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The Hill
22-05-2025
- Health
- The Hill
RFK's MAHA report targets food, drug, tech industries: Key takeaways
The Trump administration issued its long-awaited Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) report on Thursday, hammering various industries while deviating from mainstream science on key issues including farming practices, vaccinations and psychiatric medications. President Trump appointed Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. to lead the MAHA Commission, which issued its first report on children's health Thursday. It pointed to four key factors which it says are hurting U.S. children: ultra-processed foods, environmental chemicals, digital behavior and 'overmedicalization.' The report identifies pesticides and other chemicals as potentially having harmful health impacts, but stops short of recommending actions to limit them – disappointing some advocates. When it came to childhood mental and physical health, the report concludes that large corporations are distorting the U.S. health system for the sake of profits. Here's what you should know: 'There is a growing concern about the link between environmental health risks, particularly cumulative risks, and chronic disease,' the report states. 'Furthermore, in the past nearly 30 years, the chemicals children are exposed to have grown – and no country fully understands how the cumulative impact of this growth impacts health,' it continues. However, rather than calling for specific actions against these health threats, the report says more studies are needed, including from the National Institutes of Health, to fully understand the impacts of things like microplastics and pesticides. In particular, it mentions glyphosate, the chemical in Roundup Weedkiller which has been the subject of thousands of lawsuits, many of which allege that it causes cancer, though the company has denied this. The report also mentions Atrazine, a commonly used pesticide that has been found to disrupt the endocrine system and has been banned in the European Union Also on the list to study more are PFAS, toxic substances used in nonstick and waterproof products that can last in the environment for hundreds of years, as well as phthalates, which are used to make plastics flexible and have been found to disrupt the endocrine system. The Wall Street Journal reported that the White House altered the report to remove references to the company Monsanto, information about PFAS lobbying and conflicts of interest in chemical regulation. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin told reporters that the Trump administration would not be pursuing a 'European, mandate-driven regulatory system that stifles growth.' Lori Ann Burd, environmental health program director at the Center for Biological Diversity, told The Hill that identifying a problem but not pursuing actions was not good enough. 'It's really disappointing that, after all the promises that the commission was going to stand up to powerful corporate interests and really get to the bottom of what is making Americans so sick, it caved to these powerful corporate interests,' Burd said. 'They have joined every administration before them in cowering in fear when faced with the power of Big Ag,' she added. Kennedy has been vocal in his belief that many medications like vaccines and psychiatric drugs are overused in the U.S. and, in aggregate, causing some of the health problems plaguing America's children. These beliefs were reflected in the commission's findings. The report noted the use of stimulant drugs, antidepressants, antipsychotics and asthma medications have all increased among children within the past 30 or so years. It further cast speculation on childhood vaccination schedules, noting that the number of vaccines implemented in the U.S. exceeds that of many European vaccine schedules. 'These time trends significantly outpace more moderate increases seen in other developed countries. Psychotropics for ADHD or one example, prescribed 2.5 times more in US than in British children, and 19 times more than in Japanese youth,' the report stated. Kennedy has claimed that childhood psychiatric drugs are 'insufficiently scrutinized' and addictive. Childhood psychiatrists blasted Kennedy's rhetoric as unhelpful to children with mental illnesses. 'There is some concern, even more so in the field, that many children with depression and mental health disorders do not get access to the mental health services that they need, and that includes the comprehensive treatment that we would recommend, which is beyond just SSRIs, but also therapy and other supports,' Lisa Fortuna, a child psychiatrist and chair of the American Psychiatric Association's Council on Children, Adolescents and Their Families, previously told The Hill. While stopping short of blaming vaccines for directly contributing to chronic illnesses and acknowledging that immunizations 'benefit children by protecting them from infectious diseases,' the report claimed there has been 'limited scientific inquiry into the links between vaccines and chronic disease.' To improve the understanding of vaccines and any links to chronic disease, the report supported 'more rigorous clinical trial designs' that include placebos, larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods. Kennedy was perhaps the country's most prominent vaccine skeptic prior to becoming HHS Secretary. He has continually refused to acknowledge data disproving any links between vaccinations and autism, even when confronted during his confirmation hearing by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), himself a physician. Under Kennedy and Food and Drug Commissioner Marty Makary, HHS has moved forward with plans to enforce a new requirement for placebo testing on all new vaccines, though how this rule will be implemented remains unclear. Placebo-controlled testing is already a standard part of the vaccine approval process and Kennedy told the Senate Appropriations Committee this week that he did not think it was ethical to retest all vaccines against a placebo. The report blamed the 'overmedicalization of American children' on 'corporate capture.' It claimed the outsized influence of large corporations on public institutions had distorted 'scientific literature, regulatory processes, clinical practices and public discourse.' 