http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. The importance of play—crucial for children's healthy psychological development and ability to thrive in life—is woefully underestimated by parents and educators, according to Peter Gray, a Boston College developmental psychologist and author of the new book Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-free-vital-children-healthy-psychologist.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 04 Mar 2013 11:47:38 EST news281619992 (Medical Xpress)—With New Year's resolutions upon us, new research from the University of Alberta offers encouragement for parents who want to achieve fitness for the whole family. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-parents-big-kids-physical.html Health Mon, 14 Jan 2013 06:11:00 EST news277366243 New research from North Carolina State University, Brigham Young University and the Pennsylvania State University finds that parental involvement is more important than the school environment when it comes to preventing or limiting alcohol and marijuana use by children. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-parents-key-alcohol-marijuana-kids.html Health Tue, 04 Dec 2012 12:09:45 EST news273845372 Teens who participate in after-school arts activities such as music, drama and painting are more likely to report feeling depressed or sad than students who are not involved in these programs, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-teens-arts-depressive-symptoms.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:06:40 EST news272631868 A new study published today in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism (APNM) looks beyond the much-feared weight gain common to first-year students and reports on the full 4-year impact of higher education on weight, BMI, and body composition. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-school-higher-fat.html Overweight and Obesity Mon, 17 Sep 2012 11:26:27 EST news267099978 Involving children in extracurricular activities builds greater self-esteem and leadership skills. Children learn teamwork, do better in school, and stay healthier. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-ut-expert-kids-extracurricular.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 03 Sep 2012 08:02:03 EST news265878113 (HealthDay) -- Teens who play on three or more sports teams are much less likely to be overweight or obese than their peers who don't play a sport, new research finds. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-sports-kids-slimmer.html Pediatrics Mon, 16 Jul 2012 20:10:01 EST news261678768 Teachers and parents matter more than peers in keeping adolescents engaged in school, according to a new study that counters the widespread belief that peers matter most in the lives of adolescents. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-teachers-parents-trump-peers-teens.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:33:20 EST news251461954