Teenage girls who smoke do not weigh less than those who abstain, according to a new study from the University of Montreal.

Dr. Jennifer O'Laughlin and her team tracked 1,293 teenagers for five years through a series of questionnaires. She said they were surprised at their own results, because they too had bought into the myth that smoking is a good way to control weight.

Labels: girls, heath, smoking

A new study conducted through the University of Virginia has found that girls with ADHD are more likely than their non-ADHD counterparts to develop the bulimia-related behaviors of binge eating and purging.

"'Girls with ADHD may be more at risk of developing eating problems as adolescents because they already have impulsive behaviors that can set them apart from their peers,' [psychologist Amori Yee] Mikami said. 'As they get older, their impulsivity may make it difficult for them to maintain healthy eating and a healthy weight, resulting in self-consciousness about their body image and the binging and purging symptoms.'"

This is one of the few studies that have focused on ADHD's possible long-term effects on girls. Mikami, the study's lead author, warned parents and teachers to be watching for "female-relevant" issues that may be more prevalent in girls with ADHD. Read more at RedOrbit.com.

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Labels: adhd, girls, risks

Though eating disorders affects both girls and boys, girls are about 10 times more likely to be affected. And studies show that the younger a girl is when she begins to "diet", the more likely she is to develop an eating disorder.

"It's not uncommon for parents to make crude remarks about weight to their young daughters (but rarely to their sons). This is extremely unwise. A University of Minnesota study suggests that girls with parents who make comments about their daughters' weight are more likely to become depressed and go on extreme diets."

Many point to the extreme social pressures placed on girls, to look a certain way and have a certain body type, as a main cause of eating disorders. But the disorders are complex and caused by many factors working together. If you suspect someone of having an eating disorder, talk to him or her right away. If left untreated, eating disorders can cause serious health problems and can even be life threatening.

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Labels: causes of eating disorders, girls, influences

Since 2002, the number of teenagers with eating disorders as increased six-fold in Singapore. And, unfortunately, only 10 to 20 percent are actively seeking treatment.

Local psychologists feel that the alarming rise of teenage eating disorders is due to lack of confidence or control.

"Dr Evelyn Boon, Psychologist, Singapore General Hospital, said: 'One of the contributing factors could be that they feel bad about certain things. It could be what they can't control - their family, how they feel about themselves. So in order for them to feel better, they feel that they should control how they are looked at by other people. A lot of them have this misconception that being slim is popular. That's one of the more common things we've heard of. The other thing is if they're teased in school about being overweight, they go the other extreme.'"

Experts believe that Singapore girls have lower self-esteem and a higher level of insecurities about themselves than other Asian girls. Read more online.

Labels: girls, psychology, teenagers