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.

What Did The Study Intend?

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.

What Did The Study Find?

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.

Why Do High School Students Skip Breakfast?

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.

A team of doctors at Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Hospital has identified a chemotherapy regimen that was better tolerated in people with high-risk penile cancer.

Published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the BACuP trial compared paclitaxel with 5-FU (fluorouracil), with both drugs given alongside a platinum drug.

The study found that patients receiving paclitaxel had fewer serious side effects and treatment-related hospitalizations. They were also more likely to complete all four planned chemotherapy cycles.

However, the trial was too small to determine whether paclitaxel reduced cancer recurrence or improved survival.

What Did The Study Find?

Also read: British-Nigerian Influencer Dies After Penis Enlargement Procedure In Thailand: What Are The Risks?

The trial included 49 men under 70 who had undergone surgery for penile cancer that had spread to the lymph nodes and had at least one feature linked to a high risk of recurrence.

They were randomly assigned to receive either 5-FU plus a platinum drug or paclitaxel plus a platinum drug. Both groups were scheduled to receive four cycles, three weeks apart.

Serious treatment-related side effects occurred in 77.3 per cent of patients receiving 5-FU and platinum, compared with 40.9 per cent of those receiving paclitaxel and platinum.

Paclitaxel was also easier to administer. 5-FU is usually delivered continuously through a vein over several days, sometimes using a pump, while paclitaxel can generally be given as an intravenous infusion in a day-care or outpatient setting.

Why Does The Study Matter?

Dr. Sandeep Nayak, Chairman of Oncology, MACS-Renova Oncology Institute, KIMS Hospital, Bengaluru, said that penile cancer carries a significant disease burden in India, yet for decades our adjuvant treatment decisions for high-risk, node-positive disease relied largely on retrospective observational data.

He noted that the goal after definitive surgical resection and lymphadenectomy is to prevent systemic recurrence. However, traditional 5-FU-based chemotherapy regimens have historically been notoriously difficult for patients to tolerate, leading to severe toxicities, frequent hospital admissions, and premature treatment dropouts.

“This trial provides evidence showing that the Paclitaxel-Platinum combination offers a far safer, outpatient-friendly regimen with drastically lower serious toxicities and an impressive completion rate of 83% (compared to 48% with 5-FU). Better patient compliance directly impacts real-world disease control,” said Dr. Nayak, who was not part of the study.

"Combined with early clinical presentation and timely surgical interventions, safer adjuvant options like this will meaningfully improve patient compliance and quality of life," he added while stressing the need for larger research.

What Is Penile Cancer?

Penile cancer is rare and is most common in men over 50. It is an uncommon malignancy in India, accounting for less than 1% of all male cancers.

Common symptoms include:

• A growth, lump or sore that does not heal within four weeks
• Bleeding from the penis or under the foreskin
• A rash or change in skin color
• A smelly discharge
• Difficulty pulling back the foreskin

The disease may be more treatable when found early. Treatment depends on the size and location of the cancer and whether it has spread, and may include surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has proposed mandatory CCTV surveillance at medical stores as an additional regulatory safeguard for prescription drugs.

The move, proposed under amendments to the Drugs Rules, 1945, through Draft Gazette Notification G.S.R. 791 (E), aims to strengthen regulatory oversight of Schedule H, H1 and X drugs.

Once implemented, it will help strengthen monitoring of the sale and distribution of these drugs and curb their unauthorized access and sale without valid prescriptions.

The proposed CCTV surveillance mechanism will also enhance transparency and accountability across the pharmaceutical supply chain, strengthening safeguards for public health. The draft proposal is now open to public objections and suggestions before it is finalized.

What Are Schedule H, H1 And X Drugs?

Also read: Indian Medical Industry Backs Maharashtra FDA Crackdown On Device Markups

Schedule H: Prescription-only medicines, including many blood pressure, diabetes and anti-infective drugs. They must carry the Rx symbol and cannot be sold without a prescription.

Schedule H1: A stricter category covering certain antibiotics, anti-tuberculosis drugs and sedatives. These medicines carry a red-boxed Rx warning and require medical advice.

Schedule X: The strictest category, covering certain high-risk narcotic and psychotropic drugs such as morphine, amphetamines and strong barbiturates. Their sale requires a specific government licence in addition to a standard retail drug licence.

Why Is CCTV Surveillance Being Proposed At Pharmacies?

