President Donald Trump’s Make America Healthy Again Commission has issued a sobering assessment of the health of America’s youth, sounding the alarm on a dramatic rise in chronic illnesses that threaten the nation’s well-being and security.
The report, released Thursday and chaired by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., blames a mix of environmental, dietary, pharmaceutical and lifestyle factors for what it calls a full-blown “chronic disease crisis.”
“After a century of costly and ineffective approaches, the federal government will lead a coordinated transformation of our food, health, and scientific systems,” the commission’s report states, as reviewed by Fox News.
“This strategic realignment will ensure that all Americans—today and in the future—live longer, healthier lives, supported by systems that prioritize prevention, wellbeing, and resilience.”
According to the report, more than 40 percent of America’s 73 million children suffer from at least one chronic condition, such as asthma, allergies, obesity, autoimmune diseases or behavioral disorders.
The findings also highlight a 250 percent spike in ADHD prescriptions from 2006 to 2016 and a 1,400 percent increase in antidepressant use among children from 1987 to 2014.
“American children are highly medicated — and it’s not working,” the report states.
During a media call, Food and Drug Commissioner Marty Makary did not mince words.
“We now have the most obese, depressed, disabled, medicated population in the history of the world, and we cannot keep going down the same road,” he said. “So this is an amazing day. I hope this marks the grand pivot from a system that is entirely reactionary to a system that will now be proactive.”
Kennedy, who leads the commission, described the report as a “diagnosis” of America’s declining child health. He noted that a “prescription”—a list of policy recommendations—will be issued in 100 days.
Among the most startling revelations is that autism now affects one in every 31 children by age 8, childhood cancer has increased 40 percent since 1975 and teenage depression nearly doubled from 2009 to 2019.
The report also cited that 75 percent of Americans aged 17–24 are unfit for military service due to chronic health conditions.
Director of the National Institutes of Health Jay Bhattacharya added, “What the report says is that the next generation of children will live shorter lives than their parents. For me as a parent, that is absolutely shocking.”
The report also identified fluoride exposure at levels above federal recommendations as being statistically linked to lower IQ in children, citing a 2025 review published in JAMA Pediatrics.
The EPA is now reviewing whether to adjust federal drinking water standards.
Commissioners pointed to ultraprocessed foods, overmedication and declining physical activity as central factors.
While affirming that the U.S. food system is “100% safe,” they stressed that improvements are necessary to reduce the reliance on sugar, chemical additives and nutrient-poor options.
Trump established the commission by executive order in February, Fox News reports. Alongside Kennedy, members include EPA chief Lee Zeldin, USDA’s Brooke Rollins and VA Secretary Doug Collins.
“The reason for that, particularly regarding public health, is that a strong economy is a social determinant of public health,” Kennedy said. “Weak economies kill people. They make people sicker.”
The commission’s final policy recommendations are expected on Aug. 30.
