International Youth Day is gaining increased awareness, especially with the U.S.’s new Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) campaign. This brings the spotlight back to former First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move,” a comprehensive initiative aimed at preventing childhood obesity by inspiring children to play outdoors, and participate in sports.
Both MAHA and Let’s Move underscore the urgent need to address children’s physical and corresponding mental well-being. Here are some statistics:
- Today in the U.S., more than 1 in 5 children over the age of 6 are obese. This is a more than 270% increase compared to the 1970s. A study in The Lancet states that almost 1 in 5 (324 million or 18%) adolescents globally are now overweight or obese.
- The prevalence pre-diabetes among teens is now more than 1 in 4, having more than doubled over the past 2 decades.
- Autism spectrum disorder impacts 1 in 31 children by age 8.
- Teenage depression rates nearly doubled from 2009 to 2019, with more than 1 in 4 teenage girls in 2022 reporting a major depressive episode in the past year.
- Between 1997 and 2018, the prevalence of childhood food allergies rose by 88%.
According to a source, the dramatic rise in teen depression have dramatically increased likely driven by increased academic pressure, and social media-related peer pressure. Further, , approximately 80% of teens worldwide are “insufficiently active,” as many spend more than 2 hours per day using phones or computers recreationally. .
Motivating Movement
Adopting a new habit or learning a new skill is easiest when children are young, however, children and teens at any age can still learn to incorporate healthy habits that last a lifetime.
And because screen-gazing is now an integral part of daily life, emphasis on exercise has never been more important. While it may be relatively easier to teach children how to eat a healthy diet, encouraging themto enjoy sports or active play can be more challenging.
Regular exercise or participation in sports helps young people build and maintain strong, healthy bones and muscles, achieve create a healthy body mass index, as well as reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease later in life. It also supports better sleep quality in both children and teens.
There are four ways parents can encourage their children and teens to exercise.
1. Be a role model
Exercise regularly and let your children see you engaged in your own fitness; children often learn by example. According to an article on HealthyChildren.org, “Studies have found that lifestyles learned in childhood are much likelier to stay with a person into adulthood. If sports and physical activities are a family priority, they will provide children and parents with a strong foundation for a lifetime of health.”
2. Make it fun
Help your child find a game, sport or activity they enjoy. When enjoyment is part of the experience, children, teens and even adults are far more likely to stick with it. From golf and pickleball to track, skiing, dancing or bowling, there is a plethora of activities to explore. And don’t forget, but walking the dog daily also counts as healthy exercise!
3. Make time for movement
Ensure that children have enough free time in their day to enjoy their physical activity, Many are overwhelmed with homework and other sedentary activities each day.
4. Support them with right nutrition
A quality children’s multivitamin/mineral complex can provide a solid foundation for daily health and resilience. Keep in mind that many everyday foods are fortified with essential nutrients such as vitamin D and K, as well as calcium.
Supporting Supplements
Children are naturally energetic, but for those who are overweight and not yet physically active, a healthy non-stimulating energy source can help. These children may benefit from energy support that avoids hyper responses associated with conventional stimulants like caffeine, guarana or taurine.
Since children should generally avoid caffeine, adaptogens such as ashwagandha offer a safe and effective way to support natural energy production. Ashwagandha is one of the best-known and well-researched herbal adaptogens, with benefits that extend to cognitive performance .
For example, one review noted that adaptogens produce an anti-fatigue effect, enhancing “mental work capacity against a background of stress and fatigue, particularly in tolerance to mental exhaustion and enhanced attention.” These effects are especially relevant for today’s youth who face, increasing academic and emotional stress.
Prolanza™ may be an ideal adaptogen for children and teens. It delivers 11 times more active, USP-standardized withanolides than a leading competitor. Two human clinical trials found that low doses – just 150 mg or 300 mg daily significantly reduced stress levels and improved both mood and sleep quality.
For teens, who can tolerate caffeine, the focus should shift to natural caffeine sources that avoid jitters or crashes. CaffXtend™ offers a rare benefit in caffeine category, calm, controlled energy that lasts. Unlike traditional caffeine, which often leads to anxiety, crashes, and the need to re-dose, CaffXtend™ provides sustained energy and mental performance for up to 12 hours with a single, natural dose – perfect for today’s busy teens.
Well-functioning immunity should also be a priority for youth. Children and teens often experience colds and other viral infections and can benefit from a reliable source of vitamin C to keep their immune systems strong. Nutriventia’s C-Fence™ delivers all-day immune support. In a pharmacokinetic study involving 18 participants, a single 500 mg dose of C-Fence maintained elevated plasma vitamin C levels for a full 24 hour, well above baseline demonstrating its effectiveness as a once-daily solution for immune resilience.
Celebrate International Youth Day
According to AFS.org, “In today’s rapidly evolving global landscape, youth are emerging as key drivers of change, harnessing the power of technology and strategic partnerships to address pressing international challenges. By 2030, the youth population is projected to comprise 57 percent of the global demographic,”
The world’s youth represent hope, and extraordinary possibilities. Keeping them healthy, happy and inspired about their future is imperative. When we invest in their well-being and development today, we help build a brighter, more resilient world for tomorrow.
Reviewed by Sneha Sawant Desai, PhD
