Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/EHNeRhSTW-c   Adolescent sedentary behavior increases the risk of depression by as much as 28%. Even light activity reduces that risk by 20%.  Psychiatrists from University College London studied 4257 teens looking at the effects of their activity levels at ages 12, 14, and 16 on their incidence of depression at 18.   The study showed a general trend toward more couch time and less physical activity as teens get older.  When adolescents fought that trend with even light activity, depression scores at age 18 were significantly lower than average.   To keep your teens happy as well as physically fit, motivate them to MOVE!  Support their sports participation, and link their allowances to physical activity.    Aaron Kandola, MSc , Gemma Lewis, PhD , David P J Osborn, PhD, Brendon Stubbs, PhD, Joseph F Hayes, PhD.  Depressive symptoms and objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour throughout adolescence: a prospective cohort study.  The Lancet.  DOI:https://doi.org