Washington, DC—The Natural Products Association (NPA) shared its support of the first report released by the Presidential Commission to Make America Healthy Again (MAHA). The MAHA Commission, which was tasked with delivering a Make Our Children Healthy Again Assessment, and determined that there is a range of contributing factors impacted health, including:
- poor diet
- accumulation of environmental toxins
- insufficient physical activity
- chronic stress
- over-medicalization.
In its announcement, HHS outlined data that shows the need for the report:
- More than 1 in 5 children over 6 years old in the U.S. are now obese (up more than 270% compared to the 1970s).
- Prevalence of pre-diabetes in teens is more than 1 in 4 teens (more than double over the last 20 years).
- Childhood cancer incidence has risen over nearly 40% since 1975.
- Autism spectrum disorder impacts 1 in 31 children by age 8.
- Teenage depression rates nearly doubled from 2009 to 2019 (more than 1 in 4 teenage girls in 2022 reporting a major depressive episode in the past year, and three million high school students seriously considered suicide in 2023).
- Childhood food‑allergy prevalence rose 88% between 1997 and 2018.
NPA noted that the MAHA Commission’s first report outlines an actionable framework for expanding access to wellness-centered options, with key recommendations that focus on supporting nutritional interventions, reducing chronic disease through dietary changes and supplementation, encouraging responsible innovation in health and wellness products, and enhancing consumer education and regulatory clarity.
“We will end the childhood chronic disease crisis by attacking its root causes head-on—not just managing its symptoms,” said U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., in the HHS announcement. “We will follow the truth wherever it leads, uphold rigorous science, and drive bold policies that put the health, development, and future of every child first. I’m grateful to President Trump for his leadership—and for trusting me to lead this fight to root out corruption, restore scientific integrity, and reclaim the health of our children.”
Commenting on the impact of the report, Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., NPA President and CEO, said: “The MAHA Commission’s first report dealing with children’s health is a move toward common-sense policies that prioritize the health and well-being of the American people. It was an honor to attend such a historic event and witness firsthand the Commission’s commitment to restoring the health of this nation.”
Dr. Fabricant stressed: “For far too long, our health system has focused on treatment instead of prevention. The MAHA Commission is helping to change that by championing solutions that empower individuals to take control of their health through access to nutrition and natural products.”
The MAHA commission is now working on producing the Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy, based on the findings from today’s assessment. HHS said next steps include supporting gold-standard scientific research and developing a comprehensive strategy.
“This report is not just a blueprint, it’s a mandate for change,” said Dr. Fabricant. “The NPA stands ready to work hand-in-hand with the MAHA Commission, Congress, and federal agencies to ensure every American has access to safe, affordable, and effective natural products that support long-term health.”
The Institute of Food Technologists released a statement in response to the release of the MAHA Commission Report, and focused on food science: “The release of the MAHA Commission Report emphasized the need for more ‘gold-standard science’ something that IFT’s scientific members spanning academia, government, and industry have delivered for more than 85 years across numerous Administrations. IFT serves as the objective voice of the food science community, advocating for truth in science that helps create a healthier food system. The Report spotlighted advancements that the panelists view as needed within our food system to better support children’s health, but a more holistic analysis of the extensive evidence-based scientific body of knowledge on food and public health needs to be included—an issue we hope the MAHA Commission remedies over the [coming days] as it prepares its actionable recommendations. In addition, there needs to be a broad stakeholder coalition to drive positive changes in public health, and that coalition for change must involve the food science community that has helped ensure we have a global food system that is sustainable, safe, nutritious, and accessible to all.”
Food as medicine: focus on regen ag
In related MAHA news, more than 275 leaders and organizations from the MAHA movement, sent a letter to Congressional MAHA Caucus members regarding legislation that would grant federal preemption of state pesticide laws or provide liability shields to pesticide manufacturers.
“In America, if you buy baby formula and it harms your child, you have the right to sue the manufacturer. Why should pesticide manufacturers be exempt from liability?” asked Dave Murphy, founder of the group United We Eat, a network of farmers, ranchers, citizens, and public health professionals “dedicated to creating broad awareness about the importance of healthy food, the impacts of how food is grown on human health and the environment, and how the intersections of food, agriculture, climate, and environmental policies shape our democracy, our health, and our collective future.”
The letter urges the Senate MAHA Caucus to reject $75 billion in proposed subsidies for pesticide-intensive commodity crops in the House Budget Reconciliation bill. The group is calling for the redirecting funds towards programs proven to enhance soil health and support regenerative organic agriculture, including the National Organic Program, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service initiatives, and organic research and transition assistance.
Referring to the House Reconciliation bill, Zen Honeycut, a key MAHA leader and founder of Moms Across America, said: “What a deceptive strategy for Big Ag to be lobbying for a bigger payout than the FDA’s yearly budget under the guise of farmer support. Just think what $7.5 billion a year could do for our children via school lunches (who get only $2 per meal for food now). Rather than feed the toxic treadmill of chemical cocktails, why not create a market for non-toxic nutrient dense (organic) food for our future leaders and support farmers to transition to regenerative organic farming.”
In the press release from United We Eat, Will Harris, a 4th-generation farmer and the owner of White Oaks Pastures from Georgia, stressed the economic and environmental urgency of shifting subsidies: “America’s farmers today have a chance to switch away from costly chemical inputs and work with nature on their farms. I used to be a high-input commodity farmer. When my farm made the shift to nature-friendly, regenerative farming, we not only became profitable and exponentially increased our farm’s economic impact in our impoverished community, but we also experienced an amazing return of birds and pollinators to our farm.”
Read the letter to learn more about the bill and the call to support farmers’ transition to Regenerative Agriculture.
