Why Today’s Kids Are Sicker Than Ever (And What Parents Miss) | Dr. Elisa Song | DSH #1837

Summary

Digital Social Hour – Episode Summary

Episode Title:

Why Today’s Kids Are Sicker Than Ever (And What Parents Miss) | Dr. Elisa Song | DSH #1837

Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Dr. Elisa Song (Pediatrician, Author of Healthy Kids, Happy Kids)
Date: February 24, 2026

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Overview of the Episode

This episode delves deep into the alarming health crisis affecting today’s children in the United States. Dr. Elisa Song, an integrative pediatrician, shares startling statistics about the rise in chronic illness, obesity, allergies, metabolic disorders, and mental health conditions among children. She passionately advocates for urgent reform in how we approach children's nutrition, lifestyle, and well-being, highlighting the profound, long-term impacts of early life health choices and societal trends. The conversation covers common misconceptions, practical advice for parents, and systemic issues—from processed foods to lack of movement—contributing to declining pediatric health.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Alarming State of Children’s Health

• Rising Rates of Chronic Illness (00:00–01:33)

  • Half of kids will have at least one chronic disease before adulthood.
  • 1 in 5 has eczema, 1 in 10 has ADHD, 1 in 12 has anaphylactic food allergies.
  • “By the time kids are 18, one in two is going to be diagnosed with some sort of mental health disorder. So we need to stop this. And the time is now.” – Dr. Elisa Song (00:00)

• Worsening Physical and Mental Health (01:34–02:55)

  • Major increases in obesity—1 in 5 kids obese (1 in 4 for Black/Hispanic children).
  • Teenagers show fastest rise in autoimmunity.
  • Underlying causes begin in infancy.

The Foundation: Gut Health & Microbiome

• Impact of Early Medical Interventions (05:00–07:13)

  • Antibiotics and antacids in infancy destabilize the gut, increasing risk for allergies and mental health disorders later.
    • “A study of nearly 800,000 children…Found that those babies had a significantly increased risk of virtually every single allergic disorder by age four.” – Dr. Song (05:41)
  • Up to 70% of antibiotics for children are inappropriately prescribed.

• Microbiome’s Influence on Brain and Immune Health (03:04–04:13; 05:00–07:13)

  • The state of the gut microbiome not only shapes immune response but also mood and brain development well into adulthood.
  • “Most of these shifts occur in their gut microbiomes. We know that the state of their gut microbiome plays a role in how their immune systems develop, how their brain develops…” – Dr. Song (03:27)

Diet, Processed Foods, and Education

• Ultra-Processed Food Prevalence (03:04–04:13; 08:28–12:08)

  • 2/3 of the average child’s diet is ultra-processed and packaged food.
  • “That is really one of the main drivers of why our kids’ immune systems and their brains are not tolerating what’s going on in this world.” – Dr. Song (03:45)
  • Not just a health crisis—this is tied to food pricing, access, and education.

• The Role of Food Industry and Legislation (08:41–12:08)

  • California’s bill to ban ultra-processed foods in school lunches.
  • Need for nourishing alternatives, not just bans.
  • Many families live in “food swamps” (overabundance of unhealthy options) and “food deserts.”
  • Education on label-reading and making conscious choices is essential.
    • “Looking at the label and learning how to read labels…is one of the most important life skills that we can give our teenagers.” – Dr. Song (16:07)

Mental Health and Medication

• Connections Between Gut-Brain Axis, Diet, and Mood (12:08–14:20; 34:43–36:01)
  • Diet triggers, especially sugar and dairy, can directly affect skin and brain health.
  • “90% of our serotonin…is made by our gut microbes, if we have the right gut microbes.” – Dr. Song (11:21)
  • Artificial dyes and preservatives contribute to behavioral issues.
  • ADHD medication being prescribed to toddlers; sleep deprivation as a root cause.
    • “Now they’re starting to give ADHD meds to toddlers.” – Dr. Song (34:54)
    • “Sleep deprivation alone can mimic ADHD symptoms.” – Dr. Song (36:01)

Sugar, Carbs, and Sweeteners

• Sugar Overload in Kids’ Diets (13:08–17:06)

  • The average teen consumes 34 teaspoons (156 grams) of sugar/day; recommended max is 6 teaspoons (25 grams).
  • “Some boba teas have 35 to 50 grams of added sugar in one pop.” – Dr. Song (14:05)
  • Excess sugar depletes immune function by up to 50% within 30 minutes.

• Smart Swaps: Natural vs. Artificial (17:06–21:59)

  • Starch-heavy foods (rice, pasta, crackers) also impact blood sugar.
  • Artificial sweeteners (e.g., sucralose, aspartame) are worse than real sugar for microbiome and addiction.
    • “There was a study looking at rats…they gave them the option of cocaine and sucralose and they chose the artificial sweetener.” – Dr. Song (19:29)
  • Lesser evils: monk fruit, allulose, moderate stevia—reduce total sweet preference.

