The Mankato Free Press – April Graff
In a world of catchy fast-food jingles and brightly packaged carbohydrates, we need to approach fruits and vegetables with as much gusto as the multi-billion dollar corporations. We need to sell the product. Here are a few tips to get your children (and maybe your husband) to nibble on produce.
The Conversation – Jennifer L. Temple
When my daughter was around 14 years old, she began to ask if she could have a cup of coffee in the morning like Mom and Dad. As a scientist who studies the effects of caffeine – the ingredient in coffee that helps wake you up – on kids, I had more information available to me to inform my answer than most parents would. Many kids and teens consume caffeine. The main source of this chemical is soda for children under 12. Even colas have lower levels of caffeine than tea or coffee.
https://theconversation.com/is-it-ok-for-teens-to-drink-coffee-129133
BBC – Staff Writer
One in four 11 to 15-year-olds in England have too little sleep, a World Health Organization study suggests. The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children report questions 3,398 11, 13 and 15-year-olds every four years. And 27% now say they are too tired to concentrate on their lessons – 17% of 11-year-olds, 28% of 13-year-olds and 42% of 15-year-olds. The proportion of 15-year-olds who say they have have low moods at least once a week has also risen, from 40% to 50%.
The Conversation – Jay Maddock and Lori Anderson Spruance
Youth sports leagues are a great way for children to get physical activity, develop teamwork and create friendships. Research has shown that youth who participate in sports leagues are eight times as likely to be active in their early 20s than those who don’t participate. This is good news for the more than half of American youth ages 6 to 12 who participated in a team sport in 2017, with baseball, basketball and soccer being the most popular. But our recent research showed that snacks after youth sports games contained more calories than the amount kids burned.
The Conversation – Joelle Renstrom
The Environmental Protection Agency first warned of secondhand smoke in 1991, some 30 years after scientists determined that smoking cigarettes causes cancer. Today, a growing body of research points toward a new indirect health hazard. Just as frequently being around other people while they smoke can cause cancer, heart disease, lung disease and other ailments, what I call “secondhand screen time” could be endangering children. By not limiting their own phone use, parents and other caregivers may be unwittingly setting kids up to be addicted to screens.
https://theconversation.com/is-secondhand-screen-time-the-new-secondhand-smoking-129500