University Health Care: Summer Safety

Dr. Nicole Mihalopoulos, adolescent medicine physician, talks about making sure your summer is safe and healthy for your growing family.


• Lately we’re seeing a pretty significant shift toward a younger population developing Type II diabetes, which has always been thought of as a disease of adults. In addition to having diabetes, many people with diabetes also have high triglycerides (the major form of fat produced by our bodies and the food we eat) and low HDL—the good type of cholesterol, which should be high.

Family Activity Ideas

• Take a walk in the park.

• Go for a hike.

• Go to the swimming pool.

• Take a bike ride together.

• Throw a ball or Frisbee around.

These activities are free, except for the swimming pool. Recreation doesn’t have to be expensive.

Summertime Safety Tips

• Wear sunscreen – Should be reapplied every few hours as directed on the bottle. Avoid being outside between 10 a.m. or 4 p.m. when the sun rays are the strongest. If you must be outside during this time, seek shade and wear clothing that provides adequate protection.

• Stay hydrated – Instead of reaching for juice or soda, reach for water.

• Supervise kids at the pool – An added safety measure is to fence and gate residential pools.

• Wear insect repellent – Be sure to wear insect repellent when enjoying the outdoors and to protect against West Nile. Repellent only needs to be applied once, unlike sunscreen. DEET is toxic so people don’t need multiple exposures to it.

• Wear protective gear, such as helmets or knee pads, when participating in biking, rollerblading or skateboarding.


There are several departments to serve every health and medical need. Get in touch with University Health Care by going to their website at www.healthcare.utah.edu/contact/ or call (801) 581-2121

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