Welcome! This page was created for young women to help us navigate resources on the web. It provides information on love, life, our bodies and the challenges we face.

 **Healthy Body – Healthy Soul**

 **What’s Going on Down There**

 **Ouch! What was that?**

 **Sometimes Girls Just Need to Talk**

**Sex, Love and Rock n’ Roll**

 **Just because it might feel good…**

           
Adolescent Health Web Page

 Healthy Body – Healthy Soul
 We all want to look our best, right? But how do we go about doing that? How can we eat food in a way that meets our bodies’ needs? What is a healthy weight for our body types?

 Healthy Eating

 The great news is that Food and Drug Administration has come up with a new food pyramid that is more individualized. It can be accessed at: http://www.mypyramid.gov/ .

 Here is another website that helps explain the pyramid: http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/pyramid.html.

 Body Mass Index (BMI)

Every girl’s and woman’s body is different. Therefore there is not one magic tool that can tell you whether you need to gain or lose weight – only your family doctor can tell you that.

 The most accurate tool we have found is the Body Mass Indicator (BMI). This interactive tool can be found at http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/fit/bmi.html. If your results tell you that you are underweight or overweight, discuss this with you doctor. He or she can help you come up with a healthy plan to achieve your goals.

 Eating Disorders

Unfortunately, the media portrays unhealthy and unrealistic images of girls’ and women’s bodies. This may lead some women and girls to feel that they need to be at an unhealthy low weight. This can lead to what we call an eating disorder.

 Eating disorders are extreme expressions of food and weight issues experienced by many individuals, particularly girls and women. They include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating. Eating disorders are dangerous behaviors that result in big health problems.

Girls with eating disorders can do major damage to their bodies. Restricting what you eat can make you sick—like feeling nauseous, tired, dizzy, or irritable. If this behavior goes on too long, it can mess up your menstrual cycle, dry out your hair and skin, and might even cause early osteoporosis—a disease of the bones. The physical consequences can become life threatening.

But the physical problems are only half the story. The emotional problems can be serious too. An unhealthy attitude about food and body image is the main problem. Some girls use food to make themselves feel better; others stop eating to feel like they are "in control" of their life. Both behaviors leave people feeling bad about what they are eating. And worst of all, the more people begin to obsess over what they are eating (or not eating); the less they care about other things—like school, friends, or other activities. (www.girlpower.gov)

To find out more about eating disorders, you can visit this site: http://www.girlpower.gov/girlarea/bodywise/eatingdisorders/index.htm

For the older crowd: http://www.something-fishy.org/

National Eating Disorders Association Hotline: 1-800-931-2237

www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

 Exercise

Along with eating well, the best way you can take care of your body is through exercise. The great thing about exercise is that there are so many different types, you are almost guaranteed to find something you like. Everything from hikes, to team sports, to aerobics, to horseback riding, will have a great effect on your body!

 Here is a link with a general overview of exercise and its effects on your body: http://www.4girls.gov/fitness/index.htm

 This is an interactive website that shows how exercise benefits your heart:

http://www.girlsinc.org/gc/page.php?id=1.4.1

 This is guide to sports. Feel free to add your own ideas! http://www.girlpower.gov/girlarea/sports/index.htm

 Below are some other great resources on taking care of our body:

 This is a website that provides general nutritional information: http://www.4girls.gov/nutrition/index.htm

 A fun game named ‘Nutrition Jeopardy’: http://www.girlsinc.org/gc/page.php?id=1.4.37

 Ask the Dietician for Teens: http://www.dietitian.com/teenager.html

 Exploration of anatomy: http://library.thinkquest.org/10348/