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American women seem more satisfied with their weight now than they were 30 years ago, preliminary new research indicates. After reviewing more than 250 studies that included a total of over 100,000 participants, researchers found that women's dissatisfaction with their thinness levels significantly declined between 1981 and 2012. "In the past few years, we've seen more and more of the idea of body acceptance . . . and more media awareness [of this issue] growing from societal influences,"...

A dozen years ago, former Wall Street Journal columnist Thomas Frank wrote an unlikely best-seller, “ What’s the Matter With Kansas ?” It examined why that state’s once moderate voters had swung hard right in their political leanings, and why less affluent Kansans were consistently voting for ultraconservatives advocating sweeping policy changes that conflicted with these voters’ economic interests. Frank’s book did not focus on juvenile justice. But while Kansas politics have continued to...

Mindfulness-based teachings have shown benefits in everything from inflammatory disorders to central nervous system dysfunction and even cancer. Now, researchers are studying how cognitive therapy utilizing mindfulness techniques can serve as a natural alternative to pharmaceuticals for people with anxiety disorders. Mindfulness is “the intentional, accepting and non-judgemental focus of one’s attention on the emotions, thoughts and sensations occurring in the present moment”, which can be...

Developmental trauma changes the architecture of the physical brain, ability to learn and social behavior. It impacts two out of three children, but I didn’t even know what it was…

These are the types of resources we're sharing in the Parenting with ACEs group . Stuff that helps kids (our own, those we work with and the inner ones maybe still showing up as well). If you have tips, resources or even expertise you'd be willing to share, from your personal/professional perspective (or both), please let me know. If you are Parenting with ACEs and looking for some community and discussion, please join. If you work with families parenting with ACEs and have ideas to offer,...

Though this short article is geared towards professionals it will also be helpful to parents and comes with a free calming activity that can be done with kids. And honestly - any good and easy calming technique is good for adults as well. There's a link to a deck of cards called My Calm Place: Yoga, Mindfulness & Meditation Strategies for Children . I haven't seen the cards but I'm considering buying them. They look simple enough to use with kids or adults at home. I can imagine pulling...

Half a dozen police cars ring the entrance to the Morris Educational Campus in the Bronx. To enter this venerable Gothic-style building, I have to make my way through a phalanx of policemen and be scanned by a metal detector. But the show of force doesn’t signal that the high school students inside pose a threat. It is intended to protect the students, who fear getting mugged, or worse, in a high-crime neighborhood situated in the nation’s poorest congressional district. No one could confuse...

When young children go through long periods of stress and trauma, the effects go deeper than just their emotional wellbeing; the experiences have a lasting effect on how their brains develop, according to research. This year, a group of Albemarle County schools and social services officials, researchers and criminal justice professionals has convened to study how local schools and governments can respond to and mitigate the effect of childhood trauma. Convened by Gloria Peña Rockhold,...

Black Lives Matter activists have already successfully pushed some colleges to address racism on campus and make curriculum more inclusive . But the movement as a whole has been less visible in the K-12 space. That’s changing. As my colleague Vann Newkirk has noted , the Movement for Black Lives Matter coalition recently published a platform outlining a range of specific policies it would like to see take shape at the local, state, and federal levels. The education proposals are rooted in...

There was a hot pink suitcase on the floor of Shariah Vroman-Nagy’s bedroom. The 18-year-old was packing for a trip to Disneyland, one of several she takes with her family every year. “Let’s see, I need a hairbrush,” she said, moving past the collection of Mickey Mouse ears on her dresser and glancing at the inspirational quotes from Marilyn Monroe on the wall. The lyrics to a song called “ Smile ” hang in a frame over her bed. “My mom made me that when I was struggling,” said Vroman-Nagy,...

Winning the Gold Medal in the Olympics appears a pinnacle in any elite athlete’s career , but physical fitness or technical skill may not, in fact, be the crucial factor. Increasingly sports scientists are becoming convinced that it’s grit and determination, resilience and desire, which separates winners from losers. Motivation triumphs over muscle. But what precisely are these mysterious, hidden, but crucial mental aspects which separate the winners from the rest, who appear to be trying...

If there are crumbs on your desk from countless lunches spent responding to emails and attending to other job-related responsibilities, it may be time to clean up and take a step back. New research suggests that detaching from work during a lunch break can boost energy and help you to better respond to the demands of the day. That’s the message behind a new study that finds early-career doctors -- and the rest of us -- can be better at our jobs if we simply set aside as little as 30 minutes...