Fear of Food and Medicine in the New MAHA Report

The new MAHA (Making America Healthy Again) report on the health of American children is out and, in a word, things are terrible. In the words of the report, “it presents the stark reality of American children’s declining health.” We have a whole generation at risk because of toxic chemicals, ultra-processed food, unnecessary medical treatments, physical inactivity, and chronic stress.

Kids these days are a mess, the report says as it paints the picture of a “chronic disease crisis.”

Danger Everywhere

Nothing to fear but fear itself is definitely a concept the new MAHA report has discarded. It paints a dark picture of health facing American children. Toxic chemicals are everywhere – even in breast milk! Chronic stress is wrecking their lives.

Making it worse, says the report, is “overmedicalization” of all these health problems with unnecessary medicines and vaccines. All this is driven, the report suggests, by “conflicts of interest in medical research, regulation, and practice.”

Pro-Growth Policies to the Rescue

The intent of this document was to lay out the problem in the view of the MAHA Commission. But it does hint at the solutions that will be coming from them:

“We will begin reversing the childhood chronic disease crisis by confronting its root causes – not just its symptoms. This means pursuing truth, embracing science, and enacting pro-growth policies and innovations to restore children’s health. Today’s children are tomorrow’s workforce, caregivers, and leaders – we can no longer afford to ignore this crisis.”

The report is receiving a mixed reception. On one hand, some of its themes resonate well with folks who study these problems. James Perrin, a professor of pediatrics at the Harvard Medical School, says:

“Many of us have been calling for some attention to these issues for decades now. This is a real American problem, and it’s not one that we’re seeing quite so dramatically in other countries.”

But on the other hand, there’s more than a little skepticism that they are serious about addressing “root causes” of these problems. Carmen Marsit, a professor of environment health at Emory University, gave voice to this:

“They acknowledge that ultra-processed foods are cheaper, but aren’t acknowledging that growing poverty and the wealth gap is leading more people, and children, to relying on cheaper foods.”

We have our doubts that the administration that proposes closing down CDC operations addressing chronic diseases and obesity will mount a serious effort to solve these problems. As one expert, Lauren Wisk at UCLA, points out, “they have been looking at things that are splashier.”

Click here, here, and here for more on MAHA and this report. For the report, click here.

Isle of the Dead (Basel, 1880), painting by Arnold Böcklin / Wikipedia

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May 23, 2025