According to his post on Truth Social:

I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health. The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country. Mr. Kennedy will restore these Agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency, to end the Chronic Disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!

HHS is huge. It has 13 operating divisions, including 10 agencies in the U.S. Public Health Service and three human services agencies. Included under RFK’s purview will be the CDC, the FDA, and the NIH.

In other words, RFK will now be empowered to completely reshape healthcare in the United States from just about every federal angle.

Reactions to the news were stunning:

RFK Jr. will make America healthy again! pic.twitter.com/kyv3E7maoB

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) November 14, 2024

Anyone who claims @RobertKennedyJr isn't qualified to head HHS needs to explain the special qualifications of the current holder of that office, Xavier Becerra, who is a career politician with a law degree.

— Laura Powell (@LauraPowellEsq) November 14, 2024

The old Health Minister vs The new Health Minister

Who do you choose? pic.twitter.com/RQBGeF7dLl

— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) November 14, 2024

God forbid we let RFK Jr. be in charge of HHS, otherwise he might do something crazy like fund experimental gain-of-function research in Chinese laboratories and cause a global pandemic

Oh wait

— Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) November 14, 2024

I got to witness Bobby make his announcement to drop out and endorse you front row in Phoenix. He is one of the most genuine patriots I've ever heard speak.

God bless RFK Jr. and President Trump.

— George (@BehizyTweets) November 14, 2024

Just a few months ago @RobertKennedyJr gave up his Presidential campaign to join forces with Trump to “save the children”

Today Bobby was announced as Trump’s new Head of HHS to fulfill that mission and Make America Healthy Again

Congrats Bobby!! pic.twitter.com/bz8Xun41Oc

— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) November 14, 2024

LONG OVERDUE. It’s time to get the toxic chemicals, heavy metals and poisons out of our food. It’s time to stop spraying our skies with metals and get the atrazine and fluoride out of our tap water. Gut the FDA. Big Pharma & Big Food work together to make billions keeping us sick

— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) November 14, 2024

LFG! Let’s fight obesity and Big Pharma together, and, most importantly, let’s lock up Fauci!

— Dr. Simon Goddek (@goddeketal) November 14, 2024

Ladies and gentlemen, your new HHS Secretary, Bobby Kennedy Jr.:

"I asked God for 19 years to put me in a position where I could end the chronic disease epidemic and bring health back to our children, and in August, God sent me Donald Trump.”

MAHA MAGA

pic.twitter.com/1vKVSLQ4Y3

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) November 14, 2024

This move is truly transformative. As Kennedy and Trump have both highlighted, this nation was once the envy of the world for both healthcare and fitness of its citizens. Today, we’re the laughingstock. Kennedy is poised to truly Make America Healthy Again.

According to Kennedy, advertising money spent on television has nothing to do with trying to sell their products and everything to do with keeping networks from running negative stories or investigations about them. There have been numerous reports and even full documentaries about this practice over the years but it is still considered to be a “conspiracy theory”… as reported by corporate media.

Watch:

BOMBSHELL

RFK JR will Recommend to Donald Trump the Complete BAN of Pharmaceutical Ads from US Airwaves

YOU HAVE NO IDEA how big this would be… This will affect every major news outlet, which gets the majority of their funding from…. BIG PHARMA.

THIS is why… pic.twitter.com/S87znUbMYO

— MJTruthUltra (@MJTruthUltra) November 1, 2024

This isn’t the first time he has made such a promise. While running for president as an Independent candidate, Kennedy said he would make the move on his first day in office if elected.

Only two countries allow Big Pharma to buy television ads: the United States and New Zealand.

Kennedy is expected to take a leading role in the Trump administration should he earn a second term. His “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) Alliance is focused on improving the health of American citizens. It’s understandable that his biggest detractors are the Big Pharma companies that make money of Americans staying unhealthy, plus the proxies in media and politics that Big Pharma pays off.

New York Times bestselling author Calley Means tweeted that he was “floored” after seeing what the committee’s “core principle” entails: “REDUCING focus on chronic disease reduction.”

In other words, the people who create the USDA’s nutritional guidelines for America are urging the federal agency to stop focusing on reducing chronic disease through diet. It turns out that the committee’s members are being paid off by pharmaceutical giants Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and Abbott, as well as junk food giant Mars.

“This must be disbanded,” Means tweeted, along with the following screenshot of one of the Zoom call slides:

I’m floored.

The USDA Nutrition Guidelines Committee previewed their new guidance today on an internal zoom.

A CORE principle is “REDUCING focus on chronic disease reduction.”

Committee members are paid by Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Abbott, and Mars.

This must be disbanded. pic.twitter.com/LTWcxpaHhO

— Calley Means (@calleymeans) October 23, 2024

(Related: Did you know that Sen. Ron Johnson [R-Wisc.] recently held a roundtable discussion at which he urged the Senate to rethink nutritional guidance and distrust almost every institution due to systemic corruption?)

“Healthspan” is the newspeak government is using to manipulate public perception of healthy eating

One of the committee’s members, Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, is in charge of putting together the USDA’s nutritional guidelines for children. Watch below as Dr. Stanford, an obesity doctor at Mass General Hospital, tells 60 Minutes that the true cause of obesity is “brain disease:”

“It’s a brain disease.”

Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity doctor at Mass General Hospital, says that obesity has little to do with willpower and is determined by what a person’s brain thinks their body needs. https://t.co/K2U70bkIKw pic.twitter.com/Oyd8vkJViZ

— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) January 2, 2023

“If obesity is mostly genetic … then why the massive growth in obesity over the last 25 years?” someone asked on X / Twitter, making a very good point about Dr. Stanford’s nonsensical claim.

“No. It’s industrialized toxic oils used to dilute and replace naturally healthy oils and fats by Big Food to make their products cheaper,” responded another.

Means also shared this link from the USDA containing the disclosures of who pays the USDA committee to make its recommendations. You will notice that all sorts of major hospitals, medical organizations, pharmaceutical companies, junk food conglomerates and academia is paying the USDA to make dietary recommendations that suit their respective industries.

“I’m astonished to learn that there was any focus on chronic disease reduction to begin with!” tweeted another person, shocked at these revelations.

Others noted that there is simply no money in being healthy. Prevention is good for individuals and society, but it is bad for Big Business, which relies on ever-growing profit streams that typically involve corruption and fraud to make happen.

“Insane we have a chronic illness epidemic and they want to reduce focus instead of fixing it,” tweeted another on X / Twitter. “Time to clean house and bring in medical and health professionals who know how to reduce chronic disease.”

“They are changing the jargon,” wrote another. “Lifespan is quality of health over time. One definition of many: ‘Healthspan refers to the period of time in a person’s life when they are healthy and free from chronic disease or disability.'”

“You can’t improve healthspan if you don’t focus on chronic disease risk reduction. Their guideline is a contradiction.”

More related news coverage can be found at JunkFood.news.

Sources for this article include:

• X.com
• NaturalNews.com
• DietaryGuidelines.gov

One of the main organizers of the event – Calley Means – urged the Senate to rethink nutritional guidance and distrust almost every institution.

