In the past 50 years, as U.S. agriculture and food production shifted towards industrial practices such as synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, and factory farms, Americans have transformed from a traditional diet that was primarily fresh and made from whole foods to one that is full of toxic seed oils, artificial ingredients, and sweeteners, and hyper-processed foods that are increasingly making people sick. 

Today, diet-related disease is the leading driver in escalating health care costs, as the rates of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and mental illness continue to surge. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 90% of the nation’s $4.5 trillion in annual healthcare expenditures are for people with chronic and mental health conditions.

Our Current Health Crisis: 

• 50% of American adults have at least 1 chronic disease, 
• while 40% have 2 or more chronic diseases and
• An estimated 42% of American adults are obese, and,
• Another 30.7% are considered overweight.

Poor diet is the single greatest risk factor for death, chronic disease, and disability. Today, Americans spend roughly $1.7 Trillion dollars on food. At the same time, chronic diseases associated with obesity and Type 2 Diabetes are responsible for 2 out of every 3 American deaths and cost the U.S. more than $1.9 Trillion dollars of healthcare costs as a result of poor nutrition each year. The good news is that these diseases are largely preventable with the right food and dietary choices.

For the self-proclaimed most prosperous country on the planet and “beacon of democracy,” these statistics are not an accident but the result of decades of disastrous public policies that have long prioritized corporate profits over public health and the safety and wellbeing of our children. 

Every year, the food and beverage industry spends over $14 billion in advertising, 80% of which promotes fast food, sugary drinks, candy, and unhealthy snacks. Much of this advertising is targeted directly at children. 

Since the 1970s, rates of childhood obesity have more than tripled, according to the CDC, with 20.3% of all 6 to 11-year-olds being considered obese and more than 21.2% of children ages 12 to 19 years old. The health of our nation is so poor as a result of our broken food and health care systems that at least 70% of American teenagers cannot pass the physical requirements or fitness standards to serve in the U.S. military.

This is not a moral failing of our children, but of the adults who run major food corporations and our elected officials who make daily decisions to continue to allow fast, processed junk food to be sold and targeted to children during their most vulnerable and impressionable years.