Kathy McCoy PhD - The Teenage Body Book, Revised and Updated Edition

Understanding Your Teenagers Depression: Issues, Insights and Practical Guidance for Parents

The Secrets of My Life

Growing and Changing: A Guide for Preteens (with Charles Wibbelsman, M.D.)

Life Happens (with Charles Wibbelsman, M.D.)

Crisis-Proof Your Teenager (with Charles Wibbelsman, M.D.)

Changes and Choices: A Junior High Survival Guide

Solo Parenting: Your Essential Guide

Coping with Teenage Depression

The Teenage Survival Guide

The Teenage Body Book Guide to Sexuality

The Teenage Body Book Guide to Dating

Purr Therapy: What Timmy and Marina Taught Me About Love, Life and Loss

Aging and Other Surprises

Making Peace With Your Adult Children

For more information, go to www.drkathymccoy.com

Text Copyright 2016 by Kathy McCoy, Ph.D. and Charles Wibbelsman M.D. This title was previously published in 1979 and 1984 by Simon and Schuster/Pocket Books; in 1987 by The Body Press; and in 1992 and 1999 by Perigee.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher.

This book is not intended to replace the services of a physician or dietitian. Any application of the recommendations set forth in the following pages is at the readers discretion. The reader should consult with his or her own physician or physical trainer concerning the recommendations in this book. The author and the publisher disclaim any liability, personal and professional, resulting from the application or misapplication of any of the information in this book.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available upon request

ISBN: 978-1-57826-643-2

eBook ISBN: 978-1-57826-644-9

Interior design by Pauline Neuwirth, Neuwirth & Associates, Inc.

Cover design by Carolyn Kasper

v3.1

Our special thanks to

Tim Schellhardt, a dear friend and an award-winning journalist. For this edition, Tim graciously stepped in to lend his research skills and resources to our efforts. He also offered warm encouragement and adviceas a father of four and grandfather of threefor this and earlier editions.

Bob Stover, the artist for the original edition of this book in 1979 and for all subsequent editions. His creative talents, hard work and generosity in volunteering to double as a proofreader as well as artist have been much appreciated and have contributed significantly to the books success.

Kelly Grady Callarman, for her wonderful additional artwork, and Jennifer Rourke for her illustration on .

Our now retired agent, Susan Ann Protter, for believing in us and this book from the beginning and through the years.

Our editor Anna Krusinski for her inspiration and support in the process of creating this new edition.

Elizabeth Canfield, an extraordinary health educator and human being, who thought we might work well together and introduced us many years ago. Loving thanks, Liz!

The TEEN Magazine alum group who have supported us warmly over the years: Mary Connolly Breiner, Betty Price, Roxanne Camron, Carole Ann Lyons, Andrea Cleghorn, Rita Warren, Daina Hulet, Jane Fort, Laurel Finnerty, Marilyn Frandsen, Jay Cole, Maureen Donaldson, Pamela Van Daalen, Leora Glass, and Marina Muhfriedel. We also want to express love and gratitude to Louise MacLeod, the widow of TEENs long-time publisher and wonderful career launcher Robert MacLeod, who has continued to cheer us on to the present day.

Special friends and family who have helped in so many ways as we dealt with deadline pressure: Mary and John Breiner, Mike McCoy, M.D., Jinjuta McCoy, Maggie McCoy, Henry McCoy, Tai McCoy, Nick McCoy, Ryan Grady, David Hyman, Richard C. Holihan, M.D., Pat Hill, Sr. Rita McCormack, Sr. Ramona Bascom, Caron and Raymond Roudebush, Marsha Morello, Pat and Joe Cosentino, Kim Tuomi, Nora Valdiviezo, Vivian Wung, Jeanie Croope, Dee Ready, Mary Kate Schellhardt and Matt Palko, and Eliza and Chris Yarbrough and their daughters Lucy and Leah (who keep us smiling!)

Youre part of a very special generation of teens: you and your friends are the first teens to be born in the 21st century (or just at the turn of the century)!

As young people in a new century, your lives are unique.

While its true that some aspects of teen life and health are timeless, your lifestyleyour choices and your challengesare quite unlike those of previous generations. And so, were changing to meet your needs and answer your questions about coming of age in these changing times.

Youre the most connected generation in history. According to the latest studies from the Pew Research Center, 95% of teens ages 1217 are online. 78% of you have cell phones, many of these smartphones. Some 24% of you report being online via your smartphone or computer every waking hour! You connect with each other (most often by texting). And, when looking for the latest information about health, youre looking for it online. According to a 2015 Northwestern University study of teens, health and technology, some 84% of you have sought health information online.

Youre very careful about the reliability of your health information. Your generation doesnt accept information from just any site. According to the Northwestern study, teens are careful to seek out government, university or medical center sites most often when looking for health information online. Youre unlikely to ask a question or seek answers on a social networking site. But, despite all this new technology, you rely mostly on information from your parents and from school health classes. You are less likely than previous generations to look for information in a book (though