CDCs teen behavior report focuses on nutrition, downplays sex and drug use
A biennial report on teen health from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention focused this year on high schoolers playing sports and making healthier food choices — priority areas for Health Secretary Robert F.Kennedy Jr.
The CDC on Monday published the results of its latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which queried high school students nationwide in 2025.The survey offers the most robust snapshot of teen health in the U.S., including their mental health, social media and substance use, physical activity, sleep behaviors and dietary habits.
Past reports noted a rise in sexual violence against teen girls and a high share of opioid use among high schoolers.Under Kennedy’s leadership, the new report emphasized that more high schoolers in 2025 ate fruits and vegetables daily and drank water at least three times per day compared with 2023.
Fifty-eight percent of students also played on a sports team in 2025, up from 52% two years prior.Dr.Jennifer Shuford, CDC’s chief medical officer, said the findings “align with the Make America Healthy Again initiative led by President Trump and Secretary Kennedy,” which has emphasized the link between chronic disease in children and poor diet and sedentary lifestyles.
Kennedy this year restored the presidential fitness test in public schools and released new dietary guidelines that limit ultraprocessed food consumption.During the Biden administration, the same report underscored a worrisome trend of persistent sadness or hopelessness among high school girls.The share peaked at 57% in 2021, during the Covid pandemic, then fell to 53% in 2023.
The 2025 report shows a steeper decline, down to 43%.In the new report, the CDC highlighted overall improvements in mental health among high schoolers rather than sex-specific trends.
Compared with 2023, fewer students in 2025 reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, poor mental health or suicidal thoughts, the report found.The report did not mention LGBTQ y...