Lack of Access to Care

While the statistics are alarming, the real crisis lies in the lack of access to effective treatment, such as health and wellness coaching, for children and teens. Shockingly, 70% of counties in the US do not have child and adolescent psychiatrists, leaving millions of families without proper mental health support. In addition, there are only 37 pediatric weight management programs nationwide. Many of these programs are inaccessible to most families due to structural barriers like long wait times, distance, and lack of insurance coverage. Even when care is available, healthcare systems often have limited resources to offer sustained, personalized support for behavior change and lifestyle interventions, which are critical for long-term success.

A healthy future

Children’s health challenges have long-term impacts, often shaping their health into adulthood. Issues like poor nutrition, low physical activity, and unmanaged stress in childhood can persist, but early intervention with health coaches can break these cycles and promote healthier outcomes across the lifespan. By providing personalized, preventive care, health and wellness coaching address obesity and mental health challenges while aligning with modern healthcare trends, benefiting both individual families and the broader healthcare system by reducing the need for more intensive, costly interventions. 

The Pediatric Health Coach Academy is a National Board of Health & Wellness Coaching Approved training program that specializes in health and wellness that includes nutrition health coaching and mental health coaching for children, teens and families. Contact us at info@pediatrichealthcoaching.com to learn more about our Pediatric Health Coach Certification.