Teens may be drinking and smoking less – but they are smoking out more. Cigarette smoking and alcohol use are at their lowest levels among teens while pot use has climbed.

Sex! Violence! Drugs! Alcohol! Bullying! Pregnancy! Parenting can feel like a minefield at times, and a recent national poll reveals how important all these child health issues are to adults across the U.S.

ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, can cause a variety of behavioral problems among children on its own. However, new research is showing a potential connection between ADHD and other issues as these children enter adolescence.

Your heart is your body's engine. Much like the engine of a car, you have to take good care of your heart to keep the body running smoothly. If you do not maintain a healthy heart, you may run into problems down the road.

Addiction is not a moral issue. Approximately 16 percent of Americans over the age of 12 deal with addiction. That’s twice the amount of people fighting cancer, 40 million compared to 19 million, and almost twice the number of people with heart disease or diabetes. Those numbers don’t include the 80 million people who smoke, drink and use drugs in “risky ways that threaten health and safety.” A major report, released by the University of Columbia’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA), is 586 pages of addressing one of America’s most ignored health...

The National Institute of Child Health & Human Development ( NICHD ) has released numerous studies investigating the outcomes of alcohol and drug use during pregnancy.

Obesity levels are at all-time highs in the United States and also in places like Mexico, an ominous development for a world awash in calories. Gradually, scientists are making incremental gains in understanding how brain hormones are related to dysfunctional appetite. The identification of hunger-regulating hormones like leptin and ghrelin are expanding the science of expanding waistlines. Yet hunger and overeating are not simple functions of body chemistry. They involve behavior, genes, attitudes, upbringing, socialization, emotions and environmental stimuli as well. Intense life c...

The danger presented by alcoholism is widely recognized, but many people still overindulge. Now, the doctors charged with defining addiction may label many more of them as alcoholics. The American Psychiatric Association is in the late stages of revising their influential rulebook : the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual . There are indications that the standards used to differentiate partying from actual addiction will be changed to the point where many college revelers, sports fans who imbibe, and weekend pub denizens will now have a medical diagnosis. The new Diagnostic and Statis...

Many parents worry about their teenagers using drugs or alcohol. Although facts still support concern, a recent survey shows steady declines in alcohol consumption and cigarette use in recent years.

Kids shouldn’t have to worry about pre-diabetes or an increased risk for heart disease. They should be focused on enjoying life. But obesity is serious and affecting many children.