Boarding Schools for Girls

Teen girls who have struggled to find fashionable clothing in larger sizes may be in for a more enjoyable shopping experience, as two large retailers have announced upcoming lines that will be geared toward plus-sized girls.

Forever 21's line, Faith 21, will have sizes ranging from XL-2X, while Target's Pure Energy line will go up to a size 30.

Faith 21 will feature of-the-moment pieces like sheer peasant blouses, denim leggings and curve-hugging mini dresses. Pure Energy will have skinny jeans, maxi dresses and sleeveless party tops.

"In the past we've had XL sizes and we would sell out of them so quickly," said Heidi Canalizo, a regional manager at Forever 21. "Our customers have been asking for this for so long and in the past few years we've really decided it's time to get into it. Not everyone is a size 2." (Source: CNN, April 29, 2009)

Clothing market analyst Marshal Cohen told CNN that the move toward larger sizes makes good financial sense. "You're looking at an under $2 billion business that could easily grow to a $4 billion, $5 billion business within ... a year or two," Cohen said.

The U.S. and many other nations have experienced significant increases in teen overweight and obesity rates in recent decades.

Labels: teenagers, girls, overweight

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Weight discrimination is one of the many challenges facing overweight young women as they attempt to earn a place in the working world.

A study by Dr. Mark Roehling of Michigan State University has revealed that being overweight may hold women back in their careers, but may actually help men.

Dr. Roehling and his colleagues went through records from 1,000 large companies.

• Among female bosses, 22 percent were overweight, compared to a national average of 29 percent of American women.


• Among male bosses, 61 percent were overweight, compared to 41 percent of men.


• Only five percent of the bosses were obese, compared to between 36 and 38 percent of all Americans.

For adolescent and teen girls who are also struggling with behavior problems, substance abuse disorders, or other conditions that negatively impact their healthy development, being overweight adds yet another obstacle to overcome en route to a more satisfying future.

Labels: girls, career, overweight, discrimination

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Are you the parent of an overweight child between the ages of 2 and 6? If so, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis want you to participate in an experimental online program.

Dr. Denise Wilfrey described the "Food for Thought" program as a computer intervention that teachers, parents, and caregivers can use to learn to make healthy food choices and to counteract the effect of junk food advertisements on children.

For more information and to enroll in the program, see the Food for Thought website.

Labels: overweight, children

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Losing weight is more important in preventing diabetes than eating a low-fat diet, according to a new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Lesley Tinker studied 48,000 overweight women ages 50 to 79 and found no difference in the rates of Type 2 diabetes among those on low-fat diets and those who did not diet. However, women who lost weight reduced their risk for diabetes.

The critical issue, Dr. Tinker said, may be caloric intake.

Labels: obesity, overweight, diabetes

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Teens with diabetes may soon be able to keep better track of their medications by using their cell phones.

Dr. Jennifer Dyer, a professor at the Ohio State University School of Medicine, has invented an iphone application that sends reminders to young patients with diabetes.

"If adolescent diabetes patients do not adhere to their treatment and medication plan, it can result in difficulty concentrating in school or functioning throughout the day," Dr. Dyer said in an Aug. 10 ScienceDaily article about her innovation.

Statistics show a significant increase in diabetes among adolescents and teens, with many experts identifying rising rates of childhood obesity as the cause of this troubling development

Labels: technology, overweight, diabetes

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