health

Anxiety and Depression Awareness month: Video blogs

October is Anxiety and Depression Awareness month. To highlight the effect both depression and anxiety can have on young people’s lives beyondblue has created a series of fictional video blogs about young people experiencing depression and anxiety. They can be viewed on YouTube. The blogs were inspired by real stories posted on the Youthbeyondblue online [...]

Top 10 teenager tips: how to say 'no' and still look cool

When it comes to drinking and taking drugs many young people face both social and peer pressures. Their friends might encourage them to drink at parties while social pressures come in many forms. Social pressures can include advertising, seeing the lifestyles of celebrities, or being at a party and seeing people who are drinking or [...]

What’s causing the decline in the health and wellbeing of young people?

Contrary to the opinion of leading health organisations, the health and wellbeing of young Australians is declining while mental health issues are on the rise. This is the finding of Richard Eckersley author of the report Never Better, or getting worse? The health and wellbeing of young Australians. The report explores patterns and trends around the [...]

Teenagers need education on STI dangers

Although an estimated 25% of young people are sexually active by 15 years of age and this rises to 50% by the time they enter their final year of school, only 40% are practicing safe sex and using a condom. These were the findings of a survey conducted by GlaxoSmithKline which was carried out in [...]

Australia leads world on harms of alcohol at UN Conference

The recent 63rd United Nations Department of Public Information NGO Conference held in Melbourne focused on improving women and children’s health. “Advancing global health is essential to the Millennium Development Goals, and you are essential to advancing global health,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The central concern of Mr. Ban’s opening remarks was the need to [...]

2010 World No Tobacco Day

87% of females prefer to date non smoking partners 80% of smokers don’t believe cigarettes damage the skin* Monday 31st May is ‘world no tobacco day’. This year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is using World No Tobacco Day to emphasize the negative aspects of smoking; particularly for women. In Melbourne, The Royal Dental Hospital [...]

Recent Findings: The business of marketing unhealthy food to Children

Published in Journal Watch Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 2010. It is common practice for food companies to advertise to children by using cross-promotional agreements with other companies (to promote each other’s products); these include licensed characters, sports teams and theme parks. Many food companies team up with other companies to help them sell their food [...]

Teenagers eligible for lap-band surgery

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) has released new guidelines for lap-band surgery on teenagers. These new guidelines for bariatric surgery address issues specific to young people. RACP Fellow Professor Louise Baur, chair of the working party which developed the policy said, “...young people suffering severe obesity require high quality clinical services. We need [...]

Cutting – a symptom or a mental health issue?

The term ‘cutting’ refers to the widespread practice of cutting yourself with a sharp object with the purpose of injuring and scaring  the skin. Although it is not much talked about in the media, this form of self harm has a growing following within the teenage population, especially girls. It is also alarming that tweens are beginning [...]

Recent Findings: the facts about cereal nutrition for children

The Facts about cereal nutrition and food marketing to children. Published in "Journal Watch Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine", November 15 2009 Cereal companies worldwide speak to children early through everything from TV advertising and product placement on their favourite foods and clothing to the DVD's they watch and the games they play. Their campaigns are aggressive, direct and most [...]

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