| Did you know that 17.4 percent of teenagers | | | | depression. It can be triggered by something |
| in the U.S. in the ages 12 to 19 are | | | | as simple as not making the football team or |
| overweight? Adult Type 2 diabetes and heart | | | | the cheer leading squad. If you feel lazy, |
| disease are now being reported among | | | | sad, and sometimes hopeless; or worse, if you |
| teenagers, all the more reason for teenagers | | | | feel suicidal, then you might be suffering |
| to be vigilant with their health. Moreover, | | | | from depression. This is a serious problem |
| sexually active teenagers face even more | | | | that you need to address immediately by |
| health risks than those that do not engage in | | | | talking to your parents or your guidance |
| sexual activity yet. Alcohol and substance | | | | councilor. Talking to your peers about it |
| abuse and smoking, eating disorders, | | | | may not be as good a solution because they |
| depression, and sexually transmitted diseases | | | | may not know on how to handle depression, |
| are some of the most common health issues | | | | worse if they themselves are suffering |
| among teenagers. | | | | depression too. Talk to your parents, |
| | | | teachers, or any authority you feel |
| To stay healthy, a teenager should avoid | | | | comfortable confiding with. |
| smoking any type of tobacco product. Another | | | | |
| health advice is to avoid second hand | | | | Sexually transmitted disease (STD) is a |
| cigarette smoke. A tobacco user teen is more | | | | problem among sexually active teenagers. |
| likely to get heart disease, cancer or stroke | | | | Some STDs such as Hepatitis can even be |
| in his/her adult age compared to nonuser. | | | | contracted by mere kissing. Teenagers |
| Avert alcohol and substance abuse. It | | | | already active in sex must visit their school |
| usually starts with experimentation until the | | | | nurse's office and ask him/her the |
| drug grabs hold of your mind and you become | | | | repercussions of sexual intercourse. If your |
| addicted. | | | | parents are open to this discussion, you |
| | | | should talk to them about it too. Obtain |
| Perhaps more common to teenage girls, a teen | | | | brochures and pamphlets on safe sex to |
| wants skinny body like ones she sees on the | | | | educate yourself everything you need to know |
| media. This perverted addiction to media | | | | about the health issues of sex. Teenage |
| leads to eating disorder, anorexia (intense | | | | pregnancy, which in itself has emotional, |
| fear of being fat) and bulimia (vomiting to | | | | social, and health ramifications, is a great |
| abort the digestion of food ingested), which | | | | possibility among sexually active teenagers. |
| poses serious health problem among 1% of | | | | |
| American teens; it can kill. If you have | | | | Perhaps the best way to stay healthy and fit |
| symptoms of anorexia and bulimia, don't | | | | is to maintain a habit of good, well balanced |
| ignore it. Ask help from your parents or any | | | | diet, and exercise. Stay at bay from eating |
| authority you trust to help you quit this | | | | fatty foods and trans-fatty acids to avoid |
| potentially deadly habit. Although support | | | | problems such as diabetes and obesity leading |
| groups can help; however, kicking this deadly | | | | to heart problems. Joining sports and other |
| habit may require seeing a trained therapist. | | | | outdoor activity is a fun way to exercise and |
| | | | to stay fit. |
| Another teen health problem to watch is | | | | |