Increasing Chronic Illness

Youth obesity rates rise and 40% of public school students need mental health care.

Explore how this evolves in the 2020 Forecast in Bio-Distress.

Real World Application

It’s harder to be healthy
It will be increasingly difficult—and expensive—for people to achieve good health. Developed economies are beset by chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Poor urban residents in the United States with marginal access to fresh foods, green spaces, and pollution-free environments will suffer disproportionately. More children will need access to ongoing medical care but in ways that don’t impact their ability to participate fully in school.


Education becomes a health issue
Major impediments continue to plague the traditional U.S. health care system, from uninsurance to shortages of health workers and administrative waste. While an aging population redefines consumer markets in terms of health benefits, children’s health status and needs redefine and reprioritize educational agendas, including school lunch programs, nutrition curriculum, physical education, school health staff, and onsite health services. Children’s health issues create an opportunity for radical change in public schools.