Youth health knowledge lecture content

Adolescent health is by no means a single standard of "healthy without disease", but should take into account the three dimensions of growth and development adaptation, stable mental state, and reasonable behavioral habits. There is no "universal health formula" suitable for all children, and all adjustments must be judged based on individual differences.

When I was giving a lecture at District No. 3 Middle School last week, a parent raised his hand right after I finished my opening remarks and said that his 14-year-old boy was already 1.72 meters tall and rarely caught colds. He just complained of back pain and couldn't sleep at one or two in the morning. His grades had dropped badly. He asked if he was "faking illness and not wanting to study." In fact, this is a typical misunderstanding of equating "not getting sick" with "healthy". This child was later found to have mild scoliosis caused by sitting for a long time. In addition, he stayed up late doing homework for a long time and suffered from a severe lack of sleep, which had affected his concentration. He was not pretending at all.

When it comes to growth and development, the most common question asked by parents is the issue of height. Now there are two opinions on the Internet that are very quarrelsome. One group says that as long as you supplement more calcium and jump rope more, you will definitely grow taller. The other group says that excessive calcium supplementation will cause the epiphysis to close prematurely, which will prevent you from growing taller. Both statements have clinical basis. I have come across many such examples. A parent gave his child 3 boxes of high-calcium milk and extra calcium tablets every day. As a result, when the child was 13 years old, his bone age was 2 years older than his actual age, and his expected height dropped by 5 centimeters. ； There is also a parent who lets his children eat normally and play basketball for half an hour after school every day. At the age of 16, he grew to 1.85 meters. In fact, there are two key points: one is to regularly measure the bone age to see the child's development progress, and the other is not to take supplements blindly. As long as there are no symptoms of calcium deficiency under a normal diet, there is no need to take extra calcium tablets. Drinking ordinary pure milk is enough.

Myopia is also a major worry for parents. Some people say that the degree of myopia will definitely increase every year before the age of 20, while others say that as long as you have good eye habits, the degree can be stabilized. I have seen children who spent two hours outdoors every day for three years in high school, but their temperature did not rise at all. I also saw children who hid under the quilt every day and watched short videos, and the temperature rose by 300 minutes in a year. In fact, as long as they take a 10-minute break every 40 minutes when using their eyes, and ensure enough outdoor time every day, even teenagers can control their temperature well, and don't have to think that "it will go up anyway".

Oh, by the way, there is also the acne problem that worries adolescent children and parents. There is also a lot of quarrels on the Internet. Some people say that acne is caused by eating spicy food and that we must completely quit spicy food. Others say that chili peppers are not to blame at all, it is all a problem of sugar and milk. In fact, both statements are too absolute. Among the children I have come into contact with, some break out acne whenever they eat spicy food, while some still have smooth skin after eating spicy food. The core depends on the individual's physical constitution. However, eating too much high-sugar and high-fat foods will definitely increase acne. This has been clinically proven, so there is no need to argue. If the acne is particularly severe, go directly to a dermatologist. Don’t blindly use the home remedies online, which may cause you to have a hormonal face which will be more troublesome.

To be honest, in the past two years, the number of parents and children seeking consultation for psychological problems has more than doubled than in previous years, but everyone's cognitive bias is also very large. There are many parents of the older generation who feel that "there is no pressure at such a young age, but they are pretentious and don't want to go to school." There are also young parents who are overly anxious and cry when their children fail to do well in an exam. They think they are suffering from depression and rush to the hospital. I treated a boy in the second grade of junior high school last month. He has not been able to sleep well for three months. He doesn’t want to talk to his classmates and stays in his room after school. His parents thought he was rebellious. They didn’t bring him in for a checkup until he said it was boring to live. He was already moderately anxious. ； There was also a parent whose child had been in a bad mood for two days because of an quarrel with a good friend, so he forced the child to take a psychological assessment. Instead, the child was frightened and wondered whether there was something really wrong with him. In fact, the judgment standard is very simple. It depends on how long the state lasts. If you are in a bad mood for only one or two days and can adjust yourself, it is a normal mood swing. If it lasts for more than two weeks, you are not interested in anything, and your eating and sleeping are affected, then you must find a professional to intervene in time. Don't bear it or be nervous.

As for the issues of diet, exercise, and sleep that everyone talks about every day, there is no need to be so strict. Some people have always said that teenagers must give up sugar completely and cannot touch milk tea or cola. Others say that children have a fast metabolism and can eat whatever they want. My colleague's child gained 20 pounds in half a year by drinking a cup of milk tea every day, and his uric acid level in the physical examination exceeded the standard. ； There are also children who drink it once a week to satisfy their cravings, and there are no problems. The key is to control the amount. It does not have to be completely banned, but it will make the children secretly buy and eat, which is not good.

The same goes for sports. There are two extreme opinions on the Internet. One is that teenagers must train to death to have good physical fitness. The other is that running and jumping will hurt the knees and it is best to move less. A parent came to me before and said that in order for his child to get a perfect score in the physical education high school entrance examination, he forced his child to run 10 kilometers every day and practice frog jumping. As a result, within two months, the child's knees hurt so much that he could not walk. He was diagnosed with tibial tubercle osteochondritis, which is caused by the underdevelopment of adolescent bones and long-term excessive stress, which in turn delayed the exam. In fact, it depends on your child's state after exercise. If he feels refreshed and not sore, then the intensity is appropriate. If he is tired and still hurts after two or three days, then he needs to reduce the amount.

There is also sleep. Some people always say that teenagers must sleep for 8 hours, otherwise it will affect their development. Some parents say that their children sleep for 6 hours a day and are still very energetic. In fact, there is no need to impose a hard time limit. As long as the child is not sleepy in class the next day and can concentrate, it means that he has got enough sleep. However, be careful not to stay up until after 11 o'clock, otherwise it will affect the secretion of growth hormone, which indeed has an impact on height growth. There is a clear research conclusion on this.

I have been doing science popularization on youth health for 8 years. Every time I give a lecture, parents are asking for "standard answers", such as how much milk must be drank every day, how many hours of sleep must be done, and how much exercise must be done. In fact, there is really no such thing as one-size-fits-all. Every child’s physique, personality, and living environment are different. What works for other people’s children may not be suitable for yours. Health is never a matter of relying on formulas. Paying more attention to your child's condition is better than anything else. If you are really unsure, consult a doctor, nutritionist or psychologist in a regular hospital. Don't listen to the eye-catching folk remedies on the Internet, and don't blindly torment your child by yourself.