Obesity in Adolescents Children who are inactive—spending time watching TV or sitting at a computer—are at higher risk for obesity, especially when their diet contains lots of high-calorie foods and beverages. Healthy Diets Overview Eating healthy is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and is something that should be taught to children at a young age. Toddler Nutrition Mealtime with a toddler can be challenging, because children at this age are striving for independence and control. It's best to provide structure and set limits. Preschooler Nutrition Preschool children are still developing their eating habits and need encouragement to eat healthy meals and snacks. School-Aged Child Nutrition Eating healthy after-school snacks is important at this age, as these snacks may contribute up to one-third of the total calorie intake for the day. Healthy Eating During Adolescence Encourage your teen to eat three balanced meals a day, with fruits or vegetables as snacks. Exercise and Children Exercise is an important part of keeping children healthy. Encouraging healthy lifestyles in children and teens is important for when they grow older. Weight Management and Adolescents For overweight children 7 and older, the initial goal is to keep them from gaining more weight. Changes in eating habits and exercise are gradually introduced to trim pounds. Breast Self-Examination Become familiar with how your breasts usually look and feel so that you may notice any change from what is normal for you. Pap Test for Adolescents A Pap test, along with a pelvic examination, is an important part of a female's routine health care because it may detect abnormalities that can lead to invasive cancer. Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Adolescents STDs are among the most common infectious diseases in this country—the United States has the highest rates of STDs in the industrialized world. Safer Sex Guidelines for Adolescents The only safe sex is no sex, most health care providers say. But certain precautions and safe behaviors can minimize a person's risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease. Sunburn and Children Protect your child from the sun. Up to 80 percent of total lifetime sun exposure occurs in the first 18 years of life. Smoking Ninety percent of new smokers are children and teenagers. In many cases, they are replacing the smokers who quit or died prematurely from a smoking-related disease. Oral Cancer and Tobacco All tobacco products, from cigarettes to snuff, contain toxins, carcinogens, and nicotine, an addictive substance. Guidelines for Raising Smoke-Free Kids The most important thing is to keep the lines of communication open -- the more you talk to your children, the better chance you have of staying close when things get tough or when important issues like smoking arise. Cool Tools to Keep Your Kids From Smoking Many teenagers still think smoking is cool. Here are some tools to help parents stay diligent in keeping their kids from smoking. Oral Cancer Ninety percent of oral cancer cases are caused by tobacco use. Oral cancer can affect the lips, teeth, gums, and lining of the mouth.