We should be the strongest and healthiest population in the world. Unfortunately, our health is declining at a rapid rate, and the statistics are overwhelming. One of the most alarming trends is the significant decrease in life expectancy. According to the CDC, life expectancy at birth in the United States declined from 77 years in 2020 to 76.1 years in 2021, marking the lowest level since 1996. This 0.9-year drop in 2021, following a 1.8-year decline in 2020, represents the most substantial two-year decrease in nearly a century.
Obesity is one of the leading causes of the decline. Over the past six decades, obesity rates have nearly tripled. In the early 1960s, approximately 13% of Americans were considered obese, a figure that has risen to around 43% in recent years. Severe obesity has seen an even more dramatic increase, with rates rising tenfold during the same period.
And we know obesity doesn’t stand alone. Chronic illness has risen dramatically and can be attributed to the food we eat, the food we grow, the increased reliance on pharmaceuticals rather than natural healing, and more. It’s time for us to focus our energy differently. All Americans deserve access to clean, organic, healthy food for our families and children. Major food companies need to take accountability and responsibility for the ingredients they put in the food and how they market their products to consumers. We need to reform the pharmaceutical industry and ensure that if we need pharmaceutical intervention, the medicines we use are safe and informed consent is available. We also need to revisit our overall health strategies by focusing on holistic health and bringing the public information from a different perspective: the perspective of natural healing.
