Dr. Teri Bourdeau
I am a clinical assistant professor of behavioral sciences and director of the Behavioral Health Clinics at Oklahoma State University's Center for Health Sciences. In my clinical work, I specialize in health-related behavior change.
I'm a founding team member of the Family Health and Nutrition Clinic at OSU-CHS and work with other healthcare providers to help patients make lasting lifestyle changes to improve their health. I'm especially interested in educating people and giving presentations on the importance of behaviors, emotions, and thinking on physical health.
Posted on January 18th, 2012
When we are stressed we have higher levels of a chemical (cortisol) that damages our system. It’s like a little hammer chiseling away at our healthy insides. (Watch the effects of stress on the body with this cool graphic.) The problem is that not everyone understands just how unhealthy this is on our physical health. Because [...]
Filed under: Chronic Illness & Disease Management, Lifestyle & Behaviors, Stress, Weight Issues | 1 Comment »
Posted on December 17th, 2010
What is a “Santa” to do? The children are counting on those clean plates in the morning as proof that Santa was there. Santa LOVES those cookies–it’s actually part of the job description, isn’t it? And all that flying around makes Santa hungry. What’s the harm in eating cookies one night per year? It’s the [...]
Filed under: Children, Lifestyle & Behaviors | Comments Off
Posted on August 10th, 2010
A recent blog post from a pediatrician, which was also mentioned on the New York Times’ “Motherlode” blog, addressed the question“What do I do if my chubby kids say they are hungry?” Dr. Meeker raised some valid points in her post—what to do about your child eating too much food and why it’s important to set limits on screen time and provide easy access to healthy foods, among other things.
But Dr. Meeker may have provided some misguided recommendations when suggesting how to talk to children about their feelings of hunger. How we talk to our kids about hunger and help them understand it is not as simple as one may think. In fact, more harm than good might happen when people charge in and take total control over a child’s hunger without considering the child’s feelings, self-esteem or how the child thinks of herself.
Filed under: Children, Lifestyle & Behaviors, Parenting, Weight Issues | 6 Comments »
