Tag Archives: teen health

Nancy Redd Discusses Her New Book Diet Drama

New York Times bestselling author Nancy Redd just released her latest book, Diet Drama, a follow-up to the bestselling, Body Drama. Nancy is the self-esteem adviser to FITNESS magazine, and as an AOL Health Insider. She has also been featured on ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS’s The Early Show, NBC’s Today Show, Oprah & Friends, CNN, The Tyra Show, E! True Hollywood Stories, PEOPLE magazine, NPR, PBS, Inside Edition, and more.

Nancy took time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions for DietsInReview.com on her new book, which releases in January.

Why do you think that no one has featured real young women in an exercise book until now?

Because most diet books are written by a fitness expert who wants to show off their hot bod, and the intent is usually good but it tends to be tinged with an invitation for jealousy and a hierarchy of health based on looks, which isn’t fair or healthy. Diet Drama is the first diet book to present information and exercises in a flat system where we all are equal when it comes to our health goals, and thus no one body type deserves to be lambasted or lauded! (more…)

Posted on January 2, 2026 by heather

Mothers’ Attitudes Influence Teen Dieting

A survey from the UK teen magazine Sugar has found that 15 percent of girls 13-19 years old are regularly dieting. A young girl may be influenced to diet by comments made by their parents, pictures of exceptionally thin celebrities or models, and their peer group. If an adolescent girl has watched her mother try several new diets, she is 35 percent more likely to diet herself. Girls are also more likely to be concerned about their weight when they hear their mothers make positive statements about the attractiveness of slim celebrities. I am sure similar comments about slender friends and family members would have a similar impact. The editor of Sugar, Annabel Brog, summed these results up well with the statement, “Mums want the best for our daughters, but we live in a world preoccupied with body size, and inevitably daughters are picking up on, and assimilating, anxieties their mums have.”

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Posted on November 22, 2025 by Brooke Randolph

Christina’s Story Continues on the Rachael Ray Show

Tune in this Friday, November 12 to the Rachael Ray Show for the continuing unfolding of Christina’s Story.

Christina is an obese teenager who is committed to losing 70 pounds by prom. On this episode, a tough trainer drops by to help Christina and her family get into shape. But the father-daughter workout makes her rethink her relationship with her dad.

Those who struggle with their weight and eating often realize that the issues that contributed to their weight gain can run deep and may involve family members who have unknowingly enabled the dysfunctional behavior. (more…)

Posted on November 8, 2025 by heather

Dr Ian Smith Helps Christina on the Rachael Ray Show

Tune in this Friday, October 15 to the Rachael Ray Show when Dr. Ian Smith provides his expert healthy eating tips and strategies to Christina, an obese teenager who is determined to lose 70 pounds by prom.

Dr. Ian Smith is a well-recognized and well-respected health professionals. As the author of the Fat Smash Diet, the 4-Day Diet, the diet expert on VH1’s “Celebrity Fit Club,” and the creator of the 50 Million Pound Challenge, Dr. Ian Smith has spent years educating those who are overweight or obese on the importance of living a healthier life. 

On Friday’s episode, he challenges Christina to making smarter food choices by taking her to a grocery store to teach her about nutrition basics. He shows her what she should be putting in her cart and what foods she should leave on the shelves. But despite his well-intentioned teachings and encouragement, he is met with resistance from the high school senior as she casts doubt on her new weight loss path. (more…)

Posted on October 11, 2025 by heather

Christina’s Story Continues on the Rachael Ray Show

Tune in this Friday, October 8 to the Rachael Ray Show for the continuing real life weight loss story of Christina, an obese teenager who is desperately trying to lose 70 pounds before this year’s prom.

Each Friday, Rachael will be checking in with Christina to receive an update on her weight loss progress and learn about her week’s challenges and successes.

This week, Christina’s story takes an unexpected turn when her mother confronts her own past and admits she once weighed 300 pounds. As her daughter’s journey begins, their bond will be tested. Plus, Christina overcomes her fears and joins us in the studio for the first time. (more…)

Posted on October 4, 2025 by heather

Christina’s Story on the Rachael Ray Show

Tune in this Friday, October 1 to the Rachael Ray Show for the continuation of Christina, the 18-year-old teenager who intends to lose 70 pounds by prom.

