Alarming decline in teenage wellbeing

1. Year 9 Wellbeing Survey 2013

2. The stark warning - in a major report in The Lancet medical journal - shows teenagers are doing worse than their predecessors across nearly all the traditional measures of health. Every single marker of well- being ranging from obesity to mental health is either negative or static for today's teens.

3. • there has been a four-fold rise in obesity in the last 20 years • teenage pregnancy rates are among the worst in Europe • sexually transmitted infections have risen two or three-fold • binge drinking has reached new heights among teenagers, especially girls. …..there has also been a rise in 'risk-taking behaviour' such as smoking, drinking and drug taking which not only triggers problems now, but sets up a long-term legacy of poor health …..

4. • Most of the famous energy drink brands are being slammed for their dependence on two main ingredients. The first, of course, is caffeine. The second, not surprisingly, is sugar.

5. The 7 Signs of Caffeine Overdose 1. Headaches 2. Muscle Tension 3. Anxiety & Nervousness 4. Dizziness 5. Tiredness 6. Nausea 7. Jitters

6. • If you’re so constantly run down you need energy drinks to get you through the day, think about the following before reaching for the energy drinks: • Are you getting enough sleep? • Are you nutritionally deprived? • What are you eating? • Are you drinking enough water? • Are you getting regular exercise?

7. • The gamer community had a near-miss recently in Ohio, when a 15-year-old boy collapsed after playing "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" for up to five days straight. • The teen was rushed to the hospital with severe dehydration . • And last summer, a 20-year-old man from the U.K. died from a blood clot after spending 12- hour sessions on his Xbox. His father told "The Sun" newspaper, "He lived for his Xbox. I never dreamed he was in any danger."

8. • While these are extreme cases, they are a reminder that sitting at a computer or console for days, whether it's for "World of Warcraft" or for work, isn't healthy for anyone.

9. Too much screen time? 2 surveys : • 1. Video-gaming consumed nine weekly hours for teens,. • 2. Reported 13 hours a week spent gaming on computers and consoles. • Too much time gaming leads to poor school performance. Recent studies have finally linked the cause and effect, showing that gaming displaces after-school academic activities such as homework and reading.

10. • Sleep is food for the brain. During sleep, important body functions and brain activity occur. Skipping sleep can be harmful. • You can look bad, you may feel moody, and you perform poorly. Sleepiness can make it hard to get along with your family and friends and hurt your achievement in school.

11. • Sleep is vital to your well-being, as important as the air you breathe, the water you drink and the food you eat. It can even help you to eat better and manage the stress of being a teen. • Teens tend to have irregular sleep patterns across the week — they typically stay up late and sleep in late on the weekends, which can affect their biological clocks and hurt the quality of their sleep.

12. • Not getting enough sleep or having sleep difficulties can: • Limit your ability to learn, listen, concentrate and solve problems. • Make you more prone to spots. Lack of sleep can contribute to acne and other skin problems; • Lead to aggressive or inappropriate behaviour such as shouting at your friends or being impatient with your teachers or family members; • Cause you to eat too much or eat unhealthy foods like sweets and fried foods that lead to weight gain; • Contribute to illness, not using equipment safely or driving drowsy.