We are experiencing a youth mental health crisis. Young people worldwide are increasingly struggling to manage the escalating stress and complications of everyday life. In 2021, 42% of high school students reported feeling so sad or hopeless for two consecutive weeks that they would stop engaging in their usual activities, up from 26% in 2009. Is there a way to eliminate the stigma around mental health and make kindness cool? We spoke to Claudia-Santi F. Fernandes, Ed.D., LPC, MCHES, and Rahul Rangan, MBBS of Born This Way Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, about the ways peer-to-peer support can benefit today’s youth, the vital mental health resources needed in schools, and the impact of Born This Way Foundation’s Be There Certificate and their Channel Kindness program on building a kinder and braver world.

Every night, millions of Americans are affected by insomnia. Insomnia presents in various forms, including difficulty falling asleep at night and frequent waking up during the sleep cycle, resulting in feeling tired during the day. What are the causes of insomnia? And how do factors like screen time and caffeine consumption during the day impact our sleep? We spoke to Michael Breus, PhD, DABSM, clinical psychologist and diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine, about the common reasons for sleep disruption, the role our chronotypes play in insomnia, the ways we can track our sleep cycle, what we should be asking our doctors when it comes to sleep, and a five-step plan we all can use on the path to more restorative sleep.

More than one million Americans are diagnosed with gallstones every year, and women of all ages are more likely to develop them. How are gallstones formed? What do they mean for our health? While gallbladder problems can be uncomfortable and potentially risky, understanding the treatment options available is the first step toward relief. We spoke to Benjamin Schmidt, MD, board-certified gastroenterologist and creator of the healthcare platform Doc Schmidt, about the function the gallbladder serves, signs and symptoms of gallstones, treatments available once diagnosed, and what care looks like post-gallbladder removal.

Health equity is when everyone has a fair opportunity to achieve their highest level of health. But in the United States, that’s not always the case. Today, Black Americans are more likely to die at early ages for most health issues, and young Black Americans are living with diseases that are typically more common in other races during older age. How do barriers in healthcare contribute to the current health disparities in the Black community? And how do these challenges spill over into worse health outcomes? We spoke to Georges Benjamin, MD, executive director of the American Public Health Association and one of the nation’s most influential physician leaders, about the pressing health disparities affecting the Black community today, including access to care and quality of care, the social determinants that affect health, and some of the major policy interventions that need to take place in order to achieve more equitable health outcomes.

March is colorectal cancer awareness month. According to the American Cancer Society, nearly double the number of young adults under 55 are being diagnosed with colorectal cancer. And while it’s a highly treatable cancer, many people will not have symptoms in the early stages of colorectal cancer. So, when should regular screening begin? And what measures can we take to lower our risk for colon cancer? What do we need to know about the latest research on a blood test for colon cacner screening? We spoke to Jaydeep Bhat, MD, MPH, gastroenterologist, and physician lead for resource stewardship at The Southeast Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser Permanente Georgia, about what puts someone at a higher risk for colorectal cancer, the various screening tests available, questions we should ask our primary care doctors, and small and actionable lifestyle changes we can make to reduce our risk.

Many people desire happiness, but is there a science to being happy? Can we learn to be happy regardless of external challenges? Are there evidence-based tools and practices for managing emotions and enhancing our lives? We spoke with Arthur C. Brooks, who co-authored the book Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier with Oprah Winfrey, about using science to understand happiness from a psychological and biological perspective, the intersection of happiness with our environment, the impact of social media, the benefits of healthy relationships, and how we can actively teach ourselves to live happier lives.

Often, when we think of toxic chemicals, our minds go to household cleansers or environmental pollution. But we can also be affected by harmful chemicals in our clothing. What are some of the chemicals found in clothing, and what potential impact do they have on our health? Are there resources to help consumers identify fashion products that are safe, sustainable, and free from harmful chemicals? We spoke to Alden Wicker, award-winning journalist, sustainable fashion expert, and author of To Dye For: How Toxic Fashion Is Making Us Sick – and How We Can Fight Back, about the potentially unhealthy chemicals fabrics can hold, go-to resources to help us identify safe products, and the most efficient way to edit, audit, and refill our closets with less toxic and more sustainable fashion. 

Weight management is something that many people struggle with. And sometimes, it can feel impossible. But what happens when we shift our focus beyond the scale? How would incorporating sleep management tools, social support and connection, and other pillars of lifestyle medicine positively impact our experience with weight management? To guide us through this topic, we spoke to Mahima Gulati, MD, a triple board-certified physician specializing in endocrinology, diabetes, metabolism, and lifestyle medicine, and associate professor of Medical Sciences at the Frank H. Netter School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University, about how GLP-1 agonists work for obesity management and how the six key pillars of lifestyle medicine can assist with weight loss and weight management from incorporating a plant-based diet to sustainable physical activity and more.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States alone, with one person dying from heart disease every 33 seconds. February, in addition to American Heart Month, is Black History Month. Black Americans are 30 percent more likely to die from heart disease than non-Hispanic white Americans. What risk factors contribute to heart disease impacting Black Americans at higher and more fatal rates? Are there lifestyle changes we can implement to shift health outcomes? We spoke to Anekwe Onwuanyi, MD, board-certified cardiologist and professor of medicine who serves as chief of cardiology at Morehouse School of Medicine, medical director of the heart failure program at Grady Memorial Hospital, and president of the Association of Black Cardiologists, about barriers in healthcare, the impact of stress and socioeconomic factors on cardiovascular issues, preventative measures, and necessary policy initiatives to create sustainable change in the Black community.

Between the extreme opposites of toxic positivity and pessimism lies a healthy middle ground that we often overlook: practical optimism. What does it mean to move through the world with optimism? And even if we often feel pessimistic or hypervigilant, how can we practice optimism on a daily basis to develop this emotional muscle? To explore this topic, we spoke with Sue Varma, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist and author of the new book Practical Optimism: The Art, Science, and Practice of Exceptional Well-Being, about the importance of cultivating everyday mental wellness and developing emotional resilience to help us navigate inevitable moments of crisis and triumph. This discussion of practical optimism is a powerful reminder that the glass is neither half full nor half empty - the glass is simply refillable.

Over the past century in the U.S., there's been a societal transformation in what we expect from our romantic relationships. It's not just about love anymore; there's a growing belief that our partners will fulfill many roles, including being instrumental in our personal growth. But what do these expectations mean in romantic partnerships? Are they realistic, or are we setting ourselves up for disappointment? We spoke with Lia Love Avellino, LCSW, a modern love therapist and founder of Spoke Circles, a group support hub in Brooklyn, about the primary concerns couples face communicating our wants and needs, creating balance in a relationship, and cultivating supportive bonds without trying to facilitate one another's self-actualization.