America’s institutions have lied to the public for decades, misleading people on nutrition, healing from chronic illness

Means, a former consultant for Big Food and Big Pharma, emphasized the need for skepticism regarding the advice offered by major institutions on nutrition and chronic diseases. “Life expectancy has not increased in the past century, and we spend 90 to 95% of all medical spending on chronic issues, yet outcomes remain stagnant,” Means stated.

Means highlighted alarming trends, noting, “Heart disease has risen with increased statin prescriptions. Type 2 diabetes has surged alongside metformin use, and ADHD diagnoses have also climbed as more Adderall is prescribed.” He further pointed out that rising rates of depression and suicide correlate with increased prescriptions of antidepressants, while opioid prescriptions have led to greater pain management challenges.

Means criticized the American food system, describing it as “weaponized” due to the influence of the processed food industry. He traced its origins back to the tobacco industry, stating that major cigarette companies strategically acquired food brands and applied their expertise in creating addictive products. “They moved addiction specialists into their food divisions, creating ultra-processed foods designed to be both palatable and addictive,” he explained. Food chemicals such as MSG are used to addict consumers to toxic food-like products that are void of nutrition. Consumers get accustomed to eating ultra-processed foods that do not provide their cells what’s necessary to carry out vital functions.

Means asserted that the standard American diet has not only contributed to public health crises but has also been financially beneficial for the healthcare industry, which profits from treating the chronic conditions stemming from poor nutrition. “The medical industry has been complicit in this issue, benefiting from the rise in chronic diseases,” Means added. It’s true: most of the new drugs manufactured today do not address the root cause of chronic disease. Many of the new drugs actually cause new health problems.

Ultra-processed, food-like items have replaced raw living foods and herbs that people need to thrive

Max Lugavere, a best-selling author and long-time advocate for nutritional awareness, echoed these sentiments. He warned that many items in grocery stores should not be considered food but rather “food-like items” that contribute to an obesity epidemic. “This isn’t just about willpower; it’s about our food system,” Lugavere asserted. He concluded with a poignant observation: “We are not simply living longer; we are dying longer, plagued by preventable illnesses.”

The discussions at the Senate roundtable were deeply distrustful of government guidelines like the USDA’s food pyramid, which ignores essential food groups such as herbs, seeds, roots, barks, berries, seaweeds and healthy fats, to name a few. As health education is dumbed down in school systems and in medical schools, there is growing concern about the effectiveness of current nutritional guidance and chronic disease management strategies. As chronic diseases surface, individuals are finding their own way out of these health struggles by researching and implementing holistic strategies that are dismissed by traditional allopathic doctors — most of which are not trained on nutrition and herbal medicine.

As the panelists called for a re-evaluation of institutional advice, they highlighted the urgent need for systemic change in America’s approach to health and nutrition. Food pantries are void of the raw, living foods, nutrient-dense superfoods, adaptogenic substances and medicinal herbs that can set people free from their chronic diseases.

Sources include:

• Lifesitenews.com
• Rumble.com
• DietaryGuidelines.gov [PDF]
• Naturalpedia.com

However, those who get their news from the mainstream media are blissfully unaware of all this, and that includes many medical professionals as well. As the pandemic demonstrated, the mainstream media has to keep its advertisers happy, and that includes pharmaceutical companies, and they’re also influenced by the government. As a result, many doctors are surprisingly naïve to what has been going on with Big Pharma and its numerous deceptions and illegal actions.

Most doctors enter the field out of a genuine desire to help people. Although there have been cases of doctors knowingly risking their patients’ health in pursuit of profits, many of them want to keep people healthy and truly believe that pharmaceuticals are the answer – often based on what they are taught in medical school. And while there is no doubt that some drugs and other interventions save lives every day, failing to research these solutions and stay on top of independent news reports about pharmaceutical companies means some doctors are unwittingly doing more harm than good.

Study shows 85% of pharmaceutical companies engaged in illegal activities

For example, not many doctors are aware of a peer-reviewed article published by the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2020 looking at illegal activities by pharmaceutical companies from 2003 to 2016.

That study revealed that 85 percent of the companies studied had been hit with financial penalties for their illegal activities, adding up to a total combined value of $33 billion. The illegal activities that these companies engaged in ranged from misleading marketing and failing to disclose negative information about their products such as serious side effects, to manufacturing and distributing adulterated drugs. They also found cases of companies providing kickbacks to medical professionals, pricing violations and bribing foreign officials.

There were a lot of familiar names on the list, with GlaxoSmithKline paying overall fines of nearly $10 billion, Pfizer on the hook for $2.9 billion and Johnson & Johnson paying $2.6 billion in penalties. Eli Lilly, Merck, AstraZeneca, Novartis and Sanofi Aventis were also among the names identified in the study as being fined for illegal activities.

In many of these situations, court cases drag out for years, with pharmaceutical companies appealing to higher courts when they are hit with unfavorable findings. This can make it very difficult for patients and other victims to hold them accountable. It’s also important to note that although you may hear about some of these convictions if you are willing to seek out the information yourself, there are also numerous settlements that never come to light, with companies paying money to their victims without admitting any guilt.

Covering up unfavorable studies and ghostwriting journal articles

One of the more blatant examples of pharmaceutical company wrongdoing was seen with Merck’s anti-arthritis drug Vioxx, which was used by as many as 80 million people around the world at its peak popularity. Although it was marketed as being a safer alternative to other anti-inflammatory drugs, it was later revealed – after patients suffered from heart attacks – that a study funded by Merck found a sevenfold increase in heart attacks, but they went on to gain approval by the FDA anyway. Another study funded by the company found a fivefold increase in heart attacks, but the company failed to include some of them in the data they submitted to the New England Journal of Medicine, leaning to a “misleading conclusion” about the risk of the drug.

There have also been cases involving journals that were sponsored by pharmaceutical companies and made to look like independent scientific journals containing articles that were ghostwritten by Merck employees and attributed to doctors.

The evidence is out there, and if we assume that what we’re aware of represents only a fraction of their wrongdoings and that they have likely done even more but haven’t been caught, it’s horrifying to think of the damage that could be done. Many doctors who pushed COVID-19 vaccines said that they believed they were safe because they thought that pharmaceutical companies wouldn’t do anything to hurt people, but apparently, they just weren’t paying enough attention.

Sources for this article include:

• ChildrensHealthDefense.org
• NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov

They are not interested in protecting public HEALTH; they are focused on achieving public DEATH.

This realization is slowly coming to light, as people like RFK Jr. and Rep. Massie fully grasp the real agenda behind government regulators. To say they have been “weaponized” against the American people is an understatement. They are deliberately, meticulously, with sinister intentions, plotting the extermination of the American people with an assault of toxic foods, toxic prescription medications, toxic pesticides and deadly vaccines. They are at war with humanity, and they will use their power in every possible way to poison as many Americans as possible while calling it “public health.”

