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BY Melissa Brotz

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If you ask anyone what they want for their children, you’ll likely hear one of the same answers continue to pop up: good health.

However, childhood health outcomes are heading in the wrong direction. About one in five children and adolescents in the U.S. has obesity, and recent research published in JAMA found that several measures of children’s health have declined since 2007, including sleep health, mental health, and chronic physical conditions.

These trends have consequences that extend well beyond childhood. Research shows that many of the chronic diseases driving healthcare costs, straining employers, and reducing workforce productivity are influenced by habits and routines established during early childhood.…