'The corporate capture of media, primarily through lavish advertising campaigns that are uniquely targeted to American consumers (no other developed country allows direct advertising of drugs to consumers, other than New Zealand where such advertising is heavily regulated and federally controlled) confers a notable level of reliance on the industry by those that benefit financially,' the report read. 'While in the U.S. the pharmaceutical industry has the First Amendment right to have these advertisements, studies suggest that they have a strong influence on those who view them, potentially increasing inappropriate prescription.' Again, there was not a recommendation to take action against pharmaceutical advertising, though the commission suggested the constant exposure to pharmaceutical advertisements was responsible for 'potentially increasing inappropriate prescriptions.' The report blamed 'a sedentary, technology-driven lifestyle' that's developed over the past 40 years for increasing 'chronic physical and mental health diseases,' with childhood behaviors differing vastly from prior generations. Citing data from the American Heart Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and numerous studies published within the last 15 years, the report noted how larger shares of children don't meet healthy standards of fitness and fewer children take part in daily physical activities. These conclusions align with what has been observed globally, with a 2019 study finding that 81 percent of adolescents aged between 11 and 17 years of age were 'insufficiently physically active.' 'Parallel to the decline in physical activity, American youth face a deepening psychosocial crisis. This is marked by rising mental health disorders, significant sleep deficits, chronic stress, and pervasive loneliness, all exacerbated by the widespread influence of technology,' stated the report. 'The crisis persists despite rising therapy rates, with some suggesting it may exacerbate the issue.' Social media use was also cited in the report as having a negative impact on childrens' mental health, echoing initiatives from the Biden administration. Then-Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a health advisory in 2023 warning that increasing evidence suggests social media use was damaging youth mental health. At the same time, screen usage has also been potentially linked to a reduction in some risky behaviors, like substance use and motor vehicle accidents, though whether there is a direct cause is unclear. As with 'overmedicalization,' the report took issue with the role that large corporations have in children's use of social media as well as public health messaging. 'Technology corporations suggest a reach over childhood health that stretches well beyond the direct harms of screen exposure, actively shaping the contours of scientific discourse and the public-health policies that follow,' it stated, noting how federal agencies coordinated with social media platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic. 'These informal, largely invisible coordination between agencies and platforms — coupled with undisclosed ranking algorithms — compresses the range of permissible debate on childhood-health questions and can bury legitimate scientific concerns while impacting parental supervision.' Nathaniel Weixel contributed
News18
23-04-2025
- Health
- News18
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: How Everyday Products Are Harming Fertility and Health
Last Updated: To reduce the exposure of these toxic and harmful substances, you can choose healthier and less toxic options. Endocrine disrupting chemicals are a group of chemicals that are found in a variety of consumables that we use on a daily basis, starting from the food we eat, to the containers we use, to even the cosmetics like soap, perfumes, shampoos, and deodorants. These chemicals have an impact on the endocrine system directly or indirectly because they mimic natural hormonal production inside the body, like for example hormones like oestrogen and testosterone. These chemicals not only mimic, but they also block the hormonal receptors and alter the metabolism of these hormones inside the human body. At the cellular level, these chemicals can even alter the genetic expression of our hormones. Dr Rajani C Senior Consultant, Department of Reproductive Medicine and Gynaecology, MGM Healthcare Chennai shares all you need to know: The common ingredients in our consumables that are EDCs are generally found in the plastics that we use they typically contain bisphenols or phthalates which are BPAs. Sometimes we use products that have pesticides in them like DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) or Atrazine. Coming to cosmetics like shampoos or deodorants they may contain parabens, sulphates, or triclosan. Not just these even the utensils we use to cook like the non-stick cookware which