By David N. Harding, Staff Writer
A Nation in Decline — and Denial
America today is sicker than it was a generation ago—despite being wealthier, more technologically advanced, and flooded with more medications and medical interventions than any other country in the world. Since 1990, we have seen a dramatic and disturbing rise in nearly every category of chronic illness. Autism, ADHD, depression, autoimmune disorders, metabolic diseases, and even once-rare syndromes like chronic fatigue have skyrocketed in incidence. Autism spectrum diagnoses, for instance, have exploded from 1 in 150 children in 2000 to roughly 1 in 36 by 2020 (CDC). ADHD diagnoses among youth surged from just 6.1% in 1997 to over 10.2% by 2016 (JAMA Network).
Meanwhile, chronic fatigue syndrome, once dismissed as a niche concern, now affects more than 1.3% of U.S. adults—roughly 3.3 million people (CDC). Type 2 diabetes has more than doubled in prevalence, echoing the simultaneous rise in obesity and poor metabolic health (WHO). Lupus, fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, and other autoimmune diseases now afflict millions of Americans, with fibromyalgia alone impacting 4 million U.S. adults (NIH).
So, what changed? The food? The medicine? The environment? Or perhaps more critically—did the institutions we trusted to protect us stop telling us the full truth? This report examines three of the most likely contributors to this epidemic of chronic disease: 1) the explosion of vaccines and lack of transparency surrounding adverse outcomes; 2) the overreach of the pharmaceutical industry and its entanglement with regulators; and 3) the chemical soup that has become the American diet. Underpinning them all is a deeper and more uncomfortable truth: the politicization of public health, particularly during the COVID-19 era, has severely damaged the credibility of the very agencies tasked with safeguarding our well-being.
Vaccines and Chronic Disease: The Debate the Media Won't Touch
Since the 1980s, the number of childhood vaccines has more than doubled. In 1986, the typical child received about 10 vaccines by age 6. Today, that number has climbed to over 36 doses before kindergarten (CHOP). While many of these immunizations have dramatically reduced once-deadly diseases, concerns persist about whether we are overwhelming the immune systems of our youngest citizens—and whether certain children may be more susceptible to adverse outcomes.
The vaccine-autism debate has been long, heated, and frequently misrepresented. A 2004 CDC-funded study published in Pediatrics concluded there was no difference in MMR vaccination rates between children with and without autism (CDC Pediatrics Study). However, in 2014, CDC senior scientist Dr. William Thompson publicly alleged that key data had been omitted from the original study—data that showed a significant increase in autism among African American boys vaccinated before 36 months (Truth in Media). These allegations, largely buried by mainstream outlets, sparked renewed scrutiny but were never transparently investigated by Congress.
Vaccines have also been examined in relation to autoimmune conditions. Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a rare but serious disorder, has been linked to certain flu vaccines—occurring in about 1 in a million doses (CHOP). Researchers have also flagged possible connections between vaccines and autoimmune thyroiditis, lupus-like syndromes, and neurological complications, but mainstream outlets and journals are often reluctant to publish findings that may contradict “consensus” science. And therein lies the problem: the data isn't always conclusive, but open inquiry has been replaced with stonewalling and censorship.
The Pharmaceutical Industry: Treating Symptoms, Creating Side Effects
The pharmaceutical industry is now one of the most powerful lobbying forces in Washington. As Americans became sicker, Big Pharma grew richer. Prescription drug use has soared: nearly 70% of Americans are on at least one medication, and over 20% take five or more prescriptions daily (Mayo Clinic Proceedings).
The opioid crisis stands as the clearest example of pharmaceutical malfeasance. Purdue Pharma pushed OxyContin into the American bloodstream, downplaying its addictiveness. From 1999 to 2010, opioid prescriptions quadrupled, and overdose deaths skyrocketed (CDC). Lawsuits and whistleblower testimonies later exposed how pharma executives deliberately misled regulators and paid doctors to overprescribe. Similar stories have unfolded in the psychiatric realm. Johnson & Johnson was fined $2.2 billion for promoting Risperdal off-label for children, despite known risks of weight gain and hormonal disruption (DOJ).