Soon, they will demand the mass injection of children with reptile venom peptides, from which GLP-1 weight loss drugs are synthesized. These same children will be fed toxic, processed foodstuffs, mass medicated with psychiatric drugs, saturated with toxic chemicals in personal care products, and heavily dosed with gender-bender herbicide chemicals like atrazine.

Recognize this is a WAR against humanity, and protect your children if you want humanity to have any future at all. I created this Counterthink cartoon in 2006, which foretold all of this nearly 20 years ago:

GDP means Gross Death Product

The U.S. likes to tout its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) as a measure of productivity and economy activity, but the problem is that today the majority of economic activity in the USA is focused on the production of DEATH: Processed foods with toxic ingredients, toxic prescription medications and vaccines that kill hundreds of thousands each year, the war industry that builds bombs and missiles to kill, the death media industry that promotes mass abortions, euthanasia and suicides, and more.

Now, GDP actually means Gross Death Product, because the vast majority of America’s GDP is tied to death-related products. It is notable that while most of the rest of the world measures GDP based on what they CREATE, the USA measures GDP on how much they can DESTROY.

The US empire has become a global destroyer of nations and its people. (Just ask Ukraine.) RFK, Jr. and Donald Trump may be able to put an end to this death cycle, but it will take substantial efforts and aggressive reforms of corrupt, criminally-run government agencies such as the FDA, CDC, EPA, USDA, FTC and more.

WARNING to all African nations

Just like the science advisor to the Nixon administration (Lee DuBridge, see link below) wanted to export food to Africa laced with infertility and depopulation chemicals (admitted by NY Times in 1969), the western VACCINES being pushed on your nations are depopulation / ethnic cleansing kill shots. The West is an imperialist predatory medicine regime that disguises genocide as immunization, and seeks the total extermination of your kind.

In America, ABORTION centers are used to exterminate blacks. In Africa, VACCINES are the weapon of choice. If you want your children to live in abundance and prosperity, for future generations to come, REJECT western vaccines and medical experiments on your population.

See source on Natural News. Follow my podcasts, interviews, articles and social media posts on:

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He has determined that suspending his presidential campaign to team up with former President Trump will be necessary for the strongest success rate in making Americans healthier again, not through big pharma’s Ozempic shots but instead revitalizing small farms and shaking up corrupted federal agencies.

Lifelong liberals like RFK Jr. backing Trump is one of the strongest indicators of just how extreme the ticket, unoriginal Vice President Kamala Harris and Democrats have become. Harris’ team recently announced their first proposed economic policy, which was rooted in communism and included disastrous price controls. It appears the far-left ticket is being advised and heavily influenced by Marxists.

Between RFK Jr’s special announcement earlier Friday and his speech at Trump’s packed campaign rally in Glendale, Arizona, the liberal with millions of supporters nationwide appears to have made a deal with Trump to join the campaign with a shot at waging war against corrupt federal health and food agencies, resetting the nation’s poisonous food supply chain, and launch a crusade against big pharma if the Trump team wins in November.

RFK Jr. informed journalists at his special press conference in the early afternoon of Friday that America’s health crisis stems from ultra-processed foods pushed by giant food/pharma companies that have corrupted various federal agencies:

Autism rates were about one in 10,000 in my generation – in my kids Generation 1 in 34. I’ll repeat in California 1 and 22. Why are we letting this happen? Why are we allowing this to happen to our children? These are the most precious assets that we have in this country how can we let this happen to them.

About 18% of American teens now have fatty liver disease, that’s like one out of every five – that disease when I was a kid only affected late stage alcoholics who were elderly.

Cancer rates are skyrocketing in the Young and the old young. Adult cancers are up 70 79%. One in four American women is on anti-depressant medication. About 40% of teens have a mental health diagnosis and 15% of high schoolers are on Aderall, and half a million children on SSRIs.

So what’s causing this suffering? I’ll name two culprits first and the worst is ultra-processed food. About 70% of American children’s diet is ultra-processed that means industrial manufacturing – these Foods consist primarily of processed sugar, ultra-processed grains, and seed oils.

Scientists who, for many of them, formerly worked for the cigarette industry, which purchased all the big food companies in the 1970s and 80s, deployed thousands of scientists to figure out chemicals new chemicals to make the food more addictive, and these ingredients didn’t exist a 100 years ago. Humans aren’t biologically adapted to eat them. Hundreds of these chemicals are now banned in Europe but ubiquitous in American processed foods.

The second culprit is toxic chemicals in our food and our medicine and our environment pesticides food additives pharmaceutical drugs and toxic waste permeate every cell of our bodies. The Assault on our children’s cells and hormones is unrelenting – name just one problem many of these chemicals increase estrogen – because young children are ingesting so many of these hormone disruptors, America’s puberty rate is now occurring at age 10 to 13, which is six years earlier than girls were reaching puberty in 1900 our country has the earliest puberty rates of any continent on the Earth and no this isn’t because of better nutrition – this is not normal – breast cancer is also estrogen-driven and it now strikes one in eight women. We are mass poisoning all of our children. 

RFK Jr. then touched on the processed food industry lobbyists who have corrupted Washington, resulting in a food supply chain filled with poison that is killing Americans. He said several federal agencies that are supposed to protect consumers have also been corrupted.

He pointed out that the processed food industry has been “destroying small farms, and they’re destroying our soils.”

And RFK Jr. at Trump’s campaign rally…

RFK JR. JUST TOLD OVER 20,000 THAT RIGHTFUL PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL REMOVE CHEMICALS FROM FOOD!

"Don't you want healthy children?"

Kamala definitely isn't happy about this!

Share to make this go viral! pic.twitter.com/TEajEiRbgf

— Bo Loudon (@BoLoudon) August 24, 2024

Full RFK Jr. speech at the Trump Arizona Rally where he implores his supporters to vote for Trump so they together can 'Make America Healthy Again':
"We talked about the values and issues that bind us together. One of the issues that he talked about was having safe food and… pic.twitter.com/SaQX4ZRwbs

— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) August 24, 2024

RFK Jr. is entirely correct about the war on small farms. More than ever, the corrupt government and the processed food industry have contributed to the more recent small farm collapse.

Taking a step back, in the 1800s, about 90% of the US population lived on farms. It was unheard of to see morbidly obese folks back then. Small farm owners began to decline as folks moved to towns and cities. Small farms have now collapsed to less than one percent of the US population. And the billionaire class like Bill Gates, who wants to ban cow farts, has been buying up small farms nationwide in a massive consolidation move.

In the US, small farms accounted for less than 25% of food production in 2020, down from nearly half in the 1990s. We have detailed the government’s war on small farms in numerous reports, including the war on Amish farmers in Pennsylvania.

The change of guard in farming across America and who controls the food supply chain has morphed from the people to the processed food industry. As mega-factory farms rise in power, inversely, small farms have been burdened by high operation costs and climate regulation – a stealthily way of bankrupting the small competition.

Unlike factory farms, small farms are deeply rooted in communities. They are more likely to feed their neighbors and provide real, nutritious food rather than have their produce end up in a Walmart store halfway across the country. The latest data from the USDA shows the massive farm collapse across America over the last century.

