January 19th, 2010 by RamonaBatesMD in Better Health Network, Health Tips, Opinion
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A few years ago I wrote about the “Suitability” of a patient for plastic surgery. I was reminded of this topic by two cases in the recent lay media:
The first involves Heidi Montag, 23, who in November had multiple surgical procedures and is being compared to Joan Rivers.
According to People, Montag even kept her family in the dark about her intended transformation to become her “best me.” Telling only her husband Spencer Pratt, Montag had a nose job revision, chin reduction, mini brow lift, Botox in her forehead and frown area, fat injections in her cheeks, nasolabial folds and lips, neck liposuction, ear pinning, liposuction on her waist, hips, inner and outer thighs, buttock augmentation and breast augmentation revision. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Suture for a Living*
January 18th, 2010 by RyanDuBosar in Better Health Network, Research
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Students exposed to songs with a positive message were more likely to help others after listening. A British study randomized students into groups who listened to socially conscious songs or those with negative or nonsense meanings. Then, a researcher pretended to knock pencils off the table by accident. Those who’d listened to positive songs helped more quickly and picked up almost five times as many pencils. Other subjects were asked to help with another research project, and three times as many volunteered.
Help! by the Beatles and Michael Jackson’s Heal the World were cited in the study, which is in press at the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Let us know your favorite “help” songs that get you through the day.
*This blog post was originally published at ACP Internist*
January 10th, 2010 by Nancy Brown, Ph.D. in Better Health Network, Research
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According to a study by researchers at Columbia University, teens whose parents let them go to bed past midnight were 24 percent more likely to be depressed and 20 percent more likely to have contemplated suicide than peers whose parents set bedtimes at or before 10 p.m.
The results were reported in the journal Sleep, and suggest earlier bedtimes may be protective because they increase the likelihood of getting enough sleep. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), about 4,400 Americans between the ages of 10 and 24 commit suicide each year, making it the third-most common cause of death in the age group. This is also to be the group getting the least amount of sleep, which suggests a pretty logical correlation between suicide and lack of sleep.
Data from this study comes from 15,659 U.S. students, who were in grades seven to 12 between 1994 and 1996, and their parents. Seven percent of the teens were found to have depression and 13 percent said they seriously contemplated suicide during the preceding 12 months. The association was stronger for girls and older children. Read more »
This post, Teens, Sleep, Depression And Suicide, was originally published on
Healthine.com by Nancy Brown, Ph.D..
January 2nd, 2010 by Nancy Brown, Ph.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips
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The How I Look Journal was designed for middle school girls in 2007 (revised in 2009), and has been used primarily in group settings, although girls can use it by themselves. Counselors and therapists tend to use the topics as a basis for discussions and teachers prefer using the journal in lesson formats. There is also a companion journal (2009) for mothers called “How I Look at my Daughter, Her World, and Her Future.”
Given I had the week off I decided to review the copies I was sent and am delighted to say that my teenage daughters and I thought the journals are a great idea. The journal prompts help girls identify and celebrate their inner strengths and attributes, manage stress, accept their bodies and dream!
I found myself thinking that the self-talk section was very important as parents cannot hear what teens are saying to themselves in their own heads. We would like to believe that our kids are affirming their healthy and positive decisions and characteristics, but the reality may be that they are using “bully talk” to themselves, saying things like “I am dumb, ugly inconsiderate, mean …” These negative statements undermine their self-confidence, but are difficult to change, especially if they are reinforced by comments parents (inadvertently) make when annoyed.. Read more »
This post, Teen Girls And The “How I Look Journal”, was originally published on
Healthine.com by Nancy Brown, Ph.D..
December 19th, 2009 by Nancy Brown, Ph.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips
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Disorders like depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and bipolar disorder all have warning signs. If you are concerned about these signs in yourself or others, talk to a trusted adult and get help!
Clinical Depression
- Loss of appetite
- Insomnia and trouble sleeping almost every night
- Unable to focus on even simple activities
- Extremely low energy
- Loss of interest in things you normally enjoy Read more »
This post, Top Five Signs of Common Mental Health Conditions, was originally published on
Healthine.com by Nancy Brown, Ph.D..