• Fruit, Fiber, and Juice (20:37–23:53)

  • Whole fruits provide fiber and nutrients, but fruit should be seen as a “dessert”.
  • 95% of US kids/adults don’t get enough fiber.
  • Fruit juice—even “100% juice”—is an added sugar per the FDA and should be minimized.

Changing Trends and Common Myths

• Nutrition Myths Over Time (23:53–26:41)
  • Fats and salts were wrongly vilified in the past.
  • Need to remain flexible as new research emerges.
  • “Who knows what we’re going to know 20 years from now?...not become dogmatic.” – Dr. Song (26:41)

The Role of Movement and Lifestyle

• Physical Activity Decline (28:48–33:11)

  • PE is no longer required/offered in many US schools.
  • Decreased movement during pandemic increased obesity and metabolic issues.
  • Exercise shown to be as effective as antidepressants for anxiety, especially when done outdoors.
  • “100%—movement is good for your microbiome; movement is good for your mental health.” – Dr. Song (31:29)

• Recommendations:

  • Kids should get at least 1 hour of physical activity per day (multiple short bouts encouraged).
  • 11,000 steps/day is a good goal (compared to common 6,000 adult averages).

Medication Overload

• Rising Use of Medications in Children (33:11–34:43)
  • Medication bags now common on school trips: inhalers, seizure meds, ADD meds.
  • “It should not be the norm that kids are on medications.” – Dr. Song (34:40)

Prioritizing Sleep

• Sleep Deprivation’s Wide-reaching Effects (36:02–37:38)
  • Lack of sleep exacerbates behavioral and focus problems; teenage brains need more sleep.
  • “Sometimes the best thing…you can do…is let them sleep, prioritize that sleep, and then use the weekends to reconnect.” – Dr. Song (36:49)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “By the time kids are 18, one in two is going to be diagnosed with some sort of a mental health disorder. So we need to stop this…The time is now.” – Dr. Song (00:00)
• “That should not be a thing. We should not accept that as whatever this new normal is.” – Sean Kelly on childhood obesity (33:16)
• “I remember my…redhead, his name was Chris, and he had this inhaler…Now the number of kids who have inhalers is…crazy.” – Dr. Song (33:31)
• “Now they’re starting to give ADHD meds to toddlers.” – Dr. Song (34:54)
• “There was a study…they gave [rats] the option of cocaine and sucralose, and they chose the artificial sweetener.” – Dr. Song (19:29)
• “Kids research isn’t as funded. Kids health is not talked about as much. And so the more we can prioritize that, the better.” – Dr. Song (27:46)
• “It should not be the norm that kids are on medications.” – Dr. Song (34:40)
• “Movement is good for your microbiome. Movement is good for your mental health.” – Dr. Song (31:29)
• “Who knows what we’re going to know 20 years from now?...not become dogmatic.” – Dr. Song (26:41)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:00–02:55] – Why kids are sicker than ever; shocking mental/physical health stats
• [03:04–04:13] – Ultra-processed foods and the shift in childhood nutrition
• [05:00–07:13] – Impact of antibiotics, gut health, long-term risks
• [08:41–12:08] – Policy changes, food deserts/swamps, education solutions
• [13:08–17:06] – Sugar overload: real numbers and immune impacts
• [17:06–23:33] – Making sense of sugars, sweeteners, fruit, and juice in kids’ diets
• [23:53–26:41] – Nutrition myths and the evolving science
• [28:48–33:11] – Declining youth movement, loss of PE, practical advice on exercise
• [33:11–34:43] – Medications: from “bags of meds” to ADHD drugs for toddlers
• [36:02–37:38] – The importance of sleep for kids (and why schools start too early)

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Closing and Call to Action

Dr. Elisa concludes with an urgent message: Raising healthy kids is not just a parental responsibility but a societal one. Children are the future, and everyone should advocate for the changes—at home, in schools, and at policy levels—that can restore and protect their health.

“Whether or not you are a parent or grandparent or work with kids or not, the kids are our future. And we need to make sure that we pave a healthy future for them.” – Dr. Song (37:44)

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Resources:

• Dr. Elisa Song’s book: Healthy Kids, Happy Kids
• Website and links to further resources (as stated will be provided in the episode description)

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This summary covers all substantive discussion, omitting extended advertisements and outros for brevity and relevance.

Transcript

[A]

By the time kids are 18, one in two is going to be diagnosed with some sort of a mental health disorder. So we need to stop this. And the time is now. We can't wait any longer.

[B]

These are really concerning numbers. I'd imagine it's the worst it's ever been.

