Columbus pediatrician explains health decline among kids, shares recommendations for back to school

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — A new national study shows the physical, mental and emotional health of American children has been steadily declining.

With kids’ return to the classroom just weeks away, a pediatrician with Piedmont Columbus Regional says now is the perfect time to spot warning signs and get ahead of potential long-term issues.

Associated Press: American kids have become increasingly unhealthy over nearly two decades, new study finds

“Obesity and anxiety have been a challenge both in the pediatric population for health care and also in adults,” said Dr. Dana Gilbert, pediatrician at Piedmont Physicians Pediatrics at Midtown Columbus.

“We’ve seen a rise in mental health disorders and obesity. And there’s multiple factors that go into this. An increase in screen time and a decrease in physical activity is definitely related both to mental health conditions and also to obesity.”

Dr. Gilbert says well-child visits help prevent long-term problems and promote healthy habit building. In addition to this, Dr. Gilbert suggests checking up on and updating your child’s immunization records.

“With measles being more prevalent in the United States as a whole, we’ve definitely been talking more and trying to really emphasize the importance of vaccines with our families in our local community to avoid measles becoming an issue here in the Columbus area.” Gilbert says.

Gilbert recommends the Journal of the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention for trustworthy information regarding the latest vaccine research and medical information.

To ease the back to school transition, Dr. Gilbert suggests beginning school-year routines now.