Doctor's Orders Tips to Help Your Teens Through a Healthy Yom Kippur Fast

Here are 11 dos and don'ts your teenagers should follow if they are planning to observe this High Holy Day.

Maya Leventer-Roberts for Haaretz
Will your teenagers be fasting this year on Yom Kippur? While teens tend to be more physically resilient than adults in many ways, there are several major reasons why it could be risky for them to fast.

First, teenagers are less likely to be cautious or to listen to their body. Second, they may have undiagnosed medical problems that only show up during the fast. Third, teenagers are still growing, and you cannot always predict their growth or their mood.

Generally, it is safe for healthy teenagers to complete the Yom Kippur fast. But it's also important for an adult to watch out for unexpected changes and help teenagers be reasonable about their approach to fasting.

So, if you're a parent with girls over 12 or boys over 13 years old who are planning to fast this Yom Kippur, here are a few medical tips they should follow in order to do so as safe and healthy as possible: 

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