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Summary
As a teenager, you go through many changes. Your body is on its way to becoming its adult size. You may notice that you can't fit into your old shoes or that your jeans are now 3 inches too short. Along with these changes, you are probably becoming more independent and making more of your own choices. Some of the biggest choices you face are about your health.
Healthy habits, including eating a healthy diet and being physically active, can help you feel good, look good, and do your best in school, work, or sports. They might also prevent diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, osteoporosis, stroke, and some cancers when you are older.
Latest News
- U.S. Teen Diabetes Rate Exceeds Prior Estimates (07/19/2016, HealthDay)
- 3 Health Issues That Can Threaten Young Female Athletes (07/18/2016, HealthDay)
- Are High School Athletes At Risk from Artificial Turf? (07/08/2016, HealthDay)
- More News on Teen Health
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Are You 11-19 Years Old? Then You Need to Be Vaccinated against These Serious Diseases! (Immunization Action Coalition) - PDF Available in Spanish
- Why Should I Care about Germs? (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
Treatments and Therapies
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
- Talking to Your Doctor (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
-
Time to Talk: 5 Tips on Safety of Mind and Body Practices for Children and Teens
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Understanding Medications and What They Do (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
Related Issues
- Annual Check-up (Children's Hospital Boston)
- Are Steroids Worth the Risk? (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
- Body Image and Self-Esteem (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
- Choosing a Primary Health Care Provider (PCP): A Guide for Young Men (Children's Hospital Boston)
- Choosing a Primary Health Care Provider (PCP): A Guide for Young Women (Children's Hospital Boston)
- Compulsive Exercise (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
- Dealing with a Health Condition (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
- Guy's Guide to Body Image (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
- Gyn Checkups (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
- Hygiene Basics (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
- Should I Gain Weight? (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
- Teens and Stress: Who Has Time for It? (American Academy of Family Physicians) Available in Spanish
- Testicular Exams (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
- Transitions: A Guide to Teens Getting Older and Changing Health Care Providers (Children's Hospital Boston)
- What's the Right Weight for My Height? (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
- Your Feelings (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
- Your First Gynecologic Visit (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - PDF Available in Spanish
- Your First Pelvic Exam: A Guide for Teens (Children's Hospital Boston) Available in Spanish
Specifics
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Charge Up! Healthy Meals and Snacks for Teens
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Female Athlete Triad (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
-
For Strong Bones...For Lifelong Health...Milk Matters!
(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
- PDF
- How Much Sleep Do I Need? (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
-
MedlinePlus: Smoking and Youth
(National Library of Medicine)
Available in Spanish
-
MedlinePlus: Teen Sexual Health
(National Library of Medicine)
Available in Spanish
-
MedlinePlus: Underage Drinking
(National Library of Medicine)
Available in Spanish
- Nutrition (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
- Shaving (Children's Hospital Boston)
-
Take Charge of Your Health: A Guide for Teenagers
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Available in Spanish
- Tanning (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
- Tanning (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
- Types of Cancer Teens Get (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
Health Check Tools
- Body Mass Index: Calculator for Child and Teen (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Available in Spanish
- How's Your Self-Esteem? (Quiz) (Nemours Foundation)
Statistics and Research
- FastStats: Adolescent Health (National Center for Health Statistics)
- Mortality Among Teenagers Aged 12-19 Years: United States, 1999-2006 (National Center for Health Statistics)
- Nutrition and the Health of Young People (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Adolescent
(National Institutes of Health)
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Adolescent Health Services
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Find an Expert
- Find a Pediatrician or Pediatric Specialist (American Academy of Pediatrics) Available in Spanish
- KidsHealth (Nemours Foundation)
-
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Available in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- Teenagers and sleep Available in Spanish