Spending more than sixteen hours per week online, not getting enough sleep, and drinking too much increase a teenaged girl's chances of gaining weight, according to a new study from Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Catherine Berkey examined lifestyle factors as they pertain to a teen's gaining weight over the course of one year. Using records from over 5,000 girls ages 14 to 21 years, Berkey determined the following:

• Girls who spent long hours of recreational time on the Internet had a 57 percent risk of gaining at least four pounds a year.


• Sleeping fewer than five hours a night and drinking more than two glasses of alcohol a week was also associated with weight gain.


• Coffee drinking was not associated with weight gain.

This study appears in the Journal of Pediatrics.

Labels: factors, research, weight_gain

Believe it or not, children gain more weight during the summer than they do during the school year. Though kids are outside playing more, they're also snacking more and eating fewer structured meals. Keeping healthy snacks in the house will help your kids not only eat well but avoid the customary summer weight gain.

"With simple substitutions, brown rice instead of white, wheat pasta with cheese instead of that orange and blue mac and cheese box, children will stay fit and healthy this summer."

Do your best to avoid enriched flour and use things made with whole wheat instead. Also consider mixing some dark green veggies into a standard iceberg lettuce salad. Read more at 9WSYR.com.

Summertime is great for getting outside to play and exercise. Get an Education in Fitness from the WeightLossHelpDirectory.com.

Labels: snacks, unhealthy_food_choices, weight_gain

For years, there's been a commonly held belief that 100% fruit juice (possibly because of its high sugar content) increased the risk for weight gain among children. But the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey has shown that not to be true.

"In fact, children aged two to three who drank the most juice were nearly three times less likely to be overweight than children who drank no juice at all."

Kids who drank 100% fruit juice also consumed higher amounts of vitamin C, potassium, riboflavin, and magnesium. They were also more likely to consume whole fruit than kids who drank very little, or no, fruit juice. Read more at CTV.ca.

Labels: junk_food, nutrition, weight_gain