Mega corporations, some of which are part of the ‘green’ cult, want greater and greater control over the nation’s food supply chain. Some are even pushing insect-based diets.

The big takeaway from RFK Jr.’s support of Trump is that he believes the correct path to restoring America’s health is not Ozempic shots but revitalizing the nation’s local food supply chains by making small farms great again. He wants to reset the food supply chain system and purge it of ultra-processed foods and seed oils that are killing consumers. He also proposed shaking up federal agencies in health and food that have close ties with ultra-processed food companies.

For years, we have told readers that it’s critical to support local farmers and put the food supply chain back into the hands of the people—not corrupt mega-corps that flood store shelves with cancer-causing junk food.

Henry Kissinger famously said, “Who controls the food supply controls the people; who controls the energy can control whole continents; who controls money can control the world.”

It’s time for Americans to regain control of the nation’s food supply chains by making small farms great again. Also, boycotting the processed food industry and buying local food is critical.

If Trump wins, RFK Jr. will likely provide tailwinds for small farmers. And Europe will take note as corp/gov’ts have also waged war on small farms.

Prepper All-Naturals only works with small ranches and farms. Their freeze dried steaks with a 25-year shelf life are produced as naturally as possible. The cattle are slaughtered. The meat is cooked sous vide. Then it is freeze dried and packaged in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers. No preservatives. In fact, no other ingredients at all, just 100% Texas beef.

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Benzodiazepines are a class of psychotropic medications used to treat anxiety disorders. They work by promoting the release of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter, thus slowing down the nervous system.¹ However, they’re prone to abuse, and when taken for years, can cause harmful side effects — many of which have not yet been fully identified and studied.

The documentary film “Medicating Normal,” produced and directed by filmmaking duo Lynn Cunningham and Wendy Ractliffe, sheds light on this problem. The film was inspired by a relative of Cunningham, who, at one point, was taking 10 pills daily, and she wanted to raise awareness about it. Here’s their statement, from the film’s official website:²

“It is estimated that of the 1 in 5 Americans taking such meds, 30% to 35% are gravely harmed by the very treatment meant to help them. ‘Medicating Normal’ focuses on the predicament of this group — individuals facing trauma and stress who are drugged needlessly and made sicker as a result …

Our hope is that ‘Medicating Normal’ will present one very important and predominantly untold story so that as a society we can begin a meaningful, informed nationwide discussion about what it means to be fully human and mentally well.”

Psychotropic Medications Can Actually Worsen the Patient’s Condition

The film follows several people over three years, taking a deep, intimate look at how long-term abuse of psychotropic medications affected their lives. It opens with the story of Dave Cope, a former U.S. Navy officer who was forced to retire from service due to chronic use of Ativan (lorazepam), a type of benzodiazepine, during his time in grad school. During this period, he was also diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed amphetamines.³

While Cope noted that these medications initially helped in the first few months, they eventually created troubling side effects. In one example, he experienced cognitive block to the point he had trouble remembering where he lived. Moreover, he developed a sense of apathy, unable to become excited for his upcoming wedding.⁴

U.S. Army veteran Angie Peacock had a similar experience. In the film, she narrates how she was prescribed Klonopin (clonazepam), another benzodiazepine, to manage her mental health after coming home. In an interview⁵ for Mad in America, she described how the drugs she took led to severe physical and mental health issues:

“I remember very quickly I had these problems. I had low-grade fevers, gastrointestinal problems, headaches, high heart rate. Then within two weeks, I couldn’t sleep. Every time I heard a noise, I would jump. I remember being scared of standing outside, I became agoraphobic.”

Again, benzodiazepines work by slowing down the central nervous system, reducing anxiety, seizures and muscle spasms.⁶ However, long-term use, as evident from Cope’s and Peacock’s experiences, can cause psychological issues. According to a study⁷ published in The Ochsner Journal, long-term effects of taking benzodiazepines include impaired thinking, confusion and disorientation. Increased tolerance and dependence are observed, too.

In another study⁸ published in 2021, long-term benzodiazepine use was observed to have a negative effect on fluid intelligence, which is the brain’s ability to interpret data and come up with solutions to puzzles or abstract problems.⁹

Teenagers Are Also Prescribed Psychotropic Medications

Even teenagers cannot escape from the clutches of Big Pharma’s machinations, like in the case of college student Rebecka Green.¹⁰ In the film, she explains that she developed anxiety during high school, which caused her to lose weight. Afterward, her parents scheduled a meeting with a therapist to help her. Unsurprisingly, Rebecka was immediately prescribed Zoloft, an antidepressant drug.

After some time, Rebecka started hallucinating about people who weren’t there. She was also hospitalized several times and was prescribed with more medications to treat the side effects of the other drugs she was taking. She recounts her experience, saying, “I think at one point, I was on six or seven [drugs] at one time.”¹¹

Using drugs to relieve symptoms without addressing the root cause is now a growing problem among the youth. In a 2022¹² report from The New York Times, the number of visits by teenagers (younger than 20) to psychiatrists increased from 200,000 in 1993 to 1.2 million in 2002. Moreover, a Medicaid survey noted that 85% of children enrolled in the program currently taking an antipsychotic drug also had a second medication.

As you can imagine, these drugs don’t really work, even for the youth. According to Dr. Joshua Gordon, former director of the National Institute of Mental Health, the lack of data showing what combination of drugs can help a child can eventually lead to multiple medications:

“Why kids end up on multiple medications is because we don’t have the medications that are really working for them. All of it suggests we need more research,” Gordon adds.¹³

Big Pharma Has Twisted What It Means To Be ‘Normal’

According to U.S. Navy psychologist Mary Neal Vieten, Ph.D.,¹⁴ much of the issue of overprescription stems from how drug marketers co-opted the notion of “normalcy.” She noted that drug marketers deliberately conflated “normal” with being comfortable. Therefore, if you’re feeling uncomfortable, you’re automatically “abnormal” and must take a pill. Dr. Allen Frances, former chair of psychiatry at Duke University, builds on this argument further:¹⁵

“Normal is in danger. The definitions used in psychiatry and even more, the way they’re applied, have become so wide that a far too large percentage of the population would be defined as having a mental disorder …

But most people presenting to a GP (general physician), for anxiety, have a short-term stressor that’s making them feel terrible. Most of the symptoms will go away in most people within a few weeks or a month. We shouldn’t confuse normal sadness and normal anxiety with mental disorder, and that line has been terribly blurred.”

The only reason that makes sense why this suffering has been allowed to thrive for so long is the pursuit of profit. Robert Whitaker,¹⁶ a renowned journalist critical of the psychiatric industry, noted that the obsession over taking pills for all sorts of health issues stems from a culture looking for magic bullets. Expectedly, Big Pharma took advantage of this.

In the 1970s, American psychiatrists were competing with talk therapists, social workers and counselors for patients. To attract more patients to their side, they put on a white coat and presented themselves as medical doctors.

