Declining child health threatens US military readiness and future economic security

Military recruitment faces major hurdles

A 2020 Department of Defense study found that 77 percent of young Americans do not qualify for service due to health issues. This shortfall contributed to three military branches missing their recruitment goals during fiscal year 2023 before recent pay increases helped improve numbers. The problem stems from health conditions developing in the decade before a person reaches enlistment age.

Child mortality rates remain high

Research published in JAMA indicates American children are 1.8 times more likely to die than peers in other industrialized nations between 2007 and 2023. Four out of ten kids will grow up with obesity, chronic illness, anxiety, or depression that limits their opportunities. These conditions shorten lives and reduce the pool of healthy adults available for work or service.

Root causes span multiple sectors

Concerns about workforce shortages and rising healthcare costs often appear as separate crises but share a common origin in child well-being. Treating these issues in isolation fails to address the underlying decline affecting America's future safety and security. Solutions must address the decade-long deterioration of health before young people enter adulthood.