“I’ve just gotten so fat!” “You? I’m the one with the huge thighs!” -- It is not uncommon to hear conversations like this, especially as the anxiety of swimsuit season quickly approaches. But new research is showing that this habit and mentality might not just be detrimental to self-esteem, but could affect one’s ability to lose weight.

It may seem fairly typical when adolescents hit the teen years and begin experimenting with risky behaviors such as smoking, drinking and eating more junk food. It may seem like teenage rebellion that isn't uncommon; but new research shows that not only are these teens choosing unhealthy lifestyle options, they are also far less happy.

When it comes to playing sports like football and soccer, using your head may actually be the best way to lose it - or at least to lose a little bit of your cognitive power.

Many parents worry about their teenagers using drugs or alcohol. Although facts still support concern, a recent survey shows steady declines in alcohol consumption and cigarette use in recent years.

There is little debate that children who are abused, physically or mentally, undergo such significant trauma that they often carry it throughout their lives. Child abuse can affect a person's mental health forever, leading to depression and other psychological disorders later in life.

Depression and mental illness in children and adolescents is a rising concern. About five percent of youth under age 18 suffer from depression at any given time, but their numbers are rising. Rates of depression and anxiety among American youth have increased steadily over the last fifty to seventy years, and children are the fastest growing group of depression sufferers.

The American Dream of a good job, home ownership and creating a better life for our children has long been the dream of many. But has that dream been shattered over the past few years of an economic recession?

There is the kind of pain that happens when you stub a toe or slice your finger cutting vegetables. Then there is chronic pain, an enduring pain that can last for weeks, months, or even years.

A ten-year anniversary is a seminal thing, especially when it marks something as momentous and life-changing as 9/11. Something that we experienced collectively, as Americans, that forever changed us.

To outsiders depression can be difficult to understand. It's more than just sadness or a bad day, it's a medical illness that can affect personal relationships, work and even interests.