Spotlight|May 25, 2026

End Chronic Disease CEO Kelly McKenna introduced renowned author and happiness expert Dr. Arthur C. Brooks ahead of his keynote address at the Champions for Youth Summit, emphasizing the important connection between prevention, daily behavior, and long-term health. In her remarks, Kelly highlighted how stress, environment, and everyday habits shape chronic disease risk, noting that meaningful lives are often built through small daily moments of presence, joy, beauty, and human connection, which drive a biological response in support of health.

Research has even found that hospital patients recovering in rooms with natural scenery, plants, or flowers often experience lower stress levels, require less pain medication, and recover more quickly than patients in more sterile environments, highlighting the powerful relationship between environment and healing.

Kelly emphasized that our health is ultimately shaped by the daily behaviors we engage in and the environments that surround us, both of which provide continuous inputs that influence our biology over time, and described Brooks as a leading voice helping audiences better understand the relationship between happiness, purpose, leadership, and health. Brooks also joined CNBC’s Squawk Box to discuss the importance of limiting excessive screen time for students and creating environments that support more meaningful, connected lives, an issue End Chronic Disease continues to champion in states across the country.

The Champions for Youth Summit is a national gathering hosted by the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth (VFHY) that brings together educators, public health leaders, researchers, youth advocates, and policymakers focused on improving youth well-being. The 2026 summit in Reston, Virginia, featured sessions on childhood obesity prevention, digital wellness, substance use prevention, youth mental health, and policy innovation, along with globally renowned leaders such as Dr. Brooks as well as Dr. Nadine Burke Harris.

Established by the Virginia General Assembly in 1999, VFHY works to prevent childhood obesity, youth substance use, and tobacco and nicotine addiction through evidence-based programs, research, and youth empowerment initiatives across Virginia. The organization reaches hundreds of thousands of young people annually through school, community, and public health campaigns.

Hear more from the summit in Kelly’s Champions for Youth podcast episode, or sign up for our newsletter for the next update.