Message #45013

[guest587]

Food: The Root Causes of Our Healthcare, Economic and Social Crises

Americans are sicker than ever, and it’s not only resulting in poor physical and mental health; it’s impacting our economy, our environment, our children’s future, and our national security.

On today’s episode of The Doctor’s Farmacy, I’m excited to talk to my longtime friend, activist, and Presidential candidate, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. about how we got here and what’s needed to turn things around.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is an independent candidate for President of the United States. He is the founder of the Waterkeeper Alliance—the world’s largest clean water advocacy group—and served as its longtime chairman and attorney. He founded the Children’s Health Defense, where he served as chairman and chief litigation counsel in its campaign to address childhood chronic disease and toxic exposures. He was also on the team that prosecuted and won the case against Monsanto for glyphosate's role in causing cancer.

 
As President, he promises to restore the middle class, unravel corporate capture, end the chronic disease epidemic, improve the quality of the water we drink and the air we breathe, heal the divide, fix our public education system, take care of our veterans, support the trades, make homes affordable again, and support regenerative farming, among other key priorities.

Nutrition is arguably the most important part of wellness, yet ultra-processed foods define the American diet. We kick our conversation off by talking about how this is driving our obesity, chronic disease, and mental health crises.

We live in a country that claims to be based on science, goodwill, and policies intended to help people. But these things are often heavily influenced and manipulated by industry, particularly Big Food, Big Pharma, and Big Ag, which have corrupted many institutions, politicians, professional associations, and research entities. We discuss how corporate capture–in the public and private sectors—hinders efforts to address the root causes of chronic diseases and keeps America sick.

Addressing the health crisis requires a comprehensive approach, including improving access to healthy food, incentivizing healthcare providers to focus on prevention and root causes, and holding corporations accountable for their role in promoting unhealthy products. In response, Bobby shares his thoughts on how we can reduce healthcare costs and improve health outcomes nationwide.

We also discuss the mental health crisis and how addressing it requires a holistic approach that includes improving access to mental health services and addressing social and environmental factors.

I’m not endorsing any particular candidate for President, but I do encourage you to take a deep look at Bobby’s campaign, as he’s one of the only candidates I’m aware of who recognizes how making Americans healthier will fix so many of the issues we are facing today. I hope you’ll tune in.

Wishing you health and happiness,

~Mark Hyman, MD
https://youtu.be/rQedKOpJM-0?si=jsgD5Jsk5M97YHMZ