[A]

Right now sure feels like it. I mean, I think every generation feels like it's gotten a little bit worse. But even when we think about physical and immune and mental health across the board, metabolic health, things have worsened for our kids.

[B]

Foreign. Guys, we're at a 4M first episode of the conference, Dr. Elisa Song. We're going to talk about the kids health crisis. Thanks for coming on.

[A]

Oh, thanks for having me.

[B]

Yeah. This is a really important issue to talk about. I've actually never had a guest talk about this topic.

[A]

It is so important. And I love talking everything kids health because they are our future, but only if we set the right trajectory in motion.

[B]

So how bad exactly is it right now?

[A]

It's pretty bad. At least one in two kids has at least one chronic disease. And that's not kind of the kids who have multiple. And when you look at the numbers, I mean, it's really just getting worse. We have 1 in 5 kids with eczema, 1 in 10 kids with ADHD, 1 in 12 kids with anaphylactic food allergies, which when I was a kid, that was unheard of. And our mental health crisis is something I'm keenly aware of because I have a teenage daughter. But the time kids are 18, one in two is going to be diagnosed with some sort of a mental health disorder. Wow. So we need to stop this. And the time is now. We can't wait any longer.

[B]

These are really concerning numbers. I'd imagine it's the worst it's ever been.

[A]

Right now I. It sure feels like it. It sure feels like it. I mean, I think every generation feels like it's gotten a little bit worse. But even when we think about, we think about physical and immune and mental health across the board, metabolic health, things have worsened for our kids. Let's take obesity, right? The epidemic of overweight and obesity and metabolic health. One in five kids in the US is obese. And make that one in four kids if you are a black or Hispanic child. And the rates of prediabetes has tripled since the early 2000s. And I think about autoimmunity too. Autoimmunity surfaces. A lot of my parents in my practice, they have Hashimoto's or they have rheumatoid arthritis or maybe they have lupus or multiple sclerosis. These are things that have started maybe in their 20s, 30s, 40s. The foundations are set even in infancy. And we know that our teenagers are the age group with the most rapid rise in autoimmunity. So I love talking about this because we don't talk about kids health enough. We are talking about women's health, which is amazing. Right. It's having its moment and as it should. And now it's time for children's health to have its moment.

[B]

Yeah. It is interesting because I think a lot of people just see kids and they're like, they're young, they can get over it quick. Right. And they don't really think about how healthy they are.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. And things have changed, you know, even from. I was born in the 70s and thinking about, we, we had plenty of candy back then, right. We had microwave food. That was just beginning. But now fast forward and the packaged food industry has taken over. And not just talking about, quote, ultra processed foods, but just in the processing of Foods. About 2/3 of kids diet nowadays is from ultra processed and packaged foods. And that is really one of the main drivers of why our kids immune systems and their brains are not tolerating what's going on in this world. They may look healthy now, but underneath we can see all of these shifts. And most of these shifts occur in their gut microbiomes. We know that the state of their gut microbiome plays a role in how their immune systems develop even into their 30s, 40s, adulthood, how their brain develops, how their mitochondrial health develops. And so looking at what we can do to support kids from the inside out is key. Even if they look healthy on the

[B]

outside, that was my issue. I was always skinny and appeared kind of healthy, but I had some major issues on the inside. Yeah, I had visceral fat everywhere. I had gut issues, liver issues. And you would have never known just looking at me.

[A]

That's right. I mean, I have these kids who are athletes. They look slim. Right. They don't look like they're quote, unhealthy. But now we have testing that we can do. We can look at their gut microbiomes, we can look at their liver enzymes and fasting insulins and wow, this kid who looks like the picture of health exercising every day is actually heading towards pre diabetes without looking it. And so we need to just uncover everything that's going on with our kids and not assume that there's a foundation of health there.

[B]

Do you think the biggest thing is the gut health that's kind of contributing to all this.

[A]

I think that is one of the most foundational pieces. When babies are born, we know that the way that their gut microbiome develops, especially in those first few years of life, plays a key role in shaping how their immune system will progress and how their brain will progress. Some of the research, it's pretty alarming, and it's research that's been around for decades now. And what I don't understand is why we're not being taught this in medical school and in residency as pediatric practitioners we've known for at least 10 years now. There was a study of nearly 800,000 children, and it looked at babies who received antibiotics or antacid medications in the first six months of life. Now, what do those do? They directly impact the gut microbiome. And found that those babies had a significantly increased risk of virtually every single allergic disorder by the time they were four years of age. This includes eczema, asthma, hay fever, hives, anaphylactic food allergies. And then another really large study out of Finland looked at 1 million births and same thing, looked at which kids received antibiotics. This included when moms were pregnant and also after kids were born. And early antibiotic use increased the risk of mental health disorders when those kids were older kids or teenagers by up to 50%. Now, this is, it's alarming and it needs to be empowering. Right. We need to understand, okay, look, it may be absolutely life saving to give this antibiotic. Although on the other hand, in some studies, up to 70% of antibiotics written for kids are inappropriately prescribed. Right.