Finally, they adopted a disease model for approaching mental health issues, with the goal of prescribing drugs to relieve symptoms. This made Big Pharma excited, as they were finally able to tap into a highly lucrative market originally inaccessible.¹⁷

As the decades passed, Big Pharma’s influence on creating government policies has grown to the point where patient safety isn’t important anymore. In the film,¹⁸ David Cope was shown attending a 2017 public hearing on Bill H4062, a law that aims to require informed consent for benzodiazepines.

However, Bill H4062 has been stonewalled because doctors complained that providing complete informed consent about the potential adverse effects may discourage patients who might “benefit” from taking these drugs.¹⁹

The last update regarding this bill was an updated draft in 2022 — it is still stuck in limbo.²⁰ The best that the U.S. government was able to do, for the time being, is to require Big Pharma to update the black box warning on benzodiazepines “about their potential for physiological dependence, withdrawal and other serious risks.”²¹

The Growing Polypharmacy Problem Cannot Be Ignored

A recurring theme in “Medicating Normal” is the issue of polypharmacy, which is defined as the simultaneous use of multiple medications.²² In the film, the subjects started with just one prescription drug, but eventually snowballed into several more — and their stories bring to light what millions of other Americans are experiencing right now. Health Affairs,²³ a journal focused on health care policy, called polypharmacy as “America’s other drug problem.”

According to the CDC’s latest statistics,²⁴ 48.6% of Americans have taken at least one prescription drug in the past 30 days. In the same time frame, 24% of the population have used three or more, and 12.8% have used five or more.

Which groups are the most affected by polypharmacy? According to a 2023 study²⁵ published in Global Health Research and Policy, it’s prevalent among the elderly, those affected with heart disease and diabetics.

Now, what happens to your health when you take more than one drug at the same time? A combination of symptoms may manifest, such as reduced alertness, loss of appetite, skin rashes, depression, cognitive problems and accidents. Moreover, taking multiple drugs can increase your risk of drug-to-drug interactions.²⁶

Are You Taking Too Many Prescription Drugs?

According to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, Americans spend more money on prescription drugs compared to other nations.²⁷ As of June 2024, the annual average cost of prescription drug use is $1,400 per American. Second are the Germans with $1,000, and third are Canadians with $865.²⁸

If your spending is getting close to the reported average, it’s time to do a serious reevaluation as to what drugs you’re taking and why. That way, you’re not only saving money that you can allocate toward other important expenses, but also to see if you’re overmedicated. Consider the following signs that may show you are under the spell of polypharmacy:²⁹

• You visit multiple doctors — You may think that all the different specialists you visit communicate with each other and exchange notes on how to help you address your health concerns. However, that doesn’t happen. If you see one specialist for a particular issue and another specialist for a different problem, one doctor does not know what the other doctor has prescribed.
• New health conditions appear — If you’ve been taking several medications, new health conditions and symptoms may appear due to the possible interactions. Before taking a new prescription from your doctor, always do your due diligence and ask possible interactions and side effects.
• You belong to a high-risk group — If you’re over the age of 65, you may be more likely to be overprescribed medications. According to the Canadian Deprescribing Network, women are also at higher risk because they have a longer life expectancy, and their physiology increases the risk of adverse drug events.³⁰
• You have access to good health care — Those with good health insurance may be at higher risk for polypharmacy. It’s not uncommon for people in this position to see multiple doctors who are unaware of the medications being prescribed.
• You have trouble keeping up with your medication — When you’re taking too many prescription drugs, you may start having problems keeping up with the frequency and timing. This could signify that you’re on too many drugs, and a visit to your primary care physician is warranted.
• Financial pressure — A potential sign that you might be taking more medication than is necessary is the added financial strain on your budget.

Strategies to Help Reduce Your Dependency on Medications

You can take several easy steps to help reduce the number of medications you or a loved one is taking, thus reducing the potential of an adverse drug event:

• List all medications you’re taking — Begin by listing the medications and OTC drugs you’re consistently taking. Review with your primary care provider all the medication you’ve been prescribed by other specialists, and see what you can replace through healthy lifestyle changes.³¹

It would be wise to repeat this process with your primary care physician at least once a year. Do this also after being released from the hospital due to a recent operation. It’s not unusual to receive a prescription that continues at home after your stay at the hospital.

Create a chart of all the medications and present it to your primary care physician during your medication review. Context is important, so list the reason you’re taking them, who prescribed them, when they were started and side effects you may be experiencing. This helps your physician see the big picture quickly.

If you’re seeing other specialists, bring the chart with you to each of your appointments.³² This keeps all your health care providers up to date with your treatment plan and all the medications you’re taking, both prescribed and over the counter (OTC).

• Use one pharmacy for all prescribed medications — A single pharmacist going over all your medications can quickly determine possible interactions between your prescriptions from different doctors, as well as answer any questions you have about OTC drugs and supplements.

• Pay attention each time a new medication is prescribed — Diligently read the product label and devote time to research online. If you find information that concerns you, consult with your primary care physician. They can help you come up with a strategy that may help you avoid taking a drug.

Ultimately, taking stock of all your medications is important because you may not need all of them. As seen in “Medicating Normal” and published studies, polypharmacy may not even address the problem — it may even make you feel worse. Furthermore, understand that there is no magic pill that addresses all your health issues instantly. However, there are lifestyle choices you can make that go a long way toward achieving your goals.

If you’re currently dealing with anxiety and other mental health issues, I recommend creating a strong foundation for your body and mind. Get an adequate amount of high-quality sleep, and incorporate a fitness routine. Physical exercise has repeatedly been shown to outperform drugs for mental health. For other nondrug recommendations, visit my article “Anxiety May Be an Inherited Trait.”

• ¹ Cleveland Clinic, “Benzodiazepines (Benzos)”
• ² Medicating Normal, “Directors’ Statement”
• ³ YouTube, “Medicating Normal” (6:45)
• ⁴ YouTube, “Medicating Normal” (8:59)
• ⁵ Mad in America, July 5, 2020
• ⁶ U.S. DEA, “Benzodiazepines”
• ⁷ Ochsner J. 2013 Summer; 13(2): 214–223, Side Effects
• ⁸ Neurol Int. 2021 Dec; 13(4): 594–607, 2.1 The Effects of Benzodiazepine on Cognition
• ⁹ Very Well Mind, “Fluid Vs. Crystallized Intelligence”
• ¹⁰ YouTube, “Medicating Normal” (09:58)
• ¹¹ YouTube, “Medicating Normal” (27:31)
• ^12, 13 The New York Times, August 27, 2022
• ¹⁴ YouTube, “Medicating Normal” (18:52)
• ¹⁵ YouTube, “Medicating Normal” (20:26)
• ¹⁶ YouTube, “Medicating Normal” (21:32)
• ¹⁷ YouTube, “Medicating Normal” (22:28)
• ¹⁸ YouTube, “Medicating Normal” (01:00)
• ^19, 21 Good Docs, June 8, 2021
• ²⁰ The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Bill H.2117 (Archived)
• ²² Eur Geriatr Med. 2021; 12(3): 443–452, Definition of Polypharmacy
• ²³ Health Affairs, May 20, 2019
• ²⁴ CDC, “Therapeutic Drug Use”
• ²⁵ Glob Health Res Policy. 2023; 8: 25, Abstract
• ²⁶ Johns Hopkins Medicine, “Polypharmacy in Adults 60 and Older”
• ²⁷ Peter G. Peterson Foundation, November 7, 2022
• ²⁸ Bloomberg, June 6, 2024
• ²⁹ Health High Road, May 9, 2022
• ³⁰ CMADN, “Am I taking too many medications?”
• ³¹ NPR, August 15, 2019
• ³² HealthinAging.org, Tip Sheet

The revelation came in a letter penned by Republican and Democratic leaders on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Robert Califf. In the letter, they pressed him to supply information about these clinical trials for new medications.

