The physical changes that accompany early adolescence are awkward at best and excruciating at worst. It’s a phase of life that many of us recall with a shudder — the breakouts, the growth spurts, the hair in new places. But COVID-19 has added another layer of stress to the travails of puberty. A good proportion of kids in California haven’t seen most of their classmates in more than a year — enough time for a tween or teen to become almost unrecognizable to those not in their immediate circle. There are also the physical changes that have come with a less active lifestyle during the pandemic, and turning more often to food as a source of comfort. To read the full story.