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.

US President Donald Trump should take a month-long break for his health, friend Bill O'Reilly has suggested.

The American conservative political commentator and television host made the remarks during a recent episode of his show.

“I noticed that he’s hunching over a little bit,” said O'Reilly, noting that he has known Trump for 35 years and expressing concern about the 80-year-old president's health, TV Insider reported.

“That’s normal. You get older, every malady in the world is going to visit you. I can’t even bore you with the stuff I gotta deal with. I was actually feeling sorry for myself the other day and I never do that.”

Offering advice, O'Reilly said Trump should “take the next month off, if you can.” He urged the president to “get into an environment” he enjoys, suggesting he spend time playing golf and “relax a little bit.”

Renewed Scrutiny Over Trump's Health

Questions about Trump's health have resurfaced during his second term following a series of public appearances.

Observers have pointed to swollen ankles, bruising on his hands, verbal slips, and occasional moments in which he appeared drowsy during meetings and international summits. Some physicians have also publicly raised concerns about the president's physical and cognitive health, although none have diagnosed him with dementia.

Trump has repeatedly rejected suggestions that he is experiencing cognitive decline or other serious health problems. His latest annual physical examination concluded that he is "in excellent health."

Bruising and Rash Draw Online Attention

Recent photographs have shown discoloration on both of Trump's hands. His right hand has repeatedly drawn attention in recent months for bruising that often appeared to be covered with concealer, while newer images also showed discoloration on his left hand.

“Bruising and discoloration was visible today on Trump's left hand, which is not the one that is usually mangled,” independent journalist Aaron Rupar wrote on social media platform X.

Earlier this month, Trump was also photographed with a visible neck rash and a bruised right hand that appeared to be covered with makeup during the 2026 NATO Summit in Türkiye. The back of his right hand appeared noticeably darker than the surrounding skin, suggesting cosmetic coverage, The Independent reported.

Trump has also been unsteady on his feet on some occasions, particularly while using stairs.

White House Dismisses Concerns

The White House has repeatedly rejected concerns about Trump's health, attributing the bruising to the physical demands of his schedule.

"President Trump is the sharpest, most accessible, and energetic president in American history," White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement to The Independent.

In February, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt similarly said the bruising was caused by frequent handshaking.

Following Trump's most recent medical examination in May, White House physician Dr. Sean Barbabella said the bruising was consistent with "minor soft tissue irritation related to frequent handshaking" while the president was taking aspirin as a preventive measure against cardiovascular disease.

After the check-up at Walter Reed, Trump wrote on Truth Social that "everything" had "checked out PERFECTLY."

The White House has also addressed concerns over swelling around Trump's ankles, saying it is caused by blood pooling in the lower legs—a common condition among older adults.

Quitting smoking remains one of the best decisions for your health. But new research suggests that even years after your last cigarette, your lungs may continue to carry the harmful effects that increase the risk of chronic lung disease.

A new study by McGill University, published in the journal Translational Research, finds why former smokers remain at high risk to lung diseases even after quitting.

By analysing lung cells closely, scientists found that even though some damage due to smoking heals over time, other damages persist, leaving ex-smokers at a higher risk of conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer.

What Did The Study Find?

The study was conducted on more than 100,000 individual lung cells collected from 21 people, including nine people who had never smoked, five active smokers, and seven former smokers.

Using single-cell RNA sequencing, researchers examined molecular activity across more than 40 different lung cell types, creating one of the most comprehensive maps of how smoking and smoking cessation affect the lungs at the cellular level.

Their findings revealed that long-term lung recovery is not uniform. While some lung cells gradually regained healthier patterns after smoking cessation, others continued to show long-term molecular changes affecting tissues, immune responses, blood vessel function, and the overall lung health.

Perhaps the most surprising finding was that some cells in ex-smokers showed unique molecular markers that were not seen in active smoker and participants who never smoked, suggesting quitting smoking creates its own biological impact.

Also read: Even Light Exercise Could Help People With COPD Live Longer, Study Finds

Why Does Lung Disease Risk Persist After Quitting?

Scientists have long known that the risk of lung cancer and COPD declines after quitting smoking, but it never completely returns to the same level as seen in people who have never touched a cigarette.

Smoking damages DNA, alters gene activity, triggers chronic inflammation and injures delicate lung tissues. While the body repairs some of this damage after the smoker quits, certain cellular changes become persistent.

