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Healthy Hotline

Good Shepherd Medical Center has established a "one call answers all" dedicated phone line to meet your healthcare needs. It is called Healthy Hotline and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Healthy Hotline:
903-315-GSHS (4747)
Toll free:
1-888-784-GSHS (4747)

Click here for more info

Kids Health For Parents
Healthy habits and lifestyles are  something that can be taught at any  age. Below, you can find some helpful  links with ideas for encouraging kids  to be active, eat well, and enjoy a  balanced life.  

Childhood Obesity PDF Print E-mail

The prevalence of obesity among children aged 6 to 11 more than doubled in the past 20 years, going from 6.5% in 1980 to 17.0% in 2006. The rate among adolescents aged 12 to 19 more than tripled, increasing from 5% to 17.6%.

Obesity is the result of caloric imbalance (too few calories expended for the amount of calories consumed) and is mediated by genetics and health. An estimated 61% of obese young people have at least one additional risk factor for heart disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. In addition, children who are obese are at greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems such as stigmatization and poor self-esteem.

Obese young people are more likely than children of normal weight to become overweight or obese adults, and therefore more at risk for associated adult health problems, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis. Healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating and physical activity, can lower the risk of becoming obese and developing related diseases.

Information on this page was obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
 
Student Health and Academic Achievement PDF Print E-mail

The academic success of America’s youth is strongly linked with their health. Health-related factors such as hunger, physical and emotional abuse, and chronic illness can lead to poor school performance. Health-risk behaviors such as substance use, violence, and physical inactivity are consistently linked to academic failure, and often affect students' school attendance, grades, test scores, and ability to pay attention in class.

In turn, academic success is an excellent indicator for the overall well- being of youth and a primary predictor and determinant of adult health outcomes. Leading national education organizations recognize the close relationship between health and education, as well as the need to embed health into the educational environment for all students.

Health and Education Programs Promoting academic achievement is one of the four fundamental outcomes of modern school health programs. Scientific reviews have documented that school health programs can have positive impacts on educational outcomes, as well as on health risk behaviors and health outcomes. Programs that are primarily designed to improve academic performance are increasingly being recognized as important public health interventions.

The Healthy People 2010 Objective 7- 1 calls upon the nation to increase high school completion rates to 90 percent because “dropping out of school is associated with delayed employment opportunities, poverty, and multiple social and health problems, including substance abuse, delinquency, intentional and unintentional injury, and unintended pregnancy.” Educational interventions, such as reduced class size, are associated with improved health outcomes, as well as improved educational outcomes.

Information on this page was obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
 


Health and Exercise Disclaimer

The resource information on this website  is general in nature and is not intended as  a  substitute for competent medical care,  legal advice or other professional counsel.  No  representation is made as to the  accuracy of the information herein  provided. Information  about organizations listed on this website  is provided by the organizations or  acquired from public sources. No  endorsement of said organizations or their  services is implied.
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