Health Of US Kids Has Deteriorated Over The Past Two Decades, New Study Finds
According to a new study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the health of children growing up in America has deteriorated over the past 17 years. The study showed that US kids today are more likely to have obesity, chronic diseases, and mental health problems.
The researchers findings in regards to the cause of this declining health among US children is nothing new, however, the information found was much more comprehensive than previous studies, providing a better understanding for parents and guardians.
“The surprising part of the study wasn’t any with any single statistic; it was that there’s 170 indicators, eight data sources, all showing the same thing: a generalized decline in kids’ health,” said Dr. Christopher Forrest, one of the study’s authors.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made children’s health a major focus of his work in the White House. In May, Kennedy Jr. released a report entitled “Make America Healthy Again” which described American children as undernourished, overmedicated, and lacking physical activity.
Outside health experts have stated, however, that the Trump administration’s cuts to federal health agencies, Medicaid, and other health research is not helping the kids of America to become healthier and more active.
“The health of kids in America is not as good as it should be, not as good as the other countries, and the current policies of this administration are definitely going to make it worse,” said Dr. Frederick Rivara, a pediatrician and researcher who co-authored an editorial accompanying the new study.
In order to make the conclusions within their study, Forrest and his colleagues analyzed surveys, utilized health records from 10 pediatric health systems as well as international mortality statistics.
The study cited obesity rates in US children aged 2-19 has risen from 17% in 2007/2008, to 21% in 2021 – 2023.
In 2023, a child in the US was 15% to 20% more likely to have a chronic condition such as anxiety, depression, or sleep apnea when compared to a child in 2011.
Throughout the entire study period, children reported an increase in trouble sleeping, limited physical activity, higher depression rates, and more.
AP reported the study showed American children were around 1.8 times more likely to die than kids in other high-income nations from 2007 to 2022. US infants are more likely to be born prematurely and succumb to sudden unexpected death.
“The research points to bigger problems with America’s health,” said Forrest.
“Kids are the canaries in the coal mine. When kids’ health changes, it’s because they’re at increased vulnerability, and it reflects what’s happening in society at large,” he said.
“The timing of the study is completely fortuitous,” Forrest added.
The previously mentioned editorial published with the study said “while the administration’s MAHA movement is bringing welcome attention to chronic diseases, it is pursuing other policies that will work against the interests of children.”
The administration is eliminating injury prevention, maternal health programs, investments in a campaign addressing sudden infant death, and is “fueling vaccine hesitancy among parents that may lead to a resurgence of deadly vaccine-preventable diseases,” the authors wrote.
Forrest said that while “risks highlighted by the MAHA report, such as eating too much ultra-processed food, are real but miss the complex reality driving trends in children’s health.”
“We have to step back and take some lessons from the ecological sustainability community and say: Let’s look at the ecosystem that kids are growing up in. And let’s start on a kind of neighborhood-by-neighborhood, city-by-city basis, examining it,” he said.
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.