Developing a COVID-19 vaccine in record time is a major accomplishment for the U.S. health care system. Now, as drug companies begin to distribute the vaccine across the country, public health experts must confront another challenge: convincing enough people to take it. [Read more…]
What To Do About Vaccine Hesitancy During COVID-19
December 19, 2020 By Leave a Comment
Holiday Weight Gain Stays With Us
December 11, 2020 By Leave a Comment
With COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths rising across the country, the holiday season will certainly look different this year for most Americans. Although most of us are stuck at home without the typical holiday parties and cookie exchanges, there will still be plenty of opportunities to indulge in cookie-baking, candy canes and holiday cocktails. Unfortunately, all of that delicious food means that most of us consume extra calories during this time of year. [Read more…]
Gratitude Isn’t Cancelled This Thanksgiving
November 23, 2020 By Leave a Comment
Like many events this year, Thanksgiving will be a starkly different holiday for most people. Rising cases of COVID-19 mean that many will forgo gathering with family and friends, instead staying home during what used to be America’s biggest travel holiday.
While big dinner parties may not be possible, there is one element of Thanksgiving that can stay despite the global pandemic: the notion of giving thanks. [Read more…]
How to Cope With the Winter Blues and COVID-19
November 16, 2020 By Leave a Comment
In the northern hemisphere, darkness now falls before dinnertime. Most northern latitudes have less than ten hours of daylight in November – meaning most people spend the majority of their day light hours at work.
Evidence clearly establishes that darkness impacts the moods and mental health of millions of people. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a well-founded medical condition that affects about 5 percent of Americans; and another 15 percent experience a milder form of SAD, often referred to as the “winter blues.” [Read more…]
How to Get Kids to Change Their Behavior for the Better
October 29, 2020 By Leave a Comment
When trying to convince someone to take action, our words matter – even more so when talking to a young person.
If you have ever parented a child or worked with youth, you have likely witnessed that lectures rarely lead to whole-hearted behavior change, even when the lecturer has the best intentions. So, what’s the best way to encourage behavior change in young people, especially when there is a serious health problem at hand? [Read more…]
Do Online Searches For Health Information Lead to Anxiety?
October 8, 2020 By Leave a Comment
We’ve all done it before. Presented with a new ache, pain or rash, we turn to the internet to find out what’s wrong. Typically, the search results include a myriad of health problems ranging in severity from “it will go away on its own” to “you only have months to live.” [Read more…]
What Are The Mental Health Effects of COVID-19?
August 27, 2020 By Leave a Comment
As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on globally, there is little doubt that it is taking a lasting toll on the mental health of millions of people. Fear of getting sick, the loneliness that accompanies quarantine and a fragile economy combine to create complicated challenges to mental well-being. [Read more…]
How to Offer Mental Health Interventions in School
August 17, 2020 By Leave a Comment
Approximately one in six youth ages six to seventeen in the U.S. have a mental illness; depression, anxiety and behavior disorders are among the most common. Data suggest that youth today are five times more likely to experience mental health problems compared to decades past. Today, the uncertainty that comes along with the COVID-19 pandemic is certainly detracting from students’ mental health and well-being. [Read more…]
The Silver Lining of Virtual Learning During COVID-19
August 7, 2020 By Leave a Comment
Children are heading back to school this month in many states across the nation. In most school districts, this is the first time that kids have been inside school buildings since COVID-19 spread across the U.S. in March. [Read more…]
Evidence-Based Suggestions to Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease
July 30, 2020 By Leave a Comment
One in ten Americans older than 65 develop Alzheimer’s disease. While there are medications available to treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, there are no treatments to cure the disease or slow its progression.
But a new systematic review from researchers at the University of Shanghai Medical College outlines steps that everyone can take to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. [Read more…]
How Racism Affects Health
June 4, 2020 By Leave a Comment
Race is at the forefront of our national consciousness this week as many mourn the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, and protests and riots have erupted across the country. [Read more…]
What We Know About Emotional Eating
May 27, 2020 By Leave a Comment
The internet if full of memes about gaining weight during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s no surprise; being stuck at home without normal activities and constant access to food can easily lead to overeating. On top of boredom and proximity to food, the worries and stress that accompany a global pandemic can easily lead to emotional eating. [Read more…]