have a Teflon coating are also going to release these endocrine disrupting chemicals. As these endocrine disrupting chemicals have a direct impact on the endocrine system and the endocrine system are the major controllers of fertility. So, the impact of these chemicals is directly in the fertility levels of both men and women. In men, they reduce the testosterone levels, there is going to be reduced libido, reduced sperm count concentration and motility, further impacts are felt especially when we use BPA plastics or pesticides. Coming to the female counterpart, there is an increased risk of ovulatory dysfunction and accelerated ovarian aging. For women who are pregnant there may be an increased chances of either implantation failure or miscarriage. So, when somebody is going to buy a product, whether it is a cosmetic product or a container or any consumable for that matter, check the ingredients, you must watch out for these chemicals which can be potential EDCs. For example, a plastic container it should be BPA free. Cosmetic products make sure they are sulphate, phthalates, and paraben free; they do not contain triclosan or other potentially harmful chemicals. Coming to the cookware always prefer stainless steel, cast iron, aluminium, or glassware compared to non-stick cookware. Organic or natural products are comparatively safer options to use because they will have very low levels of pesticides and EDCs. It is a better natural and healthier alternative. To reduce the exposure of these toxic and harmful substances, you can choose healthier and less toxic options.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Iowa Republicans Want to Shield Pesticide Firms From Cancer Lawsuits
Growing up on a cattle ranch in Clarinda, Iowa, Tatum Watkins wanted nothing more than to be outside, help out on the farm, and run freely through the fields like other kids in the farming community. Instead, she spent much of her childhood driving to medical appointments out of state. Watkins was born with a birth defect known as gastroschisis, in which her abdominal organs were outside of her body. Angry and confused as she sat on the sidelines, Watkins often wondered why she was different. By the time she was 10, she had a hypothesis. Every summer, Watkins's father would plant grapes on the ranch around the same time her neighbors sprayed pesticides on their crops. Every summer, the grapes would die. When a young Watkins made the connection, she began to wonder if the pesticides—a simple 'fact of life' in Iowa—could also have caused her gastroschisis. Her best friend, who suffered from a similar abdominal wall defect, also grew up on a working farm. Years later, research found that excess exposure to Atrazine, a herbicide created by the pesticide giant Syngenta, is indeed associated with an increased risk of gastroschisis. Watkins will never know for sure if that's what caused her condition, but she wishes she and her family had access to this research a decade ago. 'Had people had the data to go forward with a lawsuit back then, I think that would have been a brilliant thing,' Watkins said. Iowa has the second-highest rate of cancer cases and the fastest-growing cancer rate in the country. It's also one of the top states for pesticide use. Thousands have sought and won legal battles against the handful of pesticide companies that dominate the market, and litigation has been a crucial tool to help Iowans pay for the health care they need. But now, facing billions in legal fees, pesticide companies are lobbying to block litigation against them with the introduction of Senate File 394. The bill, which recently passed 26–21 in the Iowa State Senate and will be voted on in the House this month, would prevent Iowans from bringing lawsuits against a pesticide manufacturer for failing to warn them of health risks, as long as the product includes a label approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. The votes to pass the bill came exclusively from Senate Republicans, although six Republicans also joined Democratic colleagues in opposing the measure. 'This bill would essentially make the federal labeling requirements sufficient legally, as far as whether they are adequate to warn consumers about potential harms from using that pesticide,' said Dani Replogle, a staff attorney at Food and Water Watch who has been following the bill closely. So if a person is diagnosed with cancer, and they suspect their illness is linked to pesticide exposure (as a growing body of research suggests), the person could not sue the company for so-called 'failure to warn' if their label follows EPA guidelines. 'I think the groups who are most at risk are farmers, and particularly migrant farm workers, who are already in a very hazardous line of work,' Replogle said, adding that children, pregnant people, and the elderly are also at risk. Eighty-nine percent of Iowans oppose S.F. 394, according to polling from the Iowa Association for Justice. Dubbed the 'Cancer Gag Act' by critics, the bill is part of a larger nationwide push from the pesticide manufacturer Bayer to reduce its litigation costs. Similar laws have been introduced in eight states, as well as at the federal level. Over the last decade, Bayer has faced more than 167,000 lawsuits related to the use of its herbicide Roundup, a weedkiller originally developed by Monsanto and a product that forever changed the productivity of American farming; its use is practically synonymous with the country's industrial food system. When Bayer acquired Monsanto in 2018, it also acquired billions in litigation and settlement fees. The company has set aside more than $16 billion