Many behaviors and habits formed during adolescence carry over into adulthood. Helping youth shape positive attitudes and habits related to fitness, nutrition and sexuality is important to prepare them to take responsibility for their health. Appropriate and consistent intervention is the key, says Margaret Blythe, MD '72, professor of pediatrics. She treats young patients at Riley Hospital and in the adolescent primary care clinics offered with Wishard. Until recently, national guidelines stated that adolescents should see their doctor only every three years.
Negotiation skills can be helpful when dealing with adolescents.
Dr. Blythe has found that suggestions and contracts work much better than ultimatums. For example, physicians can usually help teens adjust their eating habits, especially if they relate appropriate eating to improved stamina and maximum strength. Similarly, a patient smoking marijuana every day may agree to restrict smoking to the weekends, but not necessarily quit. Dr. Blythe finds that sometimes her patients will take the behavior modification to the next level. The patient who smokes marijuana realizes how much better she feels when she doesn't smoke and decides to quit smoking marijuana altogether.