Healthy Habits: Teen Checkups

Most parents area really good about well-child checkups when their kids are young, but may not think about them as much with older kids, except for the often-required sports physical. I recently interviewed adolescent health expert Dr. Richard Chung to learn more about why teens and adolescent checkups are so important.

Adolescents who do not receive annual wellness checkups may be left unnecessarily exposed to both short- and long-term health risks. According to a national online survey, teens and their parents are also more likely to ask about a number of health topics, including weight, sexual health, vaccines and stress-related conditions, during an annual checkup than at a sick visit. For more information, visit MyTeensHealth.com.