Skinny me

I'm 13 and only weigh 94 pounds. My mom is thin, so I guess it's hereditary. Should I eat junk food to plump up?

Since being thin runs in your jeans, um, genes, ask a doc if you should even try to pack on pounds, says Dr. Susan Bartell, author of Dr. Susan's Girls--Only Weight Loss Guide. If you get the OK, here's the deal on gaining: Junk food will plump you up, but that stuff lacks nutrients your body needs. To gain weight safely, eat healthful snacks between balanced meals. Nuts are great. Also, splurge on full-fat yogurts, fruit pies, bran muffins and granola bars. Strength training is another way to add healthy heft. Have a gym teacher show you some resistance exercises, and do them three times a week.

Sometimes I feel like water is coming down onto my underwear but, when I check, nothing is there. Is something wrong?

Six months to a year before their first period, girls start to produce vaginal discharge that makes underwear feel damp. This is how your body clears dead cells from the vagina to keep you free of infection. The fluid is usually thin and slightly sticky but can be thick and gooey. Color ranges from clear to off-white, says Dr. Mary Ann LoFrumento, a pediatrician in Morristown, N.J. If your discharge develops a fishy smell, causes itching or burning, or looks dark, this is a sign of a vaginal infection so see a doc for a fast remedy. Another totally different reason for the watery feeling could be urine drops from holding it too long. Never do that--not peeing leads to urinary tract infections. Now you have a great excuse for a hall pass!

I get stress headaches at school almost every day. The nurse won t give me aspirin or any, thing, The headaches go away when I leave school, though.

You're one of the 10 percent of kids who get headaches. Two percent are just like you, suffering from them on a daily basis, says Dr. Kenneth Mack, pediatric neurologist, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Certain situations often trigger headaches, as you know, but you can't avoid school so try these tricks: 1) Sleep. Two-thirds of kids with daily headaches don't get enough of it, Dr. Mack found in a study. 2) Get a note from your pediatrician so you can take ibuprofen at school. 3) If over-the-counter meds don't work (give it a week), see your doctor for a prescription to get headaches under control.

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FACT OR FICTION?

Lavender helps you sleep on school nights.

FACT, Hitting the sack earlier after pulling summer late-nighters can turn into a ceiling-staring stint. Ugh. But a Wesleyan University study shows that a lavender scent can help send you to Snoozeville. You might even go into a deeper sleep and feel more refreshed in the a.m. i Researchers recommend a few drops of essential oil (from health food stores) on your pillow. The longer your exposure to the scent, the longer you will sleep. So wake up and smell the lavender!

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