The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its biennial Youth Risk Behavior Survey for 2025, offering the most comprehensive view of U.S. high school students’ health behaviors. Compared with the 2023 survey, the new data show notable gains in nutrition, physical activity and mental health, while the report gives less emphasis to trends in sexual activity and substance use.
Nutrition and Physical Activity Gains
According to the CDC, 58% of high schoolers reported playing on a sports team in 2025, up from 52% two years earlier. The same survey found that a larger share of students ate fruits and vegetables daily and drank water at least three times a day than in 2023. These improvements align with the priorities of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has promoted healthier school meals and reinstated a presidential fitness test for public‑school students.
Dr. Jennifer Shuford, the agency’s chief medical officer, linked the findings to the “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, noting that the emphasis on diet and activity aims to curb chronic disease risk in children. Kennedy’s recent dietary guidelines also limit ultraprocessed foods, reinforcing the survey’s focus on nutrition.
Mental Health Trends Show Decline in Sadness
The 2025 report highlights a steep decline in the proportion of students reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. The metric fell from a pandemic‑era peak of 57% in 2021 to 53% in 2023, and further to 43% in 2025. The CDC chose to present overall mental‑health improvements rather than breaking the data down by gender, a shift from earlier reports that underscored rising sadness among teenage girls.
Mike Underwood, acting director of the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health, said the survey is intended to provide a high‑level snapshot applicable to communities and schools nationwide. Ariel Beccia, an instructor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, cautioned that while aggregate numbers look better, improvements may be uneven across demographic groups, often favoring more advantaged students.
Other Findings and Notable Omissions
The survey recorded that social‑media use among teens has remained steady, with roughly one‑third of students reporting usage at least every hour. Dr. Aaron Reliford of NYU Langone’s Child Study Center praised the focus on physical health, noting that reduced screen time combined with increased activity could further support mental well‑being.
Critics observed that the report omitted discussion of LGBTQ youth, a group that historically experiences higher rates of mental‑health challenges. The 2025 questionnaire did include a question on transgender identity, a continuation of the first inclusion in 2023, but the CDC’s public summary did not highlight those results. Beccia also pointed out the absence of analysis on socioeconomic factors—such as grocery‑store access—that influence teens’ ability to eat healthily.
During the previous Biden administration, the survey had drawn attention to persistent sadness among high‑school girls and highlighted opioid use among adolescents. The current edition, released under the Kennedy administration, shifts the narrative toward nutrition and sports, reflecting the administration’s policy focus.
Overall, the CDC’s 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey presents a picture of progress in several key health areas for U.S. teenagers, while also leaving some demographic and behavioral topics less explored.
Mitchell Landsberg is a Senior Technology Correspondent at News Raise. He covers consumer electronics, artificial intelligence, software developments, and digital privacy trends.
