- A new study reveals a significant decline in the health of children in the United States over the past 17 years, encompassing increased rates of obesity, chronic diseases, and mental health issues.
- The research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that obesity rates for US children aged 2-19 rose from 17 per cent in 2007-2008 to approximately 21 per cent in 2021-2023.
- US children in 2023 were 15 to 20 per cent more likely to have a chronic condition like anxiety or depression compared to 2011, with the annual prevalence of 97 chronic conditions increasing from 40 per cent to 46 per cent.
- Alarmingly, American children were around 1.8 times more likely to die than children in other high-income countries between 2007 and 2022, with higher mortality from premature birth, sudden unexpected death, firearm incidents, and motor vehicle crashes.
- Experts suggest that current policies, including cuts to federal health agencies and programmes, are unlikely to reverse this trend, with one author noting that the decline reflects broader societal issues.
IN FULL
Kids in the U.S. have become increasingly unhealthy over the past 17 years, new study finds