These lingering molecular alterations could continue influencing how lung tissue responds to injury, infections and aging.

Senior author Professor Carolyn Baglole, from McGill University's Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, said, "Current smokers have the highest risk of deadly diseases like lung cancer, but former smokers still face a higher risk than people who never smoked. Despite more than a century of research on smoking, we don't fully understand why."

She added, "Our findings show that while some damage appears reversible, other changes persist long after people stop smoking."

First author Nicole Heimbach, a doctoral student at McGill University, said, "These findings are an important step toward understanding what damage caused by smoking can heal and what may be permanent. By knowing what damage remains after quitting, we can better understand how smoking-related diseases develop and how to treat them."

Also read: Could Wildfire Smoke Trigger Your Migraine? Latest Study Finds A Strong Link

Thinking Of Switching To Vaping Instead Of Quitting Cigarettes?

Instead of quitting smoking, if you are thinking of switching to vaping, think again. According to a new study, vape users presented reduced fitness and impaired blood vessel function similar to traditional cigarette smokers.

The research, published in the peer-reviewed journal ERJ Open Research, compared healthy adults aged 18 to 30 and found that both regular vapers and smokers had around 15% lower exercise capacity than people who had never smoked or vaped.

This suggests that electronic cigarettes like vapes are not lesser of two evils.

The researchers, however, caution that the study does not suggest that vaping is equally harmful as smoking in every respect.

Traditional cigarettes still strongly remain linked to major disorders like cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and many other life-threatening illnesses.

But the new study indicates that when it comes to cardiovascular fitness, breathing efficiency, lung function and blood vessel health in young adults, vaping may offer far less protection.

People who use cannabis frequently believing it relieves stress are about to be proven wrong. A new study debunked the myth that marijuana helps alleviate stress levels.

In fact, researchers recently found that frequent cannabis users may face the risk of higher levels of cortisol, body's stress hormone.

While the study does not prove that marijuana causes chronic stress, they raise important questions about how regular cannabis use affects long-term mental and physical health.

What Did The Study Find?

The study, conducted by researchers at Oregon State University and published in the journal Cannabis, examined 82 young adults, including 39 frequent cannabis users and 43 non-users.

Participants provided saliva samples immediately after waking and again 30 minutes later, allowing researchers to measure the cortisol awakening response (CAR), a natural surge in cortisol that prepares the body for the day.

The researchers found that frequent cannabis users had higher cortisol levels immediately upon waking compared to non-users. However, both groups showed a similar cortisol increase during the first 30 minutes after waking.

This suggests that cannabis users started the day with an already elevated stress hormone level rather than having an exaggerated morning cortisol surge.

Also read: 10 Odd Signs Of Stress That You Thought You Knew But Don't

Cortisol Isn't Just The 'Stress Hormone'

Cortisol, often called the stress hormone, plays several essential roles in the body. It helps regulate:

• Blood pressure
• Blood sugar
• Metabolism
• Immune function
• Body's response to physical and emotional stress

A temporary rise in cortisol is normal and even beneficial. But, chronically elevated cortisol has been linked to anxiety, depression, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and impaired immune function.

Why People Use Cannabis For Stress?

Many users experience short-term relaxation after consuming marijuana, particularly due to THC's effects on the brain's cannabinoid receptors.

However, researchers say repeated exposure may gradually alter the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the body's central stress-response network.

Over time, this could interfere with normal stress regulation, potentially creating a cycle where people increasingly rely on cannabis to cope with stress while their biological stress system becomes dysregulated.

However, researchers clarify that the study does not establish that frequent marijuana use directly causes increase in cortisol.

Also read: Could Wildfire Smoke Trigger Your Migraine? Latest Study Finds A Strong Link

The findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that heavy cannabis consumption may have complex effects on mental health. Recent research has linked it with:

• Increased risk of anxiety and depressive symptoms
• Higher likelihood of cannabis use disorder
• Greater risk of psychosis in susceptible individuals
• Cognitive problems, including impaired memory with long-term heavy use
• Experts note that these risks appear to increase with more frequent use, higher THC potency, and younger age at first use.

Many people use marijuana to unwind after a stressful day, but this study suggests that frequent cannabis use may be associated with higher baseline stress hormone levels upon waking. This could affect one's day-to-day quality of life.

As cannabis use continues to rise worldwide, researchers say understanding its long-term effects on mental health and the body's stress response will be increasingly important, especially to bust common myths associated to its use.