Adolescents News and Research

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Flavorings, colors and sweeteners emerge as UPF markers linked to depression risk

A prospective UK Biobank study of 171,818 adults found that greater estimated exposure to foods containing flavorings, coloring agents, and sweeteners was dose-dependently associated with a higher risk of incident depression over 10.7 years. The findings suggest that specific markers, rather than ultra-processed foods uniformly, may help explain associations between UPF consumption and depression risk.

1 Sep 2026

GLP-1 drugs have benefits beyond weight loss. Could microdoses preserve them?

A narrative review suggests GLP-1-based therapies deliver metabolic, cardiovascular, renal, and other systemic benefits, raising interest in whether lower fractional doses could improve tolerability and treatment continuity. However, direct evidence for GLP-1 microdosing remains extremely limited, and researchers say prospective studies are needed to determine whether lower doses preserve long-term benefits.

1 Sep 2026

Social media messages could empower parents to prevent teen vaping

Parents are an important line of defense against teen vaping, yet many lack the knowledge and tools needed to recognize vaping products, understand their risks and prevent their children from using them.

31 Aug 2026

Sexual health education empowers young people to prevent infections

For many adolescents and young adults, life revolves around new experiences, greater independence, and new relationships.

30 Aug 2026

Personalized nutrition promotes weight loss without counting calories

The great majority of people taking part in a study lost weight by following personalised nutritional insights, rather than going on a calorie counting or restrictive diet, reveal findings from a new study.

27 Aug 2026

Internalized racial oppression may undermine culturally affirming parenting

Black parents who experienced higher levels of appropriated racial oppression - defined as shaping one's behavior and self-concept around dominant cultural norms of whiteness - were less likely to transmit positive, culturally protective messages that affirmed racial pride and self-worth to their adolescent children, a recent study found.

25 Aug 2026

New UCSF center aims to improve eating disorder care

People with eating disorders wait an average of more than two-and-a-half years between the onset of symptoms and the start of treatment.

25 Aug 2026

Survey provides a comprehensive snapshot of youth mental health and drug use in Ontario

Findings from the 2025 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS) released today by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) suggest that Ontario middle and high school students have rebounded from the heightened mental health challenges seen during and immediately following the COVID-19 pandemic.

24 Aug 2026

Type 2 diabetes incidence increases 10-fold among American youth

Type 2 diabetes has traditionally been a disease that has developed mostly in middle-aged and older adults.

24 Aug 2026

Researchers followed children for a decade to see whether screen time really mattered

A large Scottish birth cohort found that screen use showed limited and inconsistent associations with children’s emotional, behavioral, and social development from ages 5 to 15. Very high gaming in adolescence stood out, while several other associations weakened after adjustment, sensitivity analyses, or correction for multiple testing.

24 Aug 2026

Study reveals free-to-play video games mimic gambling spending patterns

Digital media, including videogames, are a central part of leisure activities for many adolescents and adults.

21 Aug 2026

What happens to your diet when you get better at cooking?

Cooking-skills interventions were associated with healthier dietary behaviors in healthy adults, including greater fruit and vegetable intake, improved diet quality, and greater cooking confidence. However, the certainty of evidence was low to very low, and too little evidence was available to determine whether cooking skills affect nutritional status.

20 Aug 2026

Study: Nearly 8 out of 10 young adults have cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome

A new scientific study found that nearly 8 out of 10 young adult participants, average age 23 years, had cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome (CKM syndrome), according to new independent research published today in Circulation: Population Health and Outcomes, a peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Heart Association.

20 Aug 2026

TikTok food videos prompt adolescent cravings and desire to eat

A recent study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (JNEB), published by Elsevier, found that adolescents reported TikTok food content cued their desire to eat or try foods, while acknowledging that parents could play a protective role by helping them disengage from the platform and fostering critical conversations about food, bodies, influencers, and online health information.

19 Aug 2026

Moderate fruit juice intake could help close vitamin C gaps in UK diets

UK dietary modeling found that fruit juice contributed substantially to vitamin C intake, although around four in five participants already met the national Reference Nutrient Intake. The simulations examined whether changing fruit juice consumption among existing consumers or introducing moderate intake among non-consumers could improve vitamin C adequacy while limiting additional free sugars.

19 Aug 2026

Alliance highlights the importance of clinical research on World Breast Cancer Research Day

This World Breast Cancer Research Day, the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology is highlighting the importance of clinical research in advancing better treatments and improving early detection to ultimately help prevent and cure breast cancer.

18 Aug 2026

Tufts study links pet relationships to teen coping styles

About one in 10 teenagers experience social anxiety-persistent and disruptive worries about being judged by their classmates and other peers.

17 Aug 2026

Beauty tutorials in social media increase use of hormone-disrupting products by teens

Personal care products are among the largest everyday sources of exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and high schoolers who follow social media influencers or watch beauty tutorials seem to use considerably more of them, according to Rutgers researchers.

17 Aug 2026

Digital program proves effective for treating childhood anxiety symptoms

The follow-up of a randomized controlled trial shows that the internet-based Master Your Worries intervention program for treating children's anxiety has a long-term effect on the participants.

17 Aug 2026

Subtle brain differences detected in children at risk for schizophrenia

A study examined the brains of children at increased risk of developing schizophrenia to determine whether signs of vulnerability can be detected during childhood.

13 Aug 2026