[B]

Too strong.

[A]

But whether or not they're appropriately or inappropriately prescribed, we have the tools to set their microbiome back on track so that their immune systems get back on track, their brains get back on track, their hormones and metabolism get back on track. And that's what I want to empower every kid, teenager and parent with that knowledge.

[B]

That's so relatable. I was on a lot of those growing up and I found out last year I'm allergic to penicillin now.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Because I was on so much of those, I guess, and it just impacted, so I can't eat blue cheese anymore.

[A]

That's a bummer.

[B]

I used to love it. Yeah, so that was a bummer. And I think it was from the antibiotic. I was on it at least once a year, honestly. At least.

[A]

And, you know, and my mom was an ob GYN growing up and, you know, every little thing, oh, you have a Sore throat, oh, you have a cold, here's some antibiotics. We didn't think about it much back then. Now we know that there are some unintended consequences that we need to be aware of even as adults. You know, even in adults, there are studies showing that just one round of antibiotics can subsequently increase the risk of developing anxiety and depression. So if you have an adult who all of a sudden is having a hard time managing worries or feeling really more and more blue, we have to look back and think, well, what was going on with their microbiome? Did they have a round of antibiotics even if it was a year ago? Right. I mean, there are many, many other things that disrupt the gut microbiome. So that's also what we need to understand. I mean, we were just talking about ultra processed food foods, and many of those ultra processed foods, they're a direct line to disrupting the gut microbiome.

[B]

Yeah. And you said 66% of the children's diet is eating those foods. Right.

[A]

At least. And that is, and for some kids, we know it's way more than that.

[B]

That's crazy. You think it's a pricing thing or you think it's just an education thing?

[A]

I think it's both. I think it's both. I think we have to vote with our dollars. Right. We need to change what's going on in the food industry. And some of the, the movement is happening. There's increasing awareness. I live in California and in California there was a bill that was enacted to ban ultra processed foods in schools, school lunches, which is phenomenal. It's not gonna happen for a little bit, but it's a step in the right direction. What we want to make sure is that there's not just a ban, but then also access to nourishing and health promoting foods that can replace those ultra processed foods. Because we all know, I mean, through the pandemic, hunger became a real issue for many, many families. And so in California there was enacted a universal meal program. Right. But many of those kids who were hungry, not just did they live in food deserts where there wasn't access to healthful foods, they also lived in food swamps with an overabundance of access to cheaper ultra processed foods. We also have to educate ourselves and educate our kids. I mean, my kids, I have a 14 year old son, guaranteed, you know, when he goes out with his friends, he wants to eat like, I'm going to call it the Takis. Right. Or like the prime with all of the artificial flavors and the monosodium glutamate and the colors and artificial sweeteners. So what I view my role as, as not just his mother, but really as a pediatric practitioner. What I talk to with kids and teenagers in the office is what are your goals? Right. Being healthy is not really a goal for most kids. They feel healthy, right? Most kids don't feel like there's anything, quote, wrong with them. And I don't want them to feel like anything's wrong with them. But what are their goals? Is it to be faster? You know, running, running your mile? For my son, it's having a more accurate goal shot. Is it, you know, so that you can sleep more easily or not have as many worries or for teenagers, one thing that gets them is their skin, right? If we can tie all of that back to how food relates, how our lifestyle relates, and how all of those impact our gut microbiome, then we can make the connections between their gut skin connection or their gut mood connection, or their gut energy connection. And then they have this idea that, huh, okay, what I eat and do really matters. It actually matters for those hundreds of trillions of microbes in my gut. And if I take care of those hundreds of trillions of micros in my gut, then they actually produce chemicals and compounds that help me. Like most people don't realize that our gut microbes produce B vitamins for us, really. And 90% of our serotonin, which many listeners have heard of. Serotonin, it's the neurotransmitter or brain chemical that helps us feel calm and relaxed and help us fall asleep. Well, 90% is made by our gut microbes, if we have the right gut microbes. Right? So when we're thinking about not managing worries or having a hard time focusing or having a hard time sleeping. Sleeping? Yes, it's a brain symptom, but brain symptoms are gut symptoms.