In their letter, they explained: “These collaborative research activities raise serious concerns that critical Intellectual Property is at risk of being transferred to the [Chinese military] or being co-opted under the People’s Republic of China’s National Security Law.”

They also expressed reservations about how much the results of clinical trials produced by China can be trusted.

The letter states that hundreds of clinical trials for drugs have been carried out at medical centers and hospitals in China that are affiliated with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) at sites such as the PLA’s Air Force Medical University and the PLA’s General Hospital and Medical School.

One of the institutions is operated by the PLA’s Academy of Military Medical Sciences, an institution which the Department of Commerce has banned businesses in the United States from sharing technology with due to national security concerns.

Potential experimentation on Uyghur Muslims

The letter also draws attention to the fact that some of these trials took place in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, a place where China has been conducting genocide against the Muslims living there. Reports indicate that some have been subjected to organ harvesting, while female victims are routinely raped and sterilized in so-called “reeducation camps.”

As a result, it is impossible to determine whether those who participated in the trials did so willingly.

The committee’s letter notes: “Given this, we believe that U.S. biopharmaceutical entities could be unintentionally profiting from the data derived from clinical trials during which the CCP forced victim patients to participate.”

They are calling on the administration of President Joe Biden to carefully scrutinize these trials to protect our nation’s interests and the human rights of the Uyghurs.

“Given the historical suppression and medical discrimination against ethnic minorities in this region, there are significant ethical concerns around conducting clinical trials in (Xinjiang),” they cautioned.

The lawmakers posed a series of questions in their letter, including whether the FDA has ever reviewed clinical trials carried out in conjunction with the PLA or performed any on-site inspections of PLA facilities. They also ask how far back this practice goes and whether the FDA has ever notified an American biopharmaceutical firm that it carried out studies with the PLA.

They also asked the FDA to disclose the metrics it uses to assess the risks of intellectual property and technology transfers, giving them a deadline of Oct. 1 to respond.

One of the studies they focused on in their review of American clinical trials that included Chinese military hospital sites was for the Alzheimer’s disease drug donanemab by Eli Lilly. Another was a study of a liver cancer drug by Pfizer known as Inlyta.

A representative from the Chinese embassy in Washington told Reuters that the “accusations of intellectual theft” are “groundless” and denied that the country is guilty of genocide in Xinjiang.

Vote expected next month on BIOSECURE Act

The letter comes as the House prepares for a vote on the BIOSECURE Act next month. Legislation was introduced earlier this year that proposes putting a stop to federal contracts with specific Chinese biotech firms that are believed to present a national security risk to the U.S. It will stop pharmaceutical companies from doing business with the firms in question, which could significantly compromise their bottom line.

Sources for this article include:

• NYPost.com
• 100PercentFedUp.com

(Mercola)—A survey¹ recently conducted by KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation), a reputable health policy research organization, found that approximately 12% (or 1 in 8) of U.S. adults have used a GLP-1 drug like Ozempic, Wegovy, or similar medications at some point in their lives.

• About 6% of adults (more than 15 million individuals) are currently prescribed these medications.
• Most adults (61%) who have used these drugs did so to manage chronic conditions like diabetes or heart disease.
• 38% of users reported taking these drugs specifically for weight loss.
• Usage varies by age group, with adults aged 50-64 being the most likely to have tried these medications.

These startling statistics are expanded upon in this interview with Tucker Carlson and Calley Means, the brother of Standford trained physician Casey Means whom I recently interviewed. Prepare yourself for a journey that will challenge everything you thought you knew about America’s health crisis.

The conversation opens with a stark reality check: the United States is facing an unprecedented decline in health, with implications that reach far beyond individual well-being to threaten the very fabric of society.

The interview paints a grim picture of the current state of American health. A staggering 42.4% of American adults are now obese and another 30.7% are overweight.² That means 73.1% of adults are either overweight or obese. But this isn’t just about carrying a few extra pounds — it’s a visible symptom of a much deeper, more insidious problem plaguing your nation: widespread metabolic dysfunction.

As you delve deeper into the conversation, you’ll discover that this epidemic of poor health has happened with alarming speed. In just one generation, the percentage of overweight or obese Americans has skyrocketed.

Even more shocking, approximately 48% of American adults now have pre-diabetes (estimated 52% of men and 44% of women) when using a fasting blood sugar of 100 mg/dL or higher as the threshold.³ This more stringent criterion provides a more accurate picture of the metabolic health crisis facing the nation.

The crisis isn’t limited to adults either; an estimated 24% of adolescents aged 12 to 18 are pre-diabetic.⁴ Thirty percent of American adults⁵ and 18.5% of adolescents and young adults⁶ (ages 12 to 24) also have fatty liver disease, a condition once seen only in elderly alcoholics.

The economic impact of this health crisis is staggering. Healthcare costs are spiraling out of control, with billions spent annually on treating preventable conditions. On an individual level, the cost of managing chronic health conditions can run into thousands of dollars per year. And these costs have only increased with the introduction of newer medications.

How Dysfunctional Powerhouses Drive America’s Health Epidemic

But here’s where things get interesting and concerning. A key player in this health drama that you might not have considered before, your mitochondria. These tiny powerhouses within your cells are responsible for producing adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP), the energy currency that powers almost all cellular processes. When these mitochondria malfunction, it sets off a cascade of problems throughout your body.

Chronic health conditions put enormous stress on your cells. Initially, your mitochondria try to keep up by increasing ATP production. But over time, this production starts to falter, signaling mitochondrial dysfunction. The consequences of this energy deficit are far-reaching. With less ATP available, all energy-dependent processes in your cells begin to suffer.

The delicate balance of ions inside and outside your cells is disrupted, enzymatic reactions slow down, and your body’s basic functions are compromised.

Your cells, desperate for energy, begin to rely more heavily on glycolysis, a less efficient form of energy production that occurs in the cell’s cytoplasm rather than in the mitochondria. This shift towards glycolysis and increased lactate production is reminiscent of the Warburg effect seen in rapidly growing tumors. It’s a sign that your cells are under severe metabolic stress.

As if this weren’t concerning enough, dysfunctional mitochondria become a major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These highly reactive molecules wreak havoc in your cells, oxidizing critical proteins and damaging cellular structures. This oxidative stress has wide-ranging effects, altering gene transcription, damaging DNA, and triggering local inflammation.

