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By Truman Lewis of ConsumerAffairs

New study reveals concerning trends in U.S. children's well-being

• A new study found that more than one in five U.S. children now have multiple chronic health conditions.
  

• The study also found that developmental, behavioral, and mental health issues are all rising.
  

• Overall child health improved from 2016 to 2020, then reversed during the pandemic.
  

A new study led by researchers at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has uncovered a troubling trend: children's overall health in the United States is getting worse.

Published in JAMA in July 2025, the study shows that more American children are facing a combination of physical, mental, and developmental health issues than in years past.

While there was a period of progress between 2016 and 2020 where rates of chronic conditions and disability went down researchers found that this progress stalled and then reversed during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings raise concerns about the long-term impact of the pandemic on childrens health and well-being, especially among those from lower-income households.

In the course of conducting this study, there wasnt a single statistic that was startling, but instead comprehensive data over several years including millions of children all pointed to the same trends, which was an overall decline in the health of children and youth, senior study author Christopher B. Forrest, M.D., Ph.D., said in a news release.

The study

The research team analyzed data from the National Survey of Childrens Health, which includes parent-reported health information on over 200,000 children aged 0 to 17.

They focused on three main categories of child health:

1. Chronic physical conditions (like asthma or allergies)

2. Developmental or behavioral conditions (like ADHD or learning disabilities)

3. Mental health conditions (like anxiety or depression)
   

Researchers then grouped children by how many types of conditions they had: none, one, or two or more. They tracked these trends from 2016 through 2021 to see how things changed over time.

Importantly, the study didnt just look at medical diagnoses it also considered broader impacts like disability, access to care, and how many children were affected across multiple areas of health.

The results

The results were concerning. In 2021:

• Nearly one in fourchildren (23.6%) had two or more health conditions, up from 20.4% in 2016.

• Children with no health conditions dropped from 45.3% to 39.4%.

• Mental health conditions, especially among teens, were on the rise.

• Children in lower-income households were more likely to have multiple chronic health issues.
  

The study also highlighted how progress in children's health from 2016 to 2020 was essentially erased during the pandemic. In fact, some health indicators have now worsened beyond pre-pandemic levels.

Researchers say these findings should be a wake-up call for policymakers and health care providers. The growing number of children dealing with complex, overlapping health issues means that the current pediatric health system may need to evolve to better support families.

Children are naturally resilient and adaptive, Forrest said. If we can improve the ecosystems that surround them and meet the challenges we identified in this study, we can lay the foundation for a healthier future for our nations youth.

The rule would have made it easier and simpler to cancel unwanted subscriptions

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Federal appeals court strikes down FTCs click to cancel rule, citing regulatory overreach
• Consumer advocates warn the decision could make canceling subscriptions harder for millions
• Legal uncertainty looms for subscription-based businesses as industry braces for next steps

Companies that provide services long ago learned that if they could persuade customers to subscribe and pay a monthly fee, they would be assured of a constant revenue flow. Many that took that step did not make it easy to unsubscribe.

Enter the Federal Trade Commission, which last year finalized the click to cancel rule, requiring companies that sold subscriptions to make it easy for customers to cancel. But what seemed like a victory for consumers has now been overturned by the courts.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Tuesday struck down the FTCs click to cancel rule, finding the FTC had exceeded its authority under Section 18 of the FTC Act.

The rule and the ruling

The now-defunct rule, finalized in March 2024, required businesses to provide a straightforward online mechanismoften a single click or clearly labeled buttonfor customers to cancel subscriptions and recurring charges. It also prohibited companies from obstructing the cancellation process with unwanted prompts, retention offers, or long call center wait times.

But in a 2-1 decision, the court ruled that the rule constituted a significant expansion of the Commissions rulemaking powers without explicit congressional authorization.

The Commission cannot create sweeping mandates that transform how businesses operate without a clear legislative directive, the justices wrote.

Industry cheers, advocates warn

Business groups and subscription-based platforms welcomed the ruling as a check on what they characterized as heavy-handed regulation. The National Retail Federation and Chamber of Digital Commerce, which had both filed amicus briefs in support of the challenge, praised the decision as a victory for regulatory balance and innovation.

However, consumer protection groups reacted with alarm, pointing out that companies have deployed a well-documented practice of using dark patterns and deceptive practices to keep consumers paying for a service they no longer want or need.

Prices at the wholesale level rose 6.3% in June

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• The Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index climbed to 208.5, up 6.3% year over year and 1.6% month over month, reflecting seasonal strength despite tariff-driven volatility.

• Retail demand remains solid as off-lease supply continues to tighten, supporting higher used-vehicle values.

• The used-vehicle market is showing signs of normalization and resilience, outperforming the new-vehicle segment in terms of stability.

The wholesale used-vehicle market posted a notable uptick in June, defying the typical seasonal downtrend and signaling continued strength in a sector buoyed by resilient demand and tightening supply. That suggests prices on used car lots may continue to rise.

According to the latest data from Cox Automotive, the Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index, which tracks vehicle prices at the wholesale level, rose to 208.5, a 6.3% increase from a year ago and up 1.6% from May after seasonal adjustments.

Tariffs, which are making new cars more expensive, were likely a factor. However, despite the seasonally adjusted index showing a monthly rise, non-adjusted wholesale prices actually fell by 1.1% in June, a sharper-than-usual decline. This disconnect was largely attributed to price volatility following recent tariff announcements that disrupted new-vehicle supply chains and trickled down to affect used-vehicle dynamics.

Wholesale appreciation trends have been more volatile over Q2 as tariffs really impacted new sales and supply, said Jeremy Robb, senior director of Economic and Industry Insights at Cox Automotive. Even so, retail sales continue to run a bit hotter than prior years.

Signs of market stabilization

Industry experts see encouraging signs that the used market is returning to a more stable rhythm after years of pandemic-induced turbulence.

Historically, the used market has been incredibly consistent; but the pandemic disrupted much of that consistency, said Jonathan Smoke, chief economist at Cox Automotive. What we are seeing suggests we could finally be out of that pattern.

Improved supply bolstered by trade-ins linked to new-vehicle sales earlier this year is contributing to a more normalized market. This balance between supply and demand is expected to support continued price strength in the second half of 2025.

Elevated depreciation trends

While June saw stronger index readings overall, weekly data from the Manheim Market Report (MMR) indicated elevated depreciation, especially in the latter half of the month. MMR values fell each week, culminating in a 0.6% drop in the final week.

Over four weeks, three-year-old vehicles depreciated by 1.3%, a much steeper decline than the 0.6% historical average for the same period.

Still, the average daily sales conversion rate rose to 57.8%, up over 1 percentage point from May and well above the three-year June average of 53.1%, signaling continued retail demand.

The luxury vehicle segment once again led price appreciation, climbing 8.8% year over year, followed by SUVs at 6.0%. In contrast, compact cars declined by 0.1% the only segment to register a drop while mid-size sedans and trucks posted modest gains of 2.8%.

Retail used-vehicle sales slipped 1.5% from May but remained 2% higher than June 2024. Listing prices edged up 0.3%, and days supply remained unchanged month-over-month at 45 days still slightly tighter than last years 46-day supply.

In contrast, new-vehicle sales slumped. June saw a 14.2% drop from May and a 4.2% year-over-year decline, dragged down by cooling demand and tariff pressures. Retail new sales were estimated to be 3.0% lower than a year ago, with the fleet share dipping to 17.6%.