Kids Can Be Tougher on Obese Peers

(HealthDay News) — Children are more apt to dislike obese peers and others with an "undesirable trait" if they believe it’s the child’s own fault, according to new research.

The study included 137 third- through eighth-grade students who were asked to respond to statements about six hypothetical boys who were either a poor student or poor athlete, extremely overweight, extremely aggressive, extremely shy, or had symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

The Kansas State University researchers presented the hypothetical boys as real and said the boys had been asked if they were trying to do anything to fix their undesirable trait and whether their attempts had been successful.

via Kids Can Be Tougher on Obese Peers.

by Deborah Posted on October 17, 2011
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How Vitamin D Affects Depression – Prevention – Depression

Two years ago, I spent nine months with sinus infections. I had one after another, and if I didn’t go to the doctor and get antibiotics, I got so sick that I would throw up. None of the doctors I saw could figure out why all of a sudden I was so prone to sinus infections. I saw an ear, nose and throat doctor and an infectious diseases doctor, as well as seeing almost every doctor and nurse practitioner at my GP’s practice. I had every test you can imagine. And no one could figure out what the problem was. Finally, when I was on one of my by now bi-weekly visits to my GP to get a prescription for antibiotics to fight the most recent infection, the nurse practitioner said, "Why don’t we check your Vitamin D level." Sure enough, I was extremely deficient. The standard range is 32-100 ng/mL. Mine was 20. I was put on prescription Vitamin D and voila! No more sinus infections.

via How Vitamin D Affects Depression – Prevention – Depression.

by Deborah Posted on October 4, 2011
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Obese Kids May Face Social, Emotional Woes

(HealthDay News) — Obese 8- and 9-year-olds are more likely to suffer socially and emotionally than their normal-weight peers, a new study finds.

In the study, researchers in Australia checked children’s BMI, a measure of height and weight, at ages 4 and 5 and then again a few years later. Parents and teachers filled out questionnaires that assessed children’s mental health and health-related quality of life.

via Obese Kids May Face Social, Emotional Woes.

by Deborah Posted on September 20, 2011
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Lack of Sleep Hurts Kids’ Academic Performance: Study

HealthDay News — Inadequate sleep and the absence of a good bedtime routine take a toll on the school performance of primary school children, research shows.When 6-year-old children go to bed late and sleep less than nine hours each night, their academic skills suffer along with their memory and motivation, researchers in Barcelona found.

via Lack of Sleep Hurts Kids’ Academic Performance: Study.

by Deborah Posted on September 20, 2011
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Making Sure ‘Back to School’ Doesn’t Mean ‘Back to Bullying’

HealthDay News — For some children, the start of school means the beginning of bullying.Despite widespread efforts to deal with the problem, bullying is a persistent issue in schools, says Donna Henderson, a professor of counseling at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C."The goal is to create a no-bullying environment for children. It’s hard because we live in a world that accepts violence, intimidation and power as currency in life," Henderson said in a university news release.

via Making Sure ‘Back to School’ Doesn’t Mean ‘Back to Bullying’.

by Deborah Posted on September 6, 2011
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Parents Can Ease Back-to-School Stress

HealthDay News — For kids, the end of summer means an abrupt end to staying up late and sleeping until noon: It also signals the beginning of brand new challenges and perhaps a case of the back-to-school jitters.Whether your child is a preschooler or a teen, some anxiety about the first day of school is normal. The trick for parents is to know how to ease your children’s stress and manage your own expectations for the year ahead, experts said.Parents shouldn’t overact, even if kids have a rocky transition. "Children have to deal with these uncomfortable feelings," said Christine Kodman-Jones, a clinical psychologist in Bala Cynwyd, Pa. "It’s scary, but if they still do it and follow through, that shows real strength and resiliency."

via Parents Can Ease Back-to-School Stress.

by Deborah Posted on August 26, 2011
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Study Links Writing Difficulties to ADHD

(HealthDay News) — Children diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a much higher risk of developing a written language disorder, a new study indicates.

To ADHD experts, the current observation does not come as a particular surprise. It has long been known that children with ADHD stand a much higher chance of developing some form of learning disability — especially a reading disability, which accounts for about 80 percent of all learning disabilities affecting ADHD patients.

But the new finding, say researchers, is the first evidence to support a specific link between ADHD and a writing disorder.

via Study Links Writing Difficulties to ADHD.

by Deborah Posted on August 24, 2011
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Grades May Suffer When Teens Get Bullied

HealthDay News — Bullying may contribute to a drop in high school students’ grades, especially if they’re black and Hispanic teens who are high achievers, a new study has found.Researchers compared the grade point averages GPAs of 9,590 students from 580 U.S. high schools. The students were asked if they experienced bullying in grade 10.

via Grades May Suffer When Teens Get Bullied.

by Deborah Posted on August 24, 2011
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Researchers Say They’ve Found Common Cause of All Types of ALS

The apparent discovery of a common cause of all forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ALS could give a boost to efforts to find a treatment for the fatal neurodegenerative disease, a new study contends.Scientists have long struggled to identify the underlying disease process of ALS also known as Lou Gehrigs disease and werent even sure that a common disease process was associated with all forms of ALS.

via Researchers Say Theyve Found Common Cause of All Types of ALS.

by Deborah Posted on August 22, 2011
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Knitting Retreat on the West Coast

My sister’s Knitting on the Coast Retreats:

There’s still time to sign up for the August Knitting on the Coast retreat! This year there will be two Knitting on the Coast retreats, both held at the gorgeous Arts & Crafts-era St Dorothy’s Rest near Occidental. The October weekday retreat has sold out, but there are still spaces available for the August weekend retreat, which is coming up quickly, and will be held August 19th, 20th, and 21st.

You can find lots of information about the retreat, including how to sign up, on the retreat web page. If you have any questions, feel free to email me!

by Deborah Posted on August 3, 2011
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