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Is your teenager skipping breakfast? Why is that happening and what can you do? As per the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which surveyed adolescent health and well-being found that 1 in 4 students in high school ate breakfast, which means 3 in 4 high school students are not eating their breakfast. This data is as per the 2023 survey.
The report describes a 10-year long trend and also recent changes among the two years. The study delved deeper into adolescents' dietary, physical activity and sleep behaviors. The study is also based on a national youth risk behavior survey of a representative sample of students from grade nine to 12.
The study found that while high school students drank slightly less soda and sports drinks and consumed more water, other healthy eating habits declined. In 2023, only 27% of students ate breakfast every day in the past week. The numbers were even lower for female students, with just 22% eating breakfast daily, compared to 32% of male students. Boys were also more likely to eat fruits and vegetables daily and drink water at least three times a day. Poor mental health and lack of physical activity have also been linked to skipping breakfast.
The other findings included a survey across 10-year period, where a decrease in the percentage of students eating fruits from 65% to 55%, eating vegetables, from 61% to 58%, and having breakfast daily from 38% to 27% was noted.
However, there was a positive trend among this, which was in children drinking plain water at least three times a day, which increased from 49% to 54% from when the survey began in 2015.. There were fewer students who also said that they drank soda in 2023 than in 2013. On an average, in 2013, around 22% students avoided soda, whereas in 2023, 31% students avoided it.
The report also emphasized that a healthy diet, along with daily physical activity and sufficient sleep further contributes to a healthy lifestyle. “The 10-year trends from 2013 to 2023 also show a decline in healthy dietary, physical activity, and sleep behaviors,” the survey reported.
While there is no one straightforward answer to it, psychologists and those who study children, believe that for many high school going kids, it is the easiest time to skip a meal. This is because they are caught between rushing to school, or not just that hungry in the morning. So for them, to sit down to have a breakfast may seem hassle and something they would have to take time out from their busy schedule. They at this age also prioritize their extra-curricular activities.
There has also been a shift in their circadian rhythm, and most teens cannot fall asleep before 11 pm, or even at midnight. Which means they wake up tired and struggle to do things right in the morning, which is why they choose to skip breakfast or give extra minutes to any other activities.
There is of course another, more popular reason, to lose weight. While experts and studies, like the one published in the Journal of Nutrition that found skipping breakfast leads to higher levels of hunger hormones, the students still feel the need to do this. However, it could lead to a slow metabolism, prompt the body to conserve energy and burn fewer calories, weight gain and deprive yo off the essential nutrients like calcium, iron, and vitamin D.
Without a morning breakfast, your blood sugar might drop too, which can increase irritability and stress, along with including the risk of depression in teenage.
Credit: PIB
After the huge success of the first phase of its 100-day TB Mukt Bharat campaign in 2025, India has launched the next phase of a focused and intensified campaign to end tuberculosis — the most infectious disease in the world — in the country.
The campaign was launched by Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda at a national-level event held in Greater Noida to commemorate World TB Day 2026.
He reaffirmed India’s unwavering commitment to eliminating tuberculosis, ahead of the global Sustainable Development Goals target of 2030.
The second phase marks “a decisive, mission-mode push to accelerate progress towards TB elimination”, the Ministry of Health said.
The campaign is expected to “cover 1.58 lakh villages and urban wards, each guided by granular, locally tailored micro-plans, ensuring precision in implementation and measurable outcomes,” it added. The villages and wards were identified using AI-based assessment of 30+ indicators.
“World TB Day 2026 as both a moment of reflection and a renewed call to action in India’s journey towards a TB-Mukt Bharat,” said Nadda, while delivering the keynote address.
The 100-day campaign was first launched on December 7, 2024, and it continued till March 24. It aims to accelerate TB detection, rapid decline in TB incidence, finding of missing cases, reducing mortality, and following a Jan Bhagidari or community approach.
In 2025, the campaign targeted a selected 347 high-priority districts across 33 States/UTs. It was later scaled nationwide and deployed advanced tools such as portable X-rays, AI-enabled diagnostics, and molecular testing.
Nadda noted that the 100-day campaign led to the detection of “nearly 10.9 lakh asymptomatic patients who exhibited no classical symptoms at the time of testing”.
The campaign led to the identification of the “invisible” pool of infection that would otherwise have remained undetected and contributed to continued transmission in the community, the Minister said.
Other key milestones achieved in the fight against TB since December 2024 include:
In 2024, India notified 26.18 lakh TB cases — the highest so far. TB notification has remained a key area of concern. A total of 67, 933 gram panchayats have achieved the TB-free status, the Ministry
“Over the past decade, India’s TB response has evolved into a transformational, people-centric movement, driven by innovation, equity, and strong political commitment,” Nadda said.