This isn't healing. It's industrialized symptom management. And it has led to an epidemic of iatrogenic disease—illnesses caused not by nature, but by medicine itself. From benzodiazepine-induced cognitive decline to SSRI-related metabolic issues, Americans are increasingly medicated into chronic conditions.
Food Additives: The Unregulated Chemical Feast
The American food supply is saturated with thousands of chemicals and additives—many of which have never undergone long-term testing. Thanks to the FDA’s outdated “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) loophole, companies can introduce new substances into food without rigorous testing or even notifying regulators (CSPI).
Artificial dyes like Red 40 and Yellow 5 have been shown to increase hyperactivity in children, leading Europe to require warning labels on affected products (Lancet). The U.S. continues to allow them. Aspartame, once hailed as a miracle sugar substitute, has now been classified as a “possible carcinogen” by the WHO (WHO IARC). And glyphosate—the active ingredient in Roundup—has been detected in the blood and urine of over 80% of Americans tested, raising concerns over its potential role in cancer and endocrine disruption (CDC Study).
Meanwhile, industrial emulsifiers, nitrates, preservatives, and artificial sweeteners have all been implicated in gut dysbiosis, insulin resistance, behavioral disorders, and systemic inflammation. If you're wondering why autoimmune disorders, type 2 diabetes, and gastrointestinal diseases are rising—look no further than your pantry.
The COVID Catalyst: When Public Health Lost the Public
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the very institutions meant to serve as guardians of health were caught manipulating data, censoring dissent, and partnering with tech giants to control information.
Early mask guidance was contradictory. In March 2020, the U.S. Surgeon General told the public to “STOP BUYING MASKS,” stating they were ineffective. Weeks later, CDC reversed course, encouraging universal masking—even homemade cloth versions with little proven efficacy (JAMA). Such inconsistencies, rather than reflecting scientific humility, came across as deception.
The NIH coordinated with media outlets and academic journals to smear the authors of the Great Barrington Declaration, who advocated for focused protection rather than mass lockdowns (Brownstone Institute). Internal emails show NIH Director Francis Collins asking Dr. Anthony Fauci for a “devastating takedown” of the authors.
Social media platforms, in coordination with the CDC and White House, actively censored dissenting viewpoints—including those from credentialed scientists. Facebook and Twitter removed posts questioning vaccine efficacy or highlighting side effects at the request of government agencies (Reason).
Perhaps most damning, a Pfizer vaccine trial site run by Ventavia was exposed by whistleblower Brook Jackson for data tampering, poor oversight, and unethical practices. The FDA never investigated the site, and Pfizer dismissed the claims (BMJ).
On the international front, the WHO parroted Chinese Communist Party claims in early 2020 that COVID-19 was not transmissible between humans. Later, it downplayed the lab-leak theory, despite internal NIH emails showing several virologists believed SARS-CoV-2 had features of engineered manipulation (Vanity Fair).
The Collapse of Public Trust
The fallout has been predictable and catastrophic. By 2023, only 61% of Americans said they trusted the CDC—a significant decline from pre-COVID levels. Among Republicans, that number fell to just 27% (KFF).
This erosion of trust has extended beyond COVID and into the realm of routine healthcare. Parents are delaying or skipping childhood vaccines in record numbers. Medical professionals are finding it harder to convince skeptical patients to follow any public health guidance. The institutions that once claimed authority through science have, in the eyes of millions, sacrificed that authority for politics and profit.
Conclusion: Reclaiming Health, Rebuilding Trust
The explosion of chronic illness in America is not simply a medical mystery—it is a man-made epidemic. It is the predictable result of a society that medicates first, asks questions later; that eats industrialized food with untested chemicals; that hands over its health decisions to bureaucrats in Washington and billion-dollar pharmaceutical conglomerates.
To reverse this trend, we must demand transparency, accountability, and humility from our public health institutions. We must empower independent research and protect scientific dissent. And we must reject the idea that questioning authority is dangerous. In a truly free society, it’s not only permitted—it’s essential.
Only then can we begin to reclaim both our health and our confidence in the institutions meant to protect it.
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