Adapted from Scrolling for Health: The Risks Behind Viral Nutrition Fads, by Sherry Coleman Collins, MS, RDN, LD, FAND. Published May 16, 2025.

Trendy diets seen on social media often lack scientific backing, especially for younger audiences like teens. Many are overly restrictive, missing whole food groups, and may lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies, poor growth and other negative side effects.

Instead of restrictive diets, evidence supports balanced eating habits that include a variety of foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. While good nutrition is vital, an obsessive focus can lead to disordered eating. Encouraging a balanced lifestyle, physical activity and seeking professional guidance, when needed, can support teens in developing a healthy relationship with food and their bodies.

This March, make sure your family has the right resources to navigate misinformation, and consider seeing a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) for additional support. If your family is on WIC, you already have access to RDs and nutritionists as part of the program.

Our team is working to break down barriers to WIC (Women, Infants, Children) services and make people more aware of how WIC provides support during pregnancy.

If you are a current or previous participant in WIC, would you consider sharing your experience with us? We're currently offering two different opportunities to do that:

Midwest weather sure likes to keep us on our toes! For that reason, join the National Weather Service and Missouri State Emergency Management Agency in recognizing Severe Weather Preparedness Week March 2-6.

Instead of memorizing a long list of tips, think of this week as a quick mental warm-up: Do I know where I’d go if a tornado warning popped up? Would I recognize flash flooding on the road? Are my weather alerts turned on? If you can answer those in under a minute, you’re already ahead of the storm.

A little planning now can save a lot of stress later. Knowing your safest spot, staying weather-aware, and remembering basics like “Turn Around, Don’t Drown®” are small steps that make a big difference when severe weather hits.

Clay County Public Health is looking for volunteers to help us show what appointments for WIC, STI testing, and immunizations look like in real life. A photo session will take place on Wednesday, March 11 from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at the health center in Liberty.

No modeling experience is needed to participate, just a willingness to show up and depict real people in real places. Community participants will be asked to sign an image release form and will receive a $20 gift card for their participation.

Here's who we're looking for:

Registered nurses administer required and recommended vaccinations to middle and high schoolers in local schools throughout the year. 

Parents/guardians should complete the online registration at least two weeks before their student's clinic.

Our registered dental hygienists will be back in schools this spring, providing the second application of fluoride varnish for students seen in the fall.

Don't see your child's school?

More dates are listed on our website (use links above) or will be listed in the future.

Clay County Public Health Center is now accepting applications for the following positions. Click here to learn more!

800 Haines Drive, Liberty, MO 64068

clayhealth.com | 816-595-4200

Through service, partnership, and leadership we deliver the essential public health services of prevention, promotion, and protection to improve the health and well-being of all communities in Clay County.

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