Also read: Tuberculosis in 2026: Why It Still Remains India’s Silent Epidemic
The Minister highlighted key achievements from 2015 to 2024. This includes:
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Sonia Gandhi, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson was admitted to the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on March 24, 2026 in late evening. As per reports, she was feeling unwell due to the change in weather and has been put under observation.
Team of doctors who is attending her said that there is nothing serious. According to Dr. Ajay Swaroop, Chairman, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, she is stable. Doctors are conducting further investigations to check for possible infection in the stomach and urinary tract. A team of doctors is closely monitoring her condition, and antibiotics have been administered.
Earlier this year in January, Sonia Gandhi was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital after she suffered respiratory discomfort.
While reports mentioned that her condition was "absolutely stable", she had a problem of chronic cough. This was due to capital city's pollution. Due to increase in population during the peak winter season in Delhi, she had been regular with hospital visits and check-ups. Hospital source, while speaking to the news agency PTI said that "it is a routine admission".
Read: Sonia Gandhi Admitted to Hospital After Delhi Pollution Aggravates Bronchial Asthma
According to reports, she had complained of some respiratory discomfort. Once her medical examination was done, it was found that "her bronchial asthma had been mildly exacerbated", confirmed Dr Ajay Swaroop, Chairman of the hospital. A hospital source told PTI that this is due to the combined effects of cold weather and pollution.
As a precautionary measure, she was admitted in hospital for further observation and treatment. The physicians who were treating her took a decision on her discharge based on her clinical progress.
On June 7, 2025, she was admitted to the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC) in Shimla for a routine medical-check up. She was also later discharged after her medical examination. As per Naresh Chauhan, Principal Advisor (Media) to the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, she was brought in due to minor health concerns. However, he said that after being put in observation by doctors to assess her condition, she was stable.
Dr Aman Chauhan, Deputy Medical Superintendent at IGMC said, "Her blood pressure was slightly on the higher side, but there is nothing serious. No additional tests were conducted; only routine investigations were carried out. She was not given any special medical advice because everything was perfectly fine."
In the same month on June 15, she was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital again under the Department of Surgical Gastroenterology for a stomach-related issue. Before that she was again in the Delhi hospital on June 9, for a medical check up.
Earlier in September 2022, she travelled to the United States for a deferred medical check-up which was postponed due to the COVID-19. Due to this she missed a significant portion of the Monsoon Session of Parliament in 2022. Her son and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accompanied her during the trip.
After 13 years of wait, on March 24, at 4.10pm, Harish Rana took his last breath in AIIMS Delhi and became the very first case of passive euthanasia in India. Two days after the Supreme Court permitted euthanasia in his case, on March 14 he was shifted to AIIMS Delhi and his life support was withdrawn. He waited for ten days without any life support.
News agency ANI also noted that his family donated his corneas and heart valves after his death. As per the Association for Advancing Tissue and Biologics, heart valves can be donated after death and used in life-saving and life-enhancing transplants. The National Institutes of Health notes that valves are typically removed within 24 hours of death.
NHS Organ Donation notes that since corneas do not contain blood vessels, it eliminates the risk of transmitting most types of diseases. The donated cornea could be used for patients experiencing corneal blindness or damage to restore sight. The cornea is usually removed in a 15-minute procedure after 6 to 8 hours of death.
Read: Harish Rana, India’s First Passive Euthanasia Case, Dies at AIIMS

It was in 2013 when he suffered severe head injuries after he fell from the fourth floor from his PG accommodation while he was studying at Panjab University. He had been bedridden ever since, and survived on feeding tube. His father filed a petition seeking passive euthanasia under the guidelines Supreme Court had laid down in 2018 under Common Cause judgment. This is the second time the parents have approached the apex court.
In 2024, the court also suggested that Rana could receive home-based care with support from the Uttar Pradesh government. The home-based care includes periodic visits by doctors and physiotherapists. The court suggested that in case home care was not feasible, he could be moved to Noida's district hospital. However, his parents have noted that his condition continued to worsen. Family advocate Rashmi Nandakumar also informed the bench that "nothing seems to be working out".
"He is falling ill quite often and is repeatedly admitted to hospital," she said. The advocate further added that the family only sought passive euthanasia, which is withdrawal of treatment, and not any active intervention.
Justice Pardiwala also read medical reports and observed, "Just look at the condition of the boy. It's pathetic."
Recent court ruling on this case involved a bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice KV Viswanathan that allowed the withdrawal of life support for Harish Rana.
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