Learning ‘Soft Skills’ in School Improves Children’s Health and Behavior

Razi Berry A trial of a new curriculum to improve soft skills in secondary school children has shown that it can boost their physical health and behavior, as well as changing their career aspirations. The Healthy Minds curriculum The Healthy Minds curriculum includes elements on building resilience, navigating social media, looking after mental health, developing […]
Emotional Issues and Obesity Grow Hand-in-Hand from Early Childhood

Razi Berry Obesity and emotional problems, such as feelings of low mood and anxiety, tend to develop hand-in-hand from as young as age 7 years, according to new research being presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Glasgow, UK (28 April-1 May). Analysis finds regardless of socioeconomic status, girls & boys with […]
Young Men Struggle With Body Image Issues, Too

Razi Berry A recent study has looked at how young men struggle with body image issues. There may be a general idea that young women are the only ones affected by unrealistic and impractical media expectations on body image, but young men are also affected. A growing awareness of how body image struggles affect young […]
Misery Loves Company in Teen Relationships

Razi Berry A recent study on teen friendships supports the colloquial idea that “misery loves company.”1 Researchers from Florida Atlantic University looked at the degree to which internalizing symptoms predicted the dissolution of teen friendships. Internalizing symptoms were defined as anxiety, depression, social withdrawal and submissiveness. The 2 questions being asked The questions being asked […]
Essential Oils and Abnormal Breast Development in Boys

Node Smith, ND A study was presented at the 100th annual meeting of the Endocrine Society, in March, that essential oils are incredibly concentrated extracts of a narrow range of plant constituents and can have very powerful effects on human physiology – some of them unwanted. The paper presented, was on the effects of essential […]
Callousness in Boys Linked to Brain Structural Differences

Node Smith, ND Interesting Study on the Difference Between Brain Structures in Boys and Girls An interesting study confirms that callous-unemotional traits in boys are linked to certain brain structures not found in girls.1 This comes from a team of European researchers at the University of Basel and the University of Basel Psychiatric Hospital. The […]