===== Nutrition & Physical Activity =====

[[start|« Back to Physical Health Overview]]

**Diet Quality: The "Ultra-Processed" Brain**
  * Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Research Review / 2025: [[https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/what-are-ultra-processed-foods|Ultra-Processed Foods and Adolescent Anxiety: The Gut-Brain Axis]]
  * News-Medical, Clinical Report / 2025: [[https://www.news-medical.net/news/20250713/Ultra-processed-foods-threaten-brain-health-in-kids-and-teens-review-warns.aspx|How UPFs Threaten Cognitive Development in Boys]]

**Fueling the Male Athlete: Protein & Energy Availability**
  * National Institutes of Health (PMC), Sports Nutrition / 2025: [[https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12088083/|Nutritional Recommendations for the Young Athlete: 1.5g/kg Protein Rule]]
  * MDPI Nutrients, Review / 2025: [[https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/17/2792|Optimizing Performance: The Danger of Low Energy Availability (LEA)]]

**Metabolic Health: The Rise of Pediatric Metabolic Syndrome**
  * World Health Organization (WHO), Global Report / 2025: [[https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight|Adolescent Obesity Trends: A Quadrupling Since 1990]]
  * Frontiers in Endocrinology, Epidemiology / 2025: [[https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1512642/full|Metabolic Syndrome in Boys: Early Screening Protocols]]

**Physical Activity: Closing the "Movement Gap"**
  * U.S. Report Card on Physical Activity, Research Team / 2024: [[https://www.kumc.edu/about/news/news-archive/childhood-activity-report.html|Only 20% of Boys Meet the 60-Minute Daily Movement Guideline]]
  * Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Guidelines / 2024: [[https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/adding-children-adolescents/what-counts.html|Bone-Strengthening vs. Muscle-Strengthening: What Boys Need]]