CDC Survey Shows 58% of Teens Played Sports in 2025 as Sadness Fell to 43%
Updated
Updated · NBC News · Sep 21
CDC Survey Shows 58% of Teens Played Sports in 2025 as Sadness Fell to 43%
3 articles · Updated · NBC News · Sep 21
Summary
CDC’s 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found 58% of U.S. high school students played on a sports team, up from 52% in 2023, while more teens also reported eating fruits and vegetables daily and drinking water at least three times a day.
Mental health indicators improved alongside those shifts: persistent sadness or hopelessness among high school girls fell to 43% from 53% in 2023 and 57% in 2021, and fewer students overall reported poor mental health or suicidal thoughts.
CDC officials framed the findings around Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, which has pushed school fitness and dietary changes, including limits on ultraprocessed foods.
Researchers said the topline gains may mask uneven outcomes because the report did not highlight LGBTQ youth or other subgroup differences, even though the survey still included a transgender identity question in 2025.
The report also showed social media use stayed flat, with about 1 in 3 students saying they use it at least every hour, underscoring that teen health risks remain broader than diet and exercise.
With teen suicidal thoughts dropping below pre-pandemic levels, what hidden shift in youth culture is suddenly driving this massive mental health recovery?
Teen mental health is improving overall, but why are girls and LGBTQ+ youth still trapped in a disproportionate cycle of severe distress?
While national teen sadness drops, are we ignoring a silent crisis among boys whose depression masquerades as anger and behavioral issues?