Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign what's Worthwhile Healing Mind, Body and Spirit I'm Ramsey Zimmerman. I choose peace of mind, vitality of body, and joy of spirit over stress, exhaustion, or overwhelm. Together, let's explore and pursue the many ways to build holistic health and wellness.
[00:00:31] Speaker B: Hey there, it's Ramsay here. A few months back in episode 50, I shared my thoughts on Make America Healthy Again and how it was starting to take shape as a national priority. Here's an update based on the release of the MAHA Report, an official document prepared by the President's Make America Healthy Again Commission.
Released right on schedule 100 days after formation of the commission, the report paints a troubling picture. American children are experiencing an unprecedented health crisis. Over 40% of kids have at least one chronic condition, such as asthma, allergies, obesity or behavioral disorders.
Rates of childhood cancer have risen by over 40% since 1975. Autism spectrum disorder now impacts 1 in 31 children by age 8, when it was between 1 and 4 children per 10,000 in the 1980s.
In 2021, asthma in American children was more than twice as common as in Europe or Asia. Meanwhile, the US has seen an 88% increase in cancer cases since 1990, the highest increase of any country measured. The report identifies four key drivers behind these trends. First, a dramatic shift in diet, with nearly 70% of children's calories now coming from ultra processed foods.
Second, the cumulative load of chemicals in food, water, air and everyday products, many of which can interfere with hormones, the immune system and brain development.
Third, declining physical activity and increasing stress as children's daily lives have become more sedentary and digitally driven.
And fourth, the expanded use of vaccines and pharmaceutical drugs, including medications prescribed to children without enough evidence of long term benefits.
One notable aspect of the report is how it seeks to move beyond political divides. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. As the new Secretary of Health and Human Services, has been a controversial figure.
Specifically, some see him as too strongly opposed to vaccines, while others think he is not opposed enough. The report itself reflects a middle ground. It does not reject medical advances outright, nor does it ignore concerns about overuse and safety.
Instead, it calls for independent, gold standard science and for policies that focus on prevention first and foremost, rather than simply treating diseases and symptoms as they appear. The report does address the complex topic of vaccines. It acknowledges that vaccines protect children from infectious diseases.
Yet it also points out that since 1986, the CDC childhood vaccine schedule has expanded significantly from three injections to 29 injections by one year of age, including in utero exposures. The report notes that this schedule is more intensive than in many European countries and that there has been limited research comparing the full US Schedule to those of other nations.
Rather than taking an extreme stance, the report calls for transparent, independent research on any potential long term impacts of this expanded schedule so that parents can make fully informed decisions and medical professionals can engage in honest, nuanced discussions. This middle ground approach also extends to how the report sees health more broadly. It is not just about one factor, food, chemicals, activity or medicine, but about how all of these drivers work together. It recognizes the corporate influence of the food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries has distorted research and policy by successful capture of of media, professional journals and regulatory agencies. The report calls on all of us parents, caregivers, educators and public officials to demand accountability and to champion healthier systems and practices.
For me, the key takeaway is that the data are clear, what we are doing now is not working and the costs, the children's futures and to our economy are too great to ignore.
The report is a call to action not just for policymakers, but for everybody who cares about the well being of our families and communities.
So today I encourage you to take this report and this effort seriously. I'll provide the link in the show notes, at least skim through it and then consider what it means for you, your loved ones and your community.
Regardless of whether you support the new administration or not, think about what you might do, big or small, to be part of the shift it calls for, whether that is choosing Whole Foods over ultra processed foods, supporting policies that reduce chemical exposures, or simply making time for movement and connection in daily life.
I will keep sharing what I learn. I will keep asking questions about what is driving this crisis and what it will take to turn it around.
And I want to hear from you too. What do you think is the most worthwhile in the effort to make Americ healthy again?
[00:05:42] Speaker A: Please reach out and share your thoughts with me.
[00:05:45] Speaker B: And for today, that is enough.
[00:05:47] Speaker A: Where to go from here? Visit whatsworthwhile.net to learn more about me, Ramsey Zimmerman and please reach out to me and let me know what you think. I don't want this podcast to be some message in a bottle thrown out to sea. I want to hear back from you. Please send me a message or an email or hit me up on X, LinkedIn or Instagram and click Please Leave a Rating and review for the what's Worthwhile podcast on Apple, Spotify, iHeart or Amazon. Thanks.