[B]

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[A]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, we know diet plays a huge role too, in, in acne. I mean, you know, one of the things. Because that's, you know, a lot of kids come to me and ask, well, what can I do? Right. First, you know, it's washing your face. Right. A lot of kids don't want to wash their face that much. Right. But diet, we know in the studies that dairy is one of the biggest correlates with acne. And dairy can also be very inflammatory to the gut lining. Sugar is another big confounder. And it's not to say, don't ever have sugar. It's to say, understand how much sugar you're having and where you can balance it out. Because the American Heart association recommends that kids 2 to 18 years of age have no more than about 6 teaspoons of added sugar in a day. Okay. That's about 25 grams of added sugar. Now, if you're making a boba tea or a mocha frappuccino, your daily habit, well, guess what? Some of those have up to 35 to 50 grams of added sugar in one pop. And think about how quickly you can down that. Right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And the average teenage. You want to take a guess at how many teaspoons of sugar the average teenager has today?

[B]

I'm going to guess 75.

[A]

Wow. That's actually, it's less than that. Okay. But 34 teaspoons. 34, but that was teaspoon.

[B]

Is that a gram or.

[A]

That is. So it's 34 teaspoons and that's about 156 grams.

[B]

Oh, okay. I was thinking grams.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So it was double what I thought.

[A]

You are definitely right on with the grams. Right? I mean, it's. The grams of added sugar is. Is way over what kids should be having. And if you just have that knowledge. I get it. If you totally want that jasmine lychee boba tea with 28 grams of added sugar. Okay, well, do it. But then understand, okay, you've just now at that 28 grams of added sugar gone over your sugar quota for the day. I don't want kids nitpicking and Just counting grams and counting. Counting calories or any of that. Right. But that means, okay, if we know we're a little bit over, let's create a cushion around that and really focus on what are the things that are going to help my brain and my gut microbiome and my immune system recover. And right now, as we're heading into cold and flu season, as during this recording, a lot of families are concerned about what the flu season is gonna bring. And there's talk of this being one of the worst flu seasons we've had in a while. I don't want to play into that fear. However, we know that sugar can decrease your white blood cells ability to fight infections by up to 50%.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Up to 50% within about, you know, half an hour.

[B]

Damn it. 11 grams in this one added. So, yeah, that's not too bad.

[A]

That's not too bad. That's not too bad. But that's where. I love that you picked that up and looked at it. Because this, like, looking at the label and learning how to read labels in a really savvy way and looking at every label just to say, is this something that I really want to put into my body, that I want to fuel my body with right now, is, I think, one of the most important life skills that we can give our teenagers.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because at some point, you know, we as parents, we're not making their food buying decisions anymore. And that happens at a really young age. Right. I mean, my kids in, like, seventh grade, they were going downtown with their friends and making food choices.

[B]

That's a valid point. I feel like it's gotten easier to get food food, because when I was a kid, there wasn't the apps. Now you could just order it in two.

[A]

Oh, yeah. You do order us everything, right?

[B]

Yeah. So you can. It's harder to control your kids, what they're eating, basically.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Wow. Yeah. That's crazy. 150 grams. The average kid eats of sugar. I can't believe that. Yeah, when I get boba, I get the 25 level. Some people get 100. I'm like, I know that tastes disgusting.

[A]

Well, and. And here's the thing, you know, once you train your taste buds to not have as much sweet. I mean, our taste buds just love sweet. Right. I mean, it's. I mean, that's. We're just, you know, we've evolved to love that sweetness. It's just that we're loving it a little bit too much and that sugar will feed the wrong microbes. I mean, a lot of People when they consume too much added sugars. And I'm going to put into that also this category of sugars is not necessarily what people might consider sugars. A lot of people will think of sugars as the cookies and the cakes and the ice creams and all of that. But it's also your rice and pasta and crackers, right? Cause those will get converted into sugars. Now there's no added sugar in those, which is great usually, right? I mean, rice is rice, right? Crackers may have some added sugar, but they do get converted into sugars in our body. And our body views that as sugar. So if you have a kid or if you as an adult, you're like carbs, carbs, carbs, everything. Right? Well, let's temper back. Let's keep your blood sugar as even as possible. So when you have a bowl of rice, try having the chicken and the avocado first and then have the rice. Because we really want to try to keep our blood sugar as even as possible. So, so this blood sugar regulation piece is really key. But I also don't want kids to do or adults to do then is say, well, okay, I'll go with the no sugar option, which usually means artificial sweeteners, which are even worse. Which are even worse. I would rather kids have a little bit of the real sugar than have the sucralose or the acesulfine potassium. I mean those are the two main artificial sweeteners you'll find in, in different, like zero sugar drinks. In fact, there is, there was a study looking at, I can't remember which artificial sweetener it was. I don't want to misspeak, but I want to say it was sucralose where they took rats that were already addicted to cocaine, right. And they gave them the option of cocaine and sucralose and they chose the artificial sweetener.

[B]

No way. Yes.

