The AP (7/7, Ungar , Aleccia ) reports a new study published in JAMA shows that the health of children “has deteriorated over the past 17 years, with kids today more likely to have obesity, chronic diseases and mental health problems like depression.” The research team “analyzed surveys, electronic health records from 10 pediatric health systems and international mortality statistics.” They found that “obesity rates for U.S. children 2-19 years old rose from 17% in 2007-2008 to about 21% in 2021-2023.” In addition, a US “child in 2023 was 15% to 20% more likely than a U.S. child in 2011 to have a chronic condition such as anxiety, depression or sleep apnea.” Furthermore, US children “were around 1.8 times more likely to die than kids in other high-income countries from 2007-2022,” with firearm-related incidents and motor vehicle crashes “much more common” in contrast to children of the same age in other countries.
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— “American kids have become increasingly unhealthy over nearly two decades, new study finds,”Laura Ungar and Jonel Aleccia , AP, July 7, 2025