Chronic Conditions in Children Have Surged Dramatically in 20 Years

Kids these days aren’t just growing up—they’re growing conditions faster than you can say “screen time”! A new study shows that chronic health issues like asthma, ADHD, and pre-diabetes have spiked from 23% to over 30% in US kids since 1999, leaving nearly one in three little humans with something to complain about besides bedtime. Researchers blame a wild mix of biology, environment, and a healthcare system that’s about as ready for this as a pediatrician is for a TikTok dance-off. So, while parents are busy hiding veggies in mac ’n’ cheese, their kids are out here collecting diagnoses like Pokémon cards. Gotta catch ’em all, right?