lowers your risk of developing several different types of cancer, including breast cancer.

"I think the main issue is body fat," researcher Anne McTiernan, MD, PhD, director of the Prevention Center at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, writes in an email to WebMD. "The more fat one has, the more inflammation-producing cells there are, and therefore the more inflammation ... produced and sent into the bloodstream."

For the year-long study, McTiernan and her colleagues recruited 439 women throughout the greater Seattle area who were between the ages of 50 and 75. All of them had a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher, which meant that they were all considered overweight or obese. They were otherwise considered healthy, with no history of breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes, or other serious illness. None of them were smokers or heavy drinkers.

The women were split into four groups. The first group dieted, eating between 1,200 and 2,000 calories a day, of which less than 30% were fat calories. The second group exercised 225 minutes per week, both at home and under supervision at a gym. The third group both dieted and exercised. The fourth, the comparison group, did not change either their diet or exercise habits.

After a year, the first and third groups had lost an average of 8.5% and 10.8% of their body weight, respectively. Their reductions in inflammation were even more dramatic.

For example, C-reactive protein levels -- elevated levels of which have been associated with lung and colon cancer -- dropped by an average of 36.1% for the diet group and 41.7% for the diet and exercise group. Other inflammatory indicators dropped as well.

The key to this study's result, says McTiernan, was diet, especially when combined with exercise. "Very few people can lose significant amounts of weight from exercise alone. We've done several year-long studies testing exercise alone, even large amounts up to an hour a day, and on average it produces about 3 to 4 pounds of weight loss over the year," she says. "That being said, our strongest effects were primarily in the combined diet and exercise program."

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New to Online Dating: 11 Tips

Online Dating Advice: Profiles, Privacy, Dates, and More Skip to content Home & News WebMD Home WebMD News Home Free Health Newsletters Health A-Z ADD/ADHD Allergies Alzheimer's Anxiety Disorders Arthritis Asthma Back Pain Bipolar Disorder Breast Cancer Cancer Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Cholesterol Cold & Flu Colorectal Cancer COPD Depression Diabetes Erectile Dysfunction Eye Health Fibromyalgia Heart Disease Heartburn/GERD Herpes HPV/Genital Warts Hypertension IBS Incontinence/OAB Inflammatory Bowel Lupus
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WebMD Feature Reviewed byLaura J. Martin, MD

You're ready to meet someone new. Heading to the local bar doesn't appeal. Friends have no one to suggest. So you're thinking about trying online dating.

For many people these days, the better option is online dating, says Fran Walfish, PhD, a psychotherapist in Beverly Hills, Calif. "Online is the faster, most accessible place," she says. "Many couples have found each other through online dating sites."

Online dating offers a large pool of candidates that you can "meet" from the comfort of your home, notes Terri Orbuch, PhD, a relationship therapist in West Bloomfield, Mich. "It's really convenient, and it opens you up to a wide-open world of potential matches," Orbuch tells WebMD.

18 Secrets Guys Wish You Knew

19 Secrets Women Wish You Knew

The New Singles' Bar

While many people still meet their partners through friends and family, at work, or at parties and bars, online dating has become an increasingly acceptable and popular way to meet prospective dates.

According to Online Dating Magazine, 20% of Americans have gone out on a date with someone they met online. Every year, more than 280,000 marry someone they met that way.

Online dating has also become big business. One survey found that Americans are spending nearly a billion dollars for online dating services.

And it's not just for the young and tech savvy. Adults of all ages are giving it a try. Research shows it may be just as popular with older adults.

What to Know First

Online dating isn't for the faint of heart. It can take some courage to put your information and photo out there -- and often, some money to enroll. A little luck doesn't hurt, either. Here's what you need to know:

Decide how much control you want. Some sites, such as eHarmony, will suggest potential partners for you. Others, such as Match, let you decide. "It's more a personal preference," Orbuch says. "A site that gives you matches might be good for someone consistently attracted to the wrong person." If you prefer having control over your choices, or know which qualities will or won't suit you, you might prefer sites that let you choose whom to contact. Check the costs. Some sites, like OKCupid and PlentyofFish, are free. But others might cost as much as $60 a month. Don't ignore the smaller sites. "Smaller niches with your interests are usually better because they don't have quite as much of the 'meat market' feel," says Tina B. Tessina, PhD, a psychotherapist in New York City and author of The Unofficial Guide to Dating Again. "If you're in a niche that focuses on common interests, you're more likely to get people you can actually relate to." Create a compelling but honest profile. As tempting as it may be, don't lie about your background or personality when you write your profile. "Honesty shows confidence and integrity," Orbuch says. "Those are qualities all people are looking for. Somewhere down the line, the lie will come back to hurt you." Avoid disclosing too much at once. Gradually reveal details as you get to know someone. And don't post photos that are overly sexy. Guard your privacy. Never give out personal information or send money to anyone, Orbuch says. And follow your instincts: If you get a bad vibe, steer clear. Expect some dishonesty. "Online dating is advertising, rather than making a connection, and advertising is full of falsehood and exaggeration," Tessina says. "You can expect them to present the best picture they can, and to shave years off their age and pounds off their weight." Be prepared to reject and be rejected. "Don't take a 'No' response from others personally," Orbuch says. "It probably doesn't have anything to do with you. They could want someone who is a different age or lives in a different region. At the same time, feel free to say no to people you don't want to meet." Narrow your focus. Online dating can be a real time-saver if you know exactly what you want, Walfish says. For instance, if you don't want a ready-made family, then you can immediately remove someone with children from consideration. "It helps you sift through the overwhelming numbers and narrow it down to the few you'd like to meet," Walfish says. Google your potential dates. Don't hesitate to search someone's name on Google or social media such as Facebook or Twitter. "You can learn a lot," Tessina says. "Often, people will put pictures on Facebook that look a lot different from the online dating photo. You'll also learn about what interests them and who their friends are." Play it safe. Use your first name only and give personal details only after you've gotten to know each other well, Orbuch says. Always drive yourself, and meet in a public place like a coffee shop or bookstore. "If your date hasn't met any of your friends or family, you shouldn't meet him in a private location," Orbuch says. "Tell a friend where you are going, with whom, and when you expect to be back." And make sure to stay sober. 1 | 2 Next Page > sex & relationships newsletter

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