[A]

So, you know, this idea that, you know, having non, you know, these non nutritive, zero calorie, no sugar sweeteners is better for us is absolutely a myth. So what, what are some of the sweeteners that might be, you know, a better choice? First of all, I just think lowering your sweet preference, right? But then, you know, I do think that monk fruit may be an okay choice and allulose is being used more oftenly and more often. Um, you know, a little bit of stevia may be okay. And this I, I say everything in moderation, right? Um, because when we continue to feed our sweet tooth, right. Our sweet taste, our body and our brain want More and more sweet. And this is whether we're having the actual sugar or the non, you know, the zero sugar sweetener.

[B]

What about cane sugar?

[A]

Well, cane sugar. So using a little bit of cane sugar, right? That's a white sugar or honey, you know, or, um, I mean, you could use a little maple syrup. Those are going to be, you know, considered added sugars, though.

[B]

Got it.

[A]

So we want to put those into that category.

[B]

What about. Because I love fruit, like I. I could eat fruit every day. Does the body process that sugar differently?

[A]

Yes. And, you know, when we eat the whole. Whole fruit, there's so much added benefit. Right. And when you eat pomegranates or you eat berries, there's so much fruit fiber in them. You know, a cup of raspberries has, I think, like nine grams of fiber. And most kids and adults, in fact, 95% of US kids and adults, don't get the recommended amount of fiber every day. So there's a huge benefit to that. One of the things that I see, though, is, you know, because of the way the food pyramid was established and fruits and vegetables are kind of clumped together, some kids are eating a ton of fruit, but no vegetables. And that does put a sugar load on you right there. There are sugars that then, you know, with too much of that fructose from the fruit sugars, it can put a stress on your liver. So I don't want to demonize fruit at all. Fruit is amazing. And the colors, what we call polyphenols from fruits, they nourish our brain and our gut microbiome. So we want to have those. But. But I really look at fruit as more of a dessert and something to have in balance.

[B]

Got it.

[A]

And then it should be mostly vegetables. When we're thinking about those five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables, we wanna lean heavy on the vegetables and then also incorporate fruits. Now, fruit juice, on the other hand, should be a.

[B]

No, I stopped drinking that.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. Fruit juice is. Fruit juice is actually considered by the fda and added sugar. If food manufacturers put it into a food to sweeten it. Yeah.

[B]

Whoa.

[A]

Because what happens is, you know, it's different than you making a smoothie or if you have a juicer. I mean, some of that pulp remains, so there's gonna be some fiber left. When you manufacture fruit juice, it's usually under high heat, completely pulverized. So every single bit of fiber is stripped out. So basically, you're getting a sugar bomb.

[B]

That's crazy.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. We make.

[B]

Sometimes we make our Own juice at home, but I don't buy it ever anymore.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. So I think fresh squeezed juice can have a role, but especially if you put in some carrots and celery, you know, make it, make it even more nutrient dense. But, but just buying, you know, I had one patient who, I mean, through no fault of their own, they thought, oh, well, you know, wintertime, we're going to get more vitamin C in. And the whole family was drinking, you know, cups and cups and cups of vitamins of orange juice throughout the day, which is really not serving the intention that they wanted. Now, having an actual orange, that's totally different. Right. You get the fiber, you get the whole orange. I mean, you get the benefits of that without just having the pure sugar squeezed out of it.

[B]

Right. Is it different amounts of vitamin C versus an orange versus a juice?

[A]

That's a really good question. I mean, it's probably going to be the same whether you squeeze it or not because all of the pulp around it is more going to add the fiber to, to it.

[B]

Got it. Yeah. I love oranges, but I stopped the juice. I used to drink the Tropicana every morning. But it's just sugar.

[A]

I'm glad you stopped. It is just sugar.

[B]

Yeah, there's a lot of stuff. I look back at what I used to eat and I'm like, I don't want to do that with my kids, with my future kids.

[A]

Yeah, for sure. Well, and then you, you know, I think, I mean, I think about, you know, when I was younger and you know, candy was everything. Right. Pop Tarts. Yep. And, and in college, I mean, I would drink like, you know, gallons of Diet Coke every day. And back then, you know, fat was the villain. Right. Actually, you know, I, and I remember eating just like these boxes and boxes of, I don't even know if they have them anymore. Entenmann's mini chocolate chip cookies that were fat free. Right. Because fat was bad. And now we know, okay, healthy fats are actually going to help support your brain and your metabolic health and your mitochondrial health and all of that.

[B]

Yeah. It's interesting what gets villainized. I remember growing up, salt was bad.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And now it's like it keeps you hydrated. It's actually really good for you.

