Unfortunately, this study is not unique. Previous research shows similar findings—obesity rates,² mental health disorders like anxiety and depression,³ and liver disease⁴ are increasing at worrisome rates among U.S. children and adolescents. Many influencing factors come into play, some are systemic issues and may feel out of our control—socioeconomic status, race, lack of access to resources, widespread pollution and pesticide use, and public health policy—but a huge underlying factor is also lifestyle, and that is within our control. Lifestyle habits, including diet, screen time, physical movement, time spent outdoors, etc., play a massive role in children’s health, for better or worse. And it’s up to us adults (parents! grandparents! aunts! uncles! other caretakers!) to establish and promote these healthy habits.

What lifestyle factors are driving these trends?

While there are a number of systemic issues that need to be addressed at the policy-making level, we’re going to focus on the lifestyle influences that have led our kids to this state of unwellness, and actionable steps to do something about it. It’s also important to note that these conditions (poor mental health, obesity, sleep problems, and liver dysfunction) can be, and often are, interconnected. So by incorporating healthy lifestyle habits/changes, you can address them all.

Whether you regularly spend time around kids and adolescents or not, it’s common knowledge that in general, they spend way more time on screens than any previous generation, they spend less time playing outside (i.e., being active), and they are tempted with a seemingly endless supply of ultra-processed foods and drinks. These things come together to form a perfect storm for poor health.

Prioritize cleaning up their diets

Kids and adolescents are among the demographic groups that consume the most ultra-processed foods (UPF) and drinks (e.g., soda and other sugary drinks, candy, sugary breakfast cereals, packaged baked goods, chips, fast food, etc.). In fact, a 2025 study reports that UPF accounts for about 67 percent of total caloric intake in US children.⁵ This “food” has been formulated to be addictive and is made via industrial processing, stripping it of essential nutrients, and relying on sugar, unhealthy fats, additives, colorings, and flavorings so it tastes good and is appealing. High consumption of these foods and drinks is directly linked to childhood obesity, cardiometabolic risks like insulin resistance and metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD, formerly called “non-alcoholic fatty liver disease”), and mental health issues. Further once these unhealthy eating patterns are established, they will likely persist into adulthood.⁶

When it comes to mental health, diet plays a fundamental role. A 2022 study found that participants aged 14-17 reported eating about eight servings of UPF every day, with boys showing a higher consumption than girls, while their consumption of fruits and vegetables were lower than recommended (on average, less than two servings per day). Higher consumption of UPF was associated with a higher presence of depressive symptoms across the board, and behavioral problems like fighting or teasing others, not listening to rules, and not understanding others’ feelings, particularly among males. Female adolescents reported more depressive symptoms, anxiety, and internalizing problems.⁷ Previous studies corroborate these findings, including one recent study that found adolescents who consumed seven or more soft drinks a week had “significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression.”^{8 9 10} We also know that a diet dominated by UPF drives obesity and metabolic issues like type-2 diabetes and liver dysfunction, particularly MASLD, which we’re seeing higher rates of in children and adolescents.¹¹

On the other hand, a healthy diet (at least a more balanced diet in which healthy food outnumbers junk food) makes a huge difference in supporting mental health and overall health and wellbeing. A study published in the journal PLOS ONE examined the diets and mental health of nearly 3,000 adolescents between the ages of 11 and 18 over the course of two years and then again two years later. Even when accounting for socio-economic status, gender, and physical activity, the kids with healthier diets had better mental health. The researchers qualified a healthy diet as two or more servings of fruit per day, four or more servings of veggies per day, and eating food from home versus restaurant/fast food.¹²

A 2026 review of eight studies investigating the effects of the Mediterranean Diet, increased physical activity, and nutrition education on children diagnosed with MASLD found that these interventions “consistently demonstrated reductions in hepatic steatosis, liver stiffness, and fibrosis markers, along with improvements in inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress defenses, and liver enzymes,” indicating improved liver function and health.¹³

I know it’s likely impossible to completely eliminate junk food from your kid’s or teen’s diet, and you don’t necessarily have to. Think healthy swaps like chips made with avocado oil rather than soybean or corn oil or sweet treats made with natural sweeteners instead of high-fructose corn syrup. Keep the pantry and fridge stocked with healthier options. Focus on minor, but consistent, changes that the whole family can incorporate to fuel long-term changes.

