Michaeleen Doucleff

Popular weight-loss drugs mimic GLP-1, a hormone the body makes naturally after eating. Turns out some foods trigger GLP-1 better than others, making us feel full and eat less.

Modern parents are told to TALK with an agitated kid to improve their mood. But in many cultures, mom and dad opt for a soothing caress to induce tranquility. Neurologists explain why it works.

Allo parenting, in which non-biologic parents serve as a child’s caregiver, is common in many parts of the world. Mothers have help provided by several others, including neighbors and older siblings.

“Allo” is Greek for “other.” Alloparents are helpful relatives and neighbors. In a study from Congo, babies had 8 alloparents on average. Perhaps the self-reliant nuclear family is a societal misstep.

A case in Oregon is a rarity in the United States. It is not expected to spread. But this ancient and deadly disease remains a threat around the world.

Kids have too much screen time and not enough autonomy, says author Jonathan Haidt. His book <em>The Anxious Generation </em>argues this has caused an epidemic of mental illness and suggests ways to fix it.

Over the past few decades, psychologists have begun to understand how parents across many cultures teach their children to build deep, fulfilling relationships with their siblings.

Going to the gym is a great way to get exercise — once you get into your gym duds and motivate yourself to start working out. But in other parts of the world, there’s a different way to stay fit.

Going to the gym is a great way to get exercise — once you get into your gym duds and motivate yourself to start working out. But in other parts of the world, there's a different way to stay fit.

Rates of depression and anxiety have risen among teens over the last decade. Amid this ongoing mental health crisis, the American Psychological Association issued guidelines for parents to increase protection for teens online. In this encore episode, NPR science correspondent Michaeleen Doucleff looks into the data on how that change has impacted the mental health of teenagers. In her reporting, she found that the seismic shift of smartphones and social media has re-defined how teens socialize, communicate and even sleep. In 2009, about half of teens said they were using social media daily, reported psychologist Jean Twenge. And by 2022, 95% of teens said they used some social media, and about a third said they use it constantly.