[A]

Yeah, we want, I mean, you know, we do want, you know, a good amount of electrolytes and I think, you know, if you're eating ultra processed foods a lot, then you probably get plenty of sodium. But if you're home cooking, it's, it's interesting. I now have some families who are able to home cook from scratch pretty much every meal and they're not necessarily getting in enough of the iodine and the sodium in their diets because they're not really using salt. So I will actually sometimes recommend get some of the iodized sea salt because you need the electrolytes, you need those minerals especially for your thyroid.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. I remember they said milk was great for you. Followed the food pyramid.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

Butter was bad for you.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

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[A]

Right? So now and okay, but to your point, who knows what we're gonna know 20 years from now? Right. So we still, you know, I think we need to remain flexible as the research emerges and not become dogmatic about one particular way.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And, and just keep an open mind.

[B]

For sure. Well, thanks for doing what you do because I did see this. For the first time in history, our kids are expected to have shorter lifespans than their parents.

[A]

Yeah. Well, so that was in, in 2005. This was an article in the New England Journal of Medicine. I had just opened up my practice, my, my integrated pediatric practice in 2004 and this article came out saying that through the centuries life expectancy has increased. And now for the very first time ever in history, our kids are expected to have shorter lifespans than us. They're adults. That is alarming. This was 21 years ago.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Right? It should have been. I mean this huge, huge alarm bell ringing back then. We do need to wake up. Right? And kids health unfortunately is Often put on the back burner. I mean, we already said how people assume that kids are resilient. They're gonna bounce back. Well, it's harder to bounce back now in this modern world, and kids research isn't as funded. Kids health is not talked about as much. And so the more we can prioritize that, the better. In 2004, I wrote my book, Healthy Kids, Happy Kids, specifically to teach parents and kids and practitioners what we need to understand about the state of kids health now, and not just the state of kids health. But then how do we proactively move forward? What are the steps that we can take in our everyday lives to keep kids as healthy as possible and make sure that they turn into the healthy, thriving adults that we want them to.

[B]

Yeah. I was an athlete in high school. I remember taking the physical test. It didn't really measure much. I feel like they should figure out better ways to measure some health for these younger kids and teenagers, you know?

[A]

Well, and, you know, it's. I mean, PE now is not even a requirement in many schools. Really? It's not offered.

[B]

My favorite class. Yes.

[A]

And it's not something that's offered every day in a lot of. In a lot of schools. Right. That's crazy. My kids are in high school, and, you know, my daughter, as a sophomore, doesn't have a PE Requirement, which is insane. I mean, the benefit to your brain and your. Your academic performance and your mood and behavior. Just from a teacher standpoint, like, don't you want your kids to be able to focus and pay attention and actually be in a good mood when they're sitting in your class, no matter what age? Right. I mean, I think for kids. I mean, my. My son has PE as his first class as a freshman. I think that's fantastic. Get your blood flowing. Be outside. You know, just, you know, get. Get into that. That mode where you are the most prepared to do well academically and socially at school. School.

[B]

Yeah. If you're just sitting around all day, you're gonna be bouncing off the walls as a kid.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Got so much energy. Gym class helps you kind of de. Stress.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, they should have multiple.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Throughout the day.

[B]

Even the one I remember taking wasn't, like, the best quality, but at least it's something.

[A]

It's something. And it's movement. Because that, you know, through the pandemic, you know, what. What they found is kids and. And adults movement went way down. Right. I mean, with all of this zooming. And I was so glad when my telehealth visits, returned to in person visits. There's nothing like in person. And that actually got me moving more because when you're sitting in front of a computer all day doing telehealth visits, you're not moving. I mean, the number of steps you got, you'd have to really work into that. Now our kids, too. I mean, they really stop moving. And that's where we're seeing even since the pandemic. The rates of overweight and obesity and metabolic health problems in kids has really increased even since the pandemic. So we need to roll that back. And part of that is movement. I mean, 100% movement is good for your microbiome. Movement is good for your mental health. In fact, one study found that exercise, especially in nature, was just as effective as an SSRI antidepressant for anxiety. So, like, move, you know, be out in nature, go to a park even. You know, one of my friends actually told me this, I have to find this study, but said that there was even a study that found that exercising and just looking at nature was helpful. But I think just moving, being out, it helps with sleep. I mean, most of our kids are. And adults are chronically sleep deprived.

[B]

I was, for sure.

[A]

Yes. I mean, so many. And then our immune health, too. I mean, movement, moderate exercise every day, I mean, even just 20 minutes can increase our ability to fight off infections. So that's one of the most important things we can do, you know, during the winter months when we have a lot more, you know, colds and flu circulating. But I mean, now there's colds and flu circulating year round. So movement is just important all the time.

[B]

I've doubled my steps this week. I'm going to see how I feel.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. Because I was averaging about 6,000.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

This week I'm doing like 11,000.

[A]

Great.

