A sweeping new study has found that U.S. children today are facing worse health outcomes than those of a generation ago, with rising rates of obesity, chronic illnesses, and mortality. The findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), analyzed 170 health indicators using data from eight national surveys dating back to 2002.

“All of them point in the same direction: children’s health is getting worse,” said lead author Christopher Forrest of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Obesity rates among children aged 2 to 19 rose from 17% in 2007-08 to 21% in 2021-23. Diagnoses of chronic conditions such as anxiety, depression, and sleep apnea increased from 40% in 2011 to 46% in 2023. Parent surveys also reported a 15–20% rise in chronic illness risk over the same period.

The mortality rate paints an even bleaker picture. Between 2007 and 2022, U.S. children were nearly 1.8 times more likely to die than their peers in countries like Canada, Germany, and Japan. Leading causes included premature birth, firearm injuries, and road crashes.

Mental health warning signs — including loneliness, depressive symptoms, sleep issues, and reduced physical activity — also showed consistent upward trends. Forrest said, “Kids are the canaries in the coal mine; they absorb social stress earlier and more intensely than adults.”

A linked editorial by pediatricians Frederick Rivara and Avital Nathanson urged a comprehensive approach, including better injury prevention, maternal health, vaccination efforts, and tackling economic inequality.

Despite spending the most per capita on healthcare globally, the study concluded the U.S. must invest beyond medical care — into education, housing, transportation, and social services — to reverse the decline in pediatric well-being.