But the damage doesn’t stop at the cellular level. Mitochondrial dysfunction triggers the release of inflammatory cytokines, activates fibroblasts, and promotes tissue remodeling throughout your body. This structural remodeling further enhances the likelihood of chronic diseases developing and persisting.

You might be wondering how this ties into the broader health crisis facing America. The interview draws clear connections between mitochondrial dysfunction and a host of health issues plaguing the nation, from obesity and diabetes to heart disease and even mental health disorders by pointing fingers at the systems and institutions that have allowed this health crisis to develop.

The corruption in the food industry and government agencies has heavily contributed to this problem. For instance, did you know that more money from agriculture subsidies in America today goes to cigarettes than to vegetables? Or that 90% of subsidies go to highly processed food?

The U.S. government, through the food stamp program, is essentially paying people to drink soda. More than $10 billion per year go from the federal treasury to soda companies through this program. Even more shockingly, you’ll learn that until recently, civil rights groups were paid to argue that removing soda from food stamp eligibility was racist.

How Drug Companies Exploit Obesity and Fuel America’s Health Crisis

But perhaps the most disturbing revelation is about the pharmaceutical industry’s role in this health crisis. Drug companies are profiting from the very conditions they claim to treat. The push for drugs like Ozempic, which is being touted as a miracle cure for obesity is a classic example as it is being promoted for obesity but rather than cure obesity it forces you to manage it for life, at a cost of $20,000 per patient per year.

The math is staggering. With 73.1% of American adults overweight or obese, the potential market for this drug is enormous. Wall Street is already anticipating massive profits, with food stocks going down and pharma stocks going up. The interview suggests that this drug is on track to become the most successful in American history, potentially funneling trillions of dollars from government funding into pharmaceutical companies.

But it’s not just about the money. There are very serious and dangerous side effects of drugs like Ozempic, including gastrointestinal issues, stomach paralysis, and even increased risk of depression and suicide, and 30% of people stop taking the drug within three months, even when it’s fully paid for by insurance.

This is a deeply entrenched problem in the American healthcare system. There are massive conflicts of interest that permeate medical research, with pharmaceutical companies funding the very studies that are supposed to evaluate their products. The interview reveals that the largest spender on TV news ads is the pharmaceutical industry, and that drug companies are among the largest funders of foundational obesity research.

Even more disturbing, drug makers spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year in direct cash payments to doctors. These “consulting fees” create a clear conflict of interest, as these same doctors are the ones prescribing the medications.

The GLP-1 Paradox

Ozempic does indeed provide a hormone that your body desperately needs, GLP-1 is a hormone that is primarily produced by specialized cells in your colon called enteroendocrine L cells. These cells are scattered throughout your intestines, but they’re most concentrated in your colon.

But unlike Ozempic that gives you continuous GLP-1, these L cells produce GLP-1⁷ in response to the nutrients you eat, especially carbohydrates and fats. GLP-1 plays a crucial role in regulating your blood sugar. It stimulates insulin secretion, inhibits glucagon release, and slows down how quickly your stomach empties.^8,9

The effects of these gut hormones on your appetite and food intake are profound. GLP-1, whether naturally released or administered as a medication, has been consistently shown to reduce food intake in both animals and humans.

This is why GLP-1 receptor agonists are now used as treatments for obesity and Type 2 diabetes. The effects of GIP on appetite are less clear and somewhat controversial, with some studies suggesting it might increase food intake. However, recent research has shown promise in combining GLP-1 and GIP agonists for even greater weight loss and metabolic benefits.¹⁰

The mechanisms by which these hormones influence your eating behavior are complex. They involve both direct effects on your digestive system — slowing down stomach emptying and intestinal movement — and interactions with your nervous system. GLP-1, for example, can activate nerve endings in your intestine that send signals to your brain, influencing areas involved in appetite control and food reward.

It can also act directly on your brain after crossing the blood-brain barrier. This intricate system of nutrient sensing and hormone release in your gut plays a crucial role in regulating your appetite, metabolism, and overall health, underscoring the truth in the old saying that you are what you eat.

Ozempic is mimicking a natural process in your body, but at what cost? They’re not addressing the root cause of why your L cells might not be producing enough GLP-1 in the first place. Instead, they’re creating a dependency on an external source of this hormone.

And let’s not forget the price tag — $20,000 per year for something your body should be producing naturally if given the right conditions. It’s another example of how the pharmaceutical industry is profiting from our metabolic dysfunction rather than helping us address the underlying issues.

What you should be asking is: why aren’t your L cells functioning properly? What in your diet and lifestyle is disrupting this natural process? But of course, there’s no profit in teaching you how to eat and live in a way that supports your natural GLP-1 production. It’s much more lucrative to sell you a synthetic version for the rest of your life.

This is just another piece of the puzzle in understanding how deeply flawed our approach to health has become. We’re not treating the cause; we’re managing symptoms at an exorbitant cost, both financially and in terms of our long-term health.

How Drug Companies Shape Medical Education, News and Public Policy

Then there is the pharmaceutical industry’s influence on medical education and practice. Most of the continuing medical education is funded by drug companies, creating a bias in the information doctors receive. Calley Means reveals that when he worked in the pharmaceutical industry, it was an open secret that the primary purpose of drug ads on TV wasn’t to convince consumers to ask for specific medications, but to subvert the news business itself.

This revelation might leave you reeling. The idea that pharmaceutical companies are buying airtime not just to advertise their products, but to influence the very content of the news you watch, is deeply disturbing. It explains why you rarely see investigative reporting on issues related to drug safety or effectiveness.

But the influence doesn’t stop there. Pharmaceutical companies have infiltrated medical research at every level. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), which you might have thought was an independent government agency, is deeply entangled with the pharmaceutical industry. Most NIH grants go to research that has conflicts of interest with pharmaceutical drugs.

This system of conflicted research extends to universities as well. Food industry spending on foundational nutrition research is 11 times greater than that of the NIH. This means that much of what you think you know about nutrition is likely influenced by companies that profit from selling processed foods.

Then there is the revolving door between government regulatory agencies and the industries they’re supposed to oversee. You’ll learn how officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other agencies often leave their government positions to take high-paying jobs in the pharmaceutical industry, and vice versa. This creates a system where regulators are incentivized to make decisions that benefit their future employers rather than public health.

There is also a connection between the pharmaceutical industry’s influence on civil rights organizations. Some of the largest civil rights groups in the country, including the NAACP, have received funding from pharmaceutical companies and have subsequently lobbied for policies that benefit these companies. For example, the NAACP has argued that not supporting government funding for obesity drugs like Ozempic is a form of systemic racism.

This revelation might leave you feeling betrayed. The idea that organizations you’ve trusted to fight for social justice are being used as mouthpieces for pharmaceutical companies is deeply unsettling. It’s a stark reminder of how pervasive the influence of these companies has become.

