Doesn’t it seem like it’s harder and harder to stay healthy? For many causes of morbidity, the United States is the leader in terms of comparable countries. Taking that a step further - doesn’t it seem like it’s harder and harder to keep your kids healthy?

It should (likely) come as no surprise that the United States isn’t very high on a list of countries whose healthcare is stellar and whose population is very healthy - especially considering the amount of people who pass away even daily. That honor goes to Luxembourg, a small nation nestled in near France, Germany, and Belgium in Europe. This small country has the best healthcare in the world and is ranked #1 most healthy country worldwide. However, Denmark ranks as the #1 country to raise children in, and while we’re on the topic of children… why isn’t the United States doing better by our kids?

The kids are (not) all right, unlike the lyrics suggest. Instead of producing healthy children, kids in the United States are 70% more likely to die at a younger age than they are in other wealthy first world nations. Personally, that percentage seems to be more than a little too high. Overall life expectancy in our country is declining, too.

Maybe it’s the fault of our fractured healthcare system. Perhaps it’s the fault of an administration that let the Children’s Health Insurance Program expire. Or maybe we aren’t shouldering enough blame as parents who don’t help our children create and implement healthy habits that will encourage them to lead a better lifestyle.

I think, though, what is most disconcerting as a parent is to realize that teenagers in the United States are more likely to die by a hand holding a gun and a person pulling the trigger. Gun related deaths are one of the leading causes of death in our country, and the leading cause of death in Alaska, Mississippi, and Louisiana. There’s only so much we can do in the name of awareness. We need to do more to protect our kids and keep them healthy.

For me, that means working to ensure my kids have exercise each day - even if that’s by walking the dog. It means spending a little extra time preparing food for them so that they’re not eating preserved lunch every day. I understand that’s not the ability of everyone - not everyone has the time to spend doing these things because of time limitations or otherwise - but for me, that’s how I’m working to make a change. I don’t want to see my children grow up with various health concerns like heart disease and cancer when I can help them learn habits to prevent these illnesses in the best ways possible.