Each Friday, Rachael will be checking in with Christina to learn about her weight loss progress for the week. This week’s show, takes a surprising turn when Christina’s mom reveals a shocking truth that may affect Christina’s weight loss journey. (more…)

Posted on September 27, 2025 by heather

Teen Tries to Lose 70 Pounds by Prom on the Rachael Ray Show

Tune in this Friday, September 24 to the Rachael Ray Show and meet, Christina, an overweight teenager who is on an inspirational mission to lose 70 pounds by prom of this school year.

Over the course of the show’s season, Rachael Ray will chronicle Christina’s efforts to take control of her life and finally reach a place where she can love and accept herself. It’s a raw look into a life filled with heartbreak, courage, and honest emotion that lets you experience a new chapter of her world every Friday. (more…)

Posted on September 20, 2025 by heather

Teens on Probation Run Half-Marathons

Disciplining students who break laws is always a difficult question for educators and juvenile probation officers. A program in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, is trying a new approach. The group is called Run the Streets, and they’re offering teens in trouble with the law the chance to avoid detention or probation by participating in a running program.

The teenagers train for and complete a half-marathon. Adult mentors also run with the teens, to provide an extra dimension of support and encouragement. Not only do the teens get fit, they also build self-confidence and self-discipline. “I wanted to develop alternatives to traditional probation where kids would be internally motivated to change their behaviors rather than depending on external negative consequences, which are by and large ineffective,” explains founder Bob Williams, who is also a probation officer and runner.

Read the full story at EduInReview.com and ThatsFit.com.

Posted on August 31, 2025 by Health Buzz

Yoga for Teens

It’s not often that you find your teenage daughter saying, “Mom, you are right.” But when it comes to rolling out a mat to do downward dog next to mom or pop, more and more teenagers are following suit with their parents’ dedication to this age-old Indian practice.

What attracts teenagers to yoga are the same qualities that attract adults: yoga’s ability to reduce stress, manage the pressures of everyday life and stay in shape.

Yoga classes specifically designed for teenagers are starting to turn up in yoga studios, fitness centers and even in schools all around the country.

Here is what you need to know about yoga for teens:

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Posted on July 27, 2025 by heather

Promoting Prom Weight Loss a Disservice to Teen Girls

With all of the eating disorders that are diagnosed in teenage girls today, I was really surprised to see this headline at The Chicago Tribune online: How to Lose 10 Pounds Before Prom. While the article did have several good nutritional key points – getting enough sleep, avoiding high calorie coffee drinks or sodas, and try out new fitness challenges – the overall message of this article was negative and possibly harmful. I was disappointed that a reputable news organization of this magnitude posted a piece that was more worthy of a gossip magazine. (more…)

Posted on March 4, 2026 by Carmen

Helping Teen Girls Avoid Diet Pills

Constantly bombarded by images of super skinny, size 0 models and movie stars such as Mary-Kate Olsen, teenage girls are sent overwhelming messages to be skinnier, smaller, and even tinier than ever. One tool that many young girls are turning to is the use of diet pills, such as hoodia and Hydroxycut.

A 2006 University of Minnesota found that more than 20% of 19-year-old girls confess to using diet pills. “These numbers are startling, and they tell us we need to do a better job of helping our daughters feel better about themselves and avoid unhealthy weight control behaviors,” University of Minnesota professor and study researcher Dianne Neumark-Sztainer said. (Neumark-Sztainer is also the author of the popular book, “I’m, Like, So Fat!“.)

Diet pills are ineffective and in many cases, extremely dangerous, even to the point of being linked to death in users. The study also found that more than 62% of teenage girls use unhealthy weight control behaviors, including the use of diet pills, laxatives, vomiting or skipping meals to control their weight. The study found that teenage males had rates that were less than half of the females. So, clearly, there is a problem facing our girls.

What can we do to help our daughters avoid these unhealthy actions? (more…)

Posted on February 26, 2026 by Carmen