Then the conversation shifts to the state of mental health in America, and the picture it paints is grim; 17.7% of women in the United States are on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs),¹¹ medications used to treat depression and anxiety. Even more alarmingly, SSRI prescription rates are skyrocketing among teens, with many high schools treating these powerful drugs as a first-line defense against mental health issues.

How America’s Healthcare System Profits From Illness and Overmedication

But the problems don’t stop there, about 20% of high school seniors are on drugs like Adderall,¹² which he describes as “essentially methamphetamines.” You’ll learn that these drugs were originally developed by Nazi Germany as a tool to make soldiers more aggressive, and now they’re being widely prescribed to American children.

Then we have the number one cause of death, heart disease and the widespread use of statin drugs. Nearly 50% of American men over 40 are on statins, medications designed to lower cholesterol. This approach is fundamentally flawed. Heart disease isn’t a statin deficiency, and prescribing these drugs creates a moral hazard by giving people the false impression that they can eat whatever they want if they take their medication.

Next up is diabetes or metabolic dysfunction, which is the root cause of many other health problems. You’ll learn that almost 100% of people with Alzheimer’s have pre-diabetes or diabetes, leading some researchers to call Alzheimer’s “Type 3 diabetes.” The cost of managing diabetes in the United States is staggering — more than the entire defense budget.

But perhaps the most chilling revelation is yet to come. The current healthcare system is designed to profit from keeping people sick. Hospitals, doctors, pharmaceutical companies, and insurance providers all make more money when people are sick for longer periods of time. This perverse incentive structure, he argues, is at the heart of America’s health crisis.

To illustrate this point, Calley shares a personal story about his mother. At age 71, she was told by her doctor that she was healthy, despite being on seven lifetime medications. These included statins for high cholesterol, metformin for high blood sugar, and medications for high blood pressure.

He argues that this approach of treating each symptom as a separate condition, rather than addressing the underlying metabolic dysfunction, is fundamentally flawed and serves only to keep people dependent on medications.

Calley argues for a radical rethinking of how we approach health in America. He suggests that instead of relying on medications to manage symptoms, we should focus on addressing the root causes of metabolic dysfunction.

This approach, he believes could dramatically improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs. He points out that many chronic conditions, including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, can be reversed through lifestyle changes, particularly improvements in diet and exercise.

Tackling Systemic Issues and Empowering Change

However, implementing these changes on a societal level would require overcoming significant obstacles. Calley outlines several policy changes that could make a difference:

1. Banning pharmaceutical advertising on television news. This would reduce the industry’s influence over media coverage of health issues.
2. Changing food stamp policies to restrict the purchase of sugary drinks and processed foods. This could help reduce the government’s indirect subsidization of unhealthy eating habits.
3. Redirecting agricultural subsidies away from processed foods and towards healthier options like vegetables and fruits.
4. Implementing stricter conflict of interest rules for medical researchers and doctors. This could help ensure that medical advice and research are not unduly influenced by pharmaceutical company interests.
5. Reforming medical education to place a greater emphasis on nutrition and lifestyle interventions rather than just pharmacological treatments.

But there is a solution if you think critically about the health advice you receive and the systems that produce it. Calley urges you to consider your own health from a broader perspective, understanding that many of the chronic conditions plaguing modern society are interconnected and often stem from the same root causes.

He acknowledges that these changes would face significant opposition from powerful industries. However, he argues that the stakes are too high to maintain the status quo. The current trajectory of American health, he warns, is unsustainable and threatens not just individual well-being but the economic and social fabric of the nation.

While the systems influencing health in America are complex and often opaque, individual choices still matter. The interview has armed you with knowledge about the true state of health in America and the forces shaping it. Now, it’s up to you to use this information to make more informed decisions about your own health and to advocate for broader societal changes.

My New Book Cellular Health, Has the Answers for You

In the face of the alarming revelations about mitochondrial dysfunction and its far-reaching effects on your health, it’s clear that a new approach is needed. This is where my new book, “Cellular Health: The Unified Theory of Health for Ultimate Longevity and Joy” becomes your perfect antidote. This comprehensive guide will provide you with all the specific steps you need to climb out of this metabolic mess and reclaim your health and vitality.

I am excited that you will soon be able to read through “Cellular Health” and be able to dive deep into the core issues of mitochondrial dysfunction. My book explains in accessible terms how these cellular powerhouses work and what happens when they fail. You’ll gain a clear understanding of the role mitochondria play in energy production and how their impairment sets off a chain reaction of health problems.

One of the key elements of the book is its detailed nutritional strategies designed to support mitochondrial health. You will learn about the foods and supplements that can enhance mitochondrial function, reduce oxidative stress, and restore cellular energy balance. These dietary guidelines are backed by the latest research and provide practical, easy-to-follow advice tailored for your needs.

Beyond nutrition, “Cellular Health” offers a comprehensive approach to lifestyle modifications that promote cellular health. You will discover tailored exercise regimens that stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis and improve metabolic flexibility.

The book also provides techniques to enhance your sleep quality, ensuring that your mitochondria get the rest they need to function optimally. Additionally, you will find methods to reduce chronic stress, a major contributor to mitochondrial damage.

The book also provides effective detoxification protocols to help you eliminate environmental toxins that impair mitochondrial function. These protocols are designed to be safe and gradual, supporting your body’s natural detox pathways. By following these protocols, you can help your body to better cope with the toxins it encounters daily.

“Cellular Health” compiles cutting-edge research on how to combat the effects of environmental toxins, poor diet, and sedentary lifestyle choices. As you read, you will find actionable steps and evidence-based recommendations that can make a real difference in your health journey. The goal is not just to inform but to empower you.

“Cellular Health” equips you with the knowledge and tools you need to truly take control of your health. By understanding the underlying mechanisms of disease and health, you can make informed decisions and take proactive steps toward a healthier, more vibrant life.

Ultimately, “Cellular Health” is about more than just overcoming the mitochondrial crisis. It’s about achieving ultimate longevity and joy by nurturing your body at the cellular level. The unified theory presented in the book integrates all aspects of health into a cohesive plan that is both practical and transformative.

By helping you understand how to listen to your body so you can follow your unique guidance you can begin to reverse the damage, restore your mitochondrial function, and pave the way for a healthier, longer, and more joyful life. This book is your comprehensive roadmap to overcoming the current health crisis and achieving optimal well-being. It should be out later this summer, as the final draft is currently with the editors.

• ¹ KFF.org Health Poll
• ² NIH Overweight and Obesity Statistics
• ^3, 4 NIH Diabetes and Prediabetes Statistics
• ⁵ Gastroenterology. 2020 May;158(7):1851-1864
• ⁶ Hepatol Commun. 2021 Oct;5(10):1676-1688
• ⁷ J Mol Endocrinol. 2024 Feb 22;72(4):e230112
• ⁸ Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Apr 17;25(8):4407
• ⁹ Biomed Pharmacother. 2024 Mar;172:116245
• ¹⁰ Nutrients. 2021 Mar 9;13(3):883
• ¹¹ CDC, Antidepressant Use Among Adults: United States, 2015-2018
• ¹² Daily Mail April 18, 2023