[B]

So we'll see what happens.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But my medical Advisor was like, 6,000 is not enough these days.

[A]

It's not. I mean, even for kids. You know, it's interesting. A lot of kids don't necessarily track their steps. We don't know. I mean, I've had my kids when they were little, had Fitbits that we would look. Right.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And so. And, you know, kids often will. Depends on, you know, how you structure their day. But they can get a lot of steps. Now, for kids, the recommendation is to get at least one hour of physical activity. You know, quote, exercise. But you don't have to call it exercise. But even walking to school, that counts. It doesn't have to be one Hour continuous, but walk briskly. Right. Get your heart rate going. Get, you know, huff and puff a little bit. I mean, that's what we want. We want our kids to be exerting themselves and using their muscles so that they can get stronger and stronger.

[B]

Yeah. One out of five kids being obese, that's like, I can't believe that, honestly.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That should not be a thing.

[A]

No, no. We should not accept that as whatever this new normal is.

[B]

Yeah. When I was a kid, maybe one. I don't know the exact numbers, but I feel like 1 out of 50 maybe if I had to guess just based off my class.

[A]

I mean, I think, you know, back when, when I was a kid and looking back in my elementary school kids, you know, of course we didn't know as much about our friends health histories, but I don't ever recall. I remember my. There's this little kid, you know, redhead, his name was Chris, and he had this inhaler and we were all fascinated. Right. It's like, wow, what is that? Right now the number of kids who have inhalers is. I mean, it's crazy. You know, when I was in my. When my kids were in elementary school and I did a lot of volunteering at their schools, when we were on field trips or, you know, overnight trips, there were bags and bags of medications that we would have to carry from inhalers to seizure meds to whatever it was. So, you know, you know, ADD meds, I mean, you name it. Right. That we would have to give and carry, you know, for these kids on our field trips. And, and, and that shouldn't be the norm. It should not be the norm that kids are on medications.

[B]

That sounds like an elderly home like that. That's crazy to me.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Kids on medications. Yeah, they tried giving me the ADD ones when I was in elementary.

[A]

Yeah. Well, you know, now they're starting to give ADHD meds to toddlers.

[B]

What?

[A]

Yes. So there was an article that looked at what. I mean, let's take adhd and what should really be the first lines of treatment. It shouldn't be medications when we know that 50% of your dopamine is made by your gut microbiome.

[B]

Wow, that's a lot.

[A]

And we already mentioned serotonin, which many kids with adhd, I mean, their neurotransmitters just need more balancing. Right. That we need to start with their gut microbiome when we know through the decades the evidence that artificial dyes can cause behavioral problems. And in the European Union there are warning labels on any foods with artificial dyes or certain preservatives that that food may cause behavioral problems in kids. Right. And we don't pay any attention to that here in the States. We need to be aware that what we feed our kids actually matters. Right. And then also making sure sleep, I mean, just sleep deprivation alone can mimic ADHD symptoms.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

And so if you're not getting enough sleep, I mean, there was, you know, looking at even just fine motor control, if you have, you know, if you're sleep deprived, your fine motor control is worse than if you had had a glass of wine. So. So when our kids are not getting enough sleep, how do we expect them to stay calm and focused and relating well with their friends and with adults? And we wanna give them a fair chance. It's hard. It is hard. I remember when my kids were little and sometimes I would come home a little late from work and I mean, I wanted them to stay up because I wanted to see them. Right. And so I understand families have working parents and, and sometimes it's that desire to just keep them up so that they can see mom or dad before they go to bed. But sometimes the best thing in the, I mean, I will say the best thing in the world you can do during the week if, if they are going to school is let them sleep, prioritize that sleep, and then use the weekends to reconnect. It's, it's about, you know, the quality of the time that you spend together, not the quantity of the time.

[B]

I still don't know why school starts at 7am I know it's way too early.

[A]

Some of the high schools are moving a little bit later, but that is way too early, especially for our teenagers. I mean, the data, the data show that, you know, teenage brains just, I mean, their clocks are different. They need to sleep in a little bit longer.

[B]

I probably averaged five and a half hours in high school, which is terrible.

[A]

Yeah, that's terrible. And then, you know, we wonder why we have a mental health crisis. That's a big part of it.

[B]

Well, Dr. Elisa, this was great. We'll link your book and your. Your website and everything in the video. Anything else you want to close off with?

[A]

Well, I'm just so grateful for you sharing information about kids health. This is something that, whether or not you are a parent or grandparent or work with kids or not, the kids are our future. And we need to make sure that we pave a healthy future for them.

[B]

Awesome. Check her out, guys. Thanks for watching. Peace. I hope you guys are enjoying the show. Please don't forget to like and subscribe. It helps the show a lot with the algorithm. Thank you.