Physician and author Dr. Walt Larimore has just released his latest helpful resource called The Ultimate Girls’ Body Book, coming after last year’s release of The Ultimate Guys’ Body Book. We talk with Dr. Larimore about the questions both girls and boys have about their bodies and how parents can be better prepared to help their kids grow through adolescence. Dr. Larimore has ready answers to your family health concerns, and he and Neil discuss a number of topics:
- Body image and the media – Dr. Larimore strongly urges parents – keep media out of your kids’ bedrooms! No television, computer, smart phone, or other “unguarded” media. He references studies that show the damage that can occur when technology invades a person’s sleep space.
- Childhood obesity – half of all overweight teenagers are already pre-diabetic. Dr. Larimore says he’s seen a drastic increase in the number of young children with heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes due to being overweight.
- The importance of sleep – the less sleep we have, the more we eat. Dr. Larimore points to two hormones in the human body that increase and decrease in proportion to how many hours of sleep we get per night. Increasing our sleep by even 15 minutes a night makes a significant difference!
- Carbonated water and its effects on health
- Bone density
- How to talk with your child about sexuality and gender differences
Image: Flickr