to deal with Roundup-related lawsuits, and has already paid out more than $10 billion in settlements. Just last week, the company was ordered to pay one of its largest payouts yet: a whopping $2.1 billion to a Georgia man who claimed that excess exposure to Roundup caused his cancer and that the company failed to warn of this possibility. Bayer did not respond to a request for comment. Roundup contains glyphosate, a synthetic herbicide that's been classified as a 'probable human carcinogen' by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a research arm of the World Health Organization. Its use is banned in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and other countries. The EPA however, has found that glyphosate is 'not likely to be carcinogenic to humans,' a finding that pesticide companies argue exempts them from having to warn of Roundup's health risks. The Modern Agriculture Alliance, a coalition of agriculture stakeholders founded by Bayer as part of its lobbying efforts, argues that glyphosate is an essential tool for crop yields in Iowa to ensure the state has 'a robust and affordable domestic food supply,' and that the bill to shield pesticide companies from lawsuits is crucial in ensuring farmers' long-term access to Roundup. The Modern Ag Alliance declined to comment on the record for this story, but pointed to a statement after the bill passed in the Iowa State Senate. 'If farmers lose access to key crop protection inputs due to meritless litigation,' said Modern Ag Alliance executive director Elizabeth Burns-Thompson in the statement, 'it will cripple their ability to compete and cause food prices to go even higher. That's why the overwhelming majority of Iowans support legislation that protects farmers' tools, and not the trial lawyers and radical, anti-ag activist groups that want to 'end capitalism' and put our farms at risk.' That's inconsistent with polling showing that a majority of Iowans oppose the bill. Those who do support the bill, physician and Iowa State Representative Megan Srivinas said, may also be under a mistaken impression of how it would work in practice. 'There are a lot of half-truths to try to scare people into passing this,' Srivinas said. For example, though much of the bill's debate focuses on the effects of glyphosate, Srivinas pointed out that the legislation includes lawsuits related to 'any pesticide, herbicide or fungicide, whether it exists today or ever in the future.' A number of other harmful chemicals would therefore be exempt from failure to warn lawsuits should the bill pass. Exposure to paraquat, a weed-killing chemical manufactured by Syngenta (parent company ChemChina), has been linked to Parkinson's disease. A 2022 report from The Guardian revealed that Syngenta 'insiders feared they could face legal liability for long-term, chronic effects of paraquat as long ago as 1975.' Syngenta also invented Atrazine, the herbicide linked to gastroschisis. The company did not respond to request for comment. 'There are so many carcinogens out there, and we need to understand all the different impacts so we can actually combat this cancer epidemic in our state,' Srivinas said. Both Srinivas's mother-in-law and father-in-law, who are farmers, have been diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives. 'We need to give people the ability to get treatment, to understand what's going on, and to be able to make the choices for themselves, right?' But fighting pesticide use in an agricultural state like Iowa isn't easy. If you're urban or rural, whether you use pesticides on your crops or not, you've likely been exposed to pesticides in some form or another, said Rob Faux, an organic farmer in northeast Iowa. He's been farming for more than 20 years, and though he doesn't use pesticides on his vegetables, his property is surrounded by soy and corn row crops that are regularly sprayed. Like many Iowans, Faux is a cancer survivor, and he relentlessly ponders whether he got sick just because of his profession. 'It's a common acceptance in rural Iowa that we're probably being poisoned, but we don't want to know about it because we're not sure we can do anything about it,' Faux said. Over the last year, Faux has opposed S.F. 394 through his work at the Pesticide Action and Agroecology Network, a coalition that seeks to end the country's reliance on pesticides. PAN, along with a number of other advocacy groups, including Food and Water Watch, has led opposition efforts across the state. In February, more than 150 people rallied in the Capitol against the legislation. It's important but exhausting work, Faux said. 'This is not what I do by nature. I prefer to grow things, or I prefer to educate people, which are the two things that I've done more of my life,' he said. Still, he thinks advocacy is needed nationwide. In addition to similar legislation being close to passing in Georgia and North Dakota, the attorneys general of Nebraska, Iowa, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina, and South Dakota have also filed a petition to amend a federal law that would make it harder to sue pesticide companies. In Iowa, the bill has until April 4 to pass at least one committee in the House, but its lifetime could be extended through an appropriations process. Advocates are hopeful that representatives will prioritize the health and well-being of Iowans over corporate profit. 'I know people often get tired and frustrated, and they don't feel like they're making a difference,' Faux said. 'But I need to remind everybody that, believe it or not, you do make a difference if you come with integrity, if you come with the right intention.'