Fill nutritional gaps with dietary supplements

A healthy diet sets the foundation for mental and physical wellbeing, but as we already established, kids, especially teens, don’t always have the best eating habits. A quality multivitamin should be a part of every child’s daily routine. It will help fill in nutrient gaps by providing many of the vitamins and minerals a growing brain and body requires, including the B-complex vitamins, which play an important role in maintaining mental wellbeing.¹⁴ In addition to a multivitamin, one of the most important supplements every kid and adolescent should take is a fish oil supplement containing EPA and DHA. These fatty acids are absolutely essential for normal brain development and function, as well as for supporting mental health. One study found that supplementation with 2,400 mg omega-3 daily (combined EPA/DHA) improved depressive symptoms in adolescents 11-17 years old.¹⁵ It may also help if your child is challenged with aggressive behavior: A study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania found that an omega-3 supplement containing 1 gram of combined EPA/DHA reduced aggressive and antisocial behavior in children, as well as improved symptoms of depression and anxiety.¹⁶ Virtually no child or teen eats enough fatty fish to obtain optimal amounts of these brain nutrients, making it a vital supplement. Magnesium is a must-have mineral for the nervous system and common symptoms of deficiency include anxiety, irritability, insomnia, or other sleep issues. It’s a wonderful supplement for promoting calm, and is especially good if your child struggles with anxiety, feeling stressed, or has trouble sleeping.

✔ Multivitamin

✔ B-complex

✔ Fish Oil

✔ Magnesium

Reassess their time on social media & encourage physical activity—outside

As any modern parent knows, the struggle over screentime is real, and I would even contend that it’s one of the most challenging parts of parenting today. Research backs up what parents and caregivers already know—all of this screentime is not good for kids’ mental health. One recent review found evidence from a variety of studies that “…implicate smartphone and social media use in the increase in mental distress, self-injurious behavior, and suicidality among youth; there is a dose-response relationship, and the effects appear to be greatest among girls.”¹⁷ In other words, the more time spent online, the more likely they are to develop mental health issues. Another study investigated how screen time affected the mental health of kids between the ages of two and 17 and found that as screen time increased, mental wellness decreased. Among 14- to 17-year-olds, those that had seven or more hours of screen time each day were more than twice as likely to have been diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety and to have been treated by a mental health professional or taken medication for a psychological or behavioral issue in the past year.¹⁸ Seven hours may seem like a lot, but it’s the average time most teens spend on screens.¹⁹

But we also know that social media is how a lot of kids connect—many adolescents say social media helps them feel more accepted, to feel connected to what’s going on in their friends’ lives, acts as a support network in tough times, and is a place to show their creativity. The critical point seems to be how much time they spend on social media. Any parent knows this struggle well, and for many, it can feel like a constant battle. But this is a battle worth fighting. Working with our kids to set healthy boundaries and limits around social media use has become a modern-day parenting necessity.

And at the same time we work on helping our kids reduce their screentime, let’s encourage them to spend more time outside being physically active. Make it a family affair! Walks around the neighborhood or a local park, bike rides, hikes, and swimming at the local pool are easy enough to get the whole family involved. Or sometimes, it just takes a parental push: My teen recently had a friend over (they are both 14) on a gorgeous spring day and I found them sprawled on the couch on their phones. I told them to put the phones down and go sit outside under the trees for just 10 minutes. They moaned and groaned, BUT! once they were outside, 10 minutes passed, then another, and another. They were playing outside, without their phones, long past the 10 minutes I originally gave them. Our kids want to be kids (even the teens, though they may not admit it), they don’t want to be addicted to their devices. This is where adults have to step in and set the boundaries that kids can’t make themselves.

Regarding the JAMA study, Dr. Frederick Rivara, a pediatrician and researcher at the Seattle Children’s Hospital says, “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.”²⁰ It’s up to us adults to change this. We owe it to our children, and their health.

References

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2. Noiman, A., Saif, N., & Afful, J. (2026). Prevalence of overweight, obesity, and severe obesity among children and adolescents aged 2–19 years: United States, 1960–1962 through August 2021–August 2023. https://doi.org/10.15620/cdc/174645
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