The Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again Commission released its first report on chronic disease in children on Thursday.
The report paints a bleak picture of the state of children’s health in America, highlighting the effects of foods, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and others.
The report notes that “After a century of costly and ineffective approaches, the federal government will lead a coordinated transformation of our food, health, and scientific systems.”
The MAHA commission report is a good first step toward making our children healthy again. But what are they actually going to do? Words are easy. What actions will they really take to protect our children?https://t.co/Uwd0f4JhaI pic.twitter.com/QjvrycEzVS
— Gary Ruskin (@garyruskin) May 22, 2025
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. discussed the report with reporters on Thursday. He characterized the document as a “diagnosis” of the state of health in the United States.
From CNN:
The government panel is recommending that federal agencies reassess the nation’s childhood vaccine schedule, scrutinize ultraprocessed foods, and study pesticides widely used in commercial farming.
The report is the first step of the administration’s plan to address what President Trump has called a crisis of chronic disease in America. In a Feb. 13 executive order, Trump demanded an initial assessment of the potential drivers of chronic illnesses within 100 days; the commission is expected to deliver a strategy within the next 100 days.
Yet even before its release this week, farmers, food manufacturers, and some Republican lawmakers were raising concerns about the report’s implications for the American food supply, particularly its call to reassess pesticides approved for use by the Environmental Protection Agency.
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JUST RELEASED: MAHA Commission report criticizes the excessive influence of corporations and the trend toward
— Melissa Hallman (@dotconnectinga) May 22, 2025
The Make America Health Again Commission, led by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., released a report outlining health priorities under President Trump’s… pic.twitter.com/ubUUFh0Tc1
Kennedy also told reporters that “there’s no concrete policy that could be funded in the budget; we’re going to work out the policy recommendations over the next 100 days.”
He further stated that the commission is “going to save a lot more money in the long run and even in the short run, if we can reduce the numbers, which we intend to do during this administration.”
The report notes that "Over 40% of the roughly 73 million children (aged 0-17) in the United States have at least one chronic health condition, according to the CDC, such as asthma, allergies, obesity, autoimmune diseases, or behavioral disorders” and that “all studies show an alarming increase over time.”
JUST RELEASED: MAHA Commission report criticizes the excessive influence of corporations and the trend toward
— Melissa Hallman (@dotconnectinga) May 22, 2025
The Make America Health Again Commission, led by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., released a report outlining health priorities under President Trump’s… pic.twitter.com/ubUUFh0Tc1
"American children are highly medicated — and it’s not working," the report explained.
The document further points out that children could benefit from playing outside rather than having phones and tablets as their primary source of recreation.
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