India is seeing concerns over spurious and fake drugs, with chemists being the major point of contact for medicines for a majority of people.

A recent nationwide survey by LocalCircles, a community social media platform, showed that 64% of consumers said chemists never or rarely ask for a doctor's prescription, while only 31% mostly got a qualified pharmacist at their chemist.

Only 15% of those surveyed said the chemist mostly or always refused to sell medicines without a prescription.

Read More: High Sugar, Salt Or Fat? India May Mandate Red Hexagon Labels On Food Packs

The survey also found:

• 13% said someone at the chemist assisted them who was not a qualified pharmacist.
• 15% said medicines were found to be fake or counterfeit.
• Another 15% said they received completely ineffective medicines.
• 26% said they were not provided a GST bill.

Counterfeit Medicines Seized In Bengaluru

In a recent shocking case, investigators in Bengaluru seized large counterfeit cancer medicines, life-saving drugs and injections used in intensive care units (ICUs) that were being supplied to hospitals, clinics and medical stores.

According to investigators, the medicines may have been supplied to more than 90 hospitals and clinics in Bengaluru.

A public interest litigation (PIL) has also been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a comprehensive national framework to check the manufacture and sale of counterfeit and adulterated medicines, including vaccines and cough syrups.

Drug Testing Data Shows Continued Quality Concerns

Data placed before Parliament shows that 1,41,322 drug samples were tested in 2025-26, the highest in five years. Of these, 3,012 were found to be Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) and 283 were found to be spurious or adulterated. A total of 779 prosecution cases were filed during the year, while 3,599 cases were filed over five years.

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has also continued issuing monthly drug alerts through 2026, flagging 240 NSQ samples in January, 194 in February along with four spurious drugs, 168 in March, 157 in May and 159 in June.

Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak has crossed 700 cases, with the state reporting 731 cases, four measles-associated deaths and 141 hospitalizations as of September 16. The four deaths are the first in 35 years in the State and speaks volumes about the severity of the outbreak.

The state has also reported measles cases among vaccinated people, although these account for less than 1% of total cases.

Pennsylvania Seeks CDC Emergency Support

The Pennsylvania Department of Health has requested emergency assistance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), known as an Epi-Aid, according to a letter reviewed by Reuters.

However, the request is tied to a dispute over the CDC’s decision not to publicly recognize the four measles-associated deaths.

“The CDC’s choice not to publicly recognize ⁠the deaths undermines our response,” Pennsylvania Health Secretary Debra Bogen wrote to CDC Director Erica Schwartz.

She said the state would rescind its Epi-Aid request if the CDC could not “transparently and accurately communicate information” about the deaths.

Also read: Bill Gates Says Vaccine Hesitancy Could Make Ending Measles Impossible

Shapiro, Kennedy Clash Over Response

The dispute has also triggered a political clash between Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Shapiro accused Kennedy of fueling vaccine skepticism, while Kennedy said Shapiro had declined federal assistance. Kennedy has also said the CDC’s MMR recommendation remains unchanged.

“CDC’s MMR recommendation remains unchanged. I have repeatedly stated that MMR vaccination is the most effective way to prevent measles infection,” he said.

Shapiro said Pennsylvania would accept federal assistance but called on Kennedy and the CDC to recognize the four deaths.

Why CDC Is Not Counting The Deaths

The CDC is now using data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) to track measles deaths, according to a September 4 agency note.

Previously, it used the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) to report such data.

“CDC will report measles deaths if and when the National Center for Health Statistics reports measles as the underlying cause of death,” said Emily Hilliard, a US Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson.

The CDC’s 2026 tally currently shows no measles deaths because NCHS does not yet have records listing measles as the underlying cause.

Read More: 18-Year-Old Dies From Rare Measles Brain Complication As Pennsylvania Death Toll Hits 4

Measles Can Cause Serious Complications

Measles can cause complications including pneumonia and brain swelling. Nearly 20% of people who contract measles are hospitalized, while death, though rare, occurs in one to three patients per 1,000 cases.

The virus spreads through respiratory droplets and can remain infectious in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours.

Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes, followed by a rash that typically begins on the head and spreads downward. Symptoms can appear 7 to 21 days after exposure.

MMR Vaccine Remains The Best Protection

The best protection against measles is vaccination. Two doses of the MMR vaccine provide 97% protection against measles, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

People with two documented doses generally do not need another. Those with only one dose or without vaccination records should speak with a healthcare provider or pharmacist.