05/23/2025
President Trump reads out the "alarming findings" of the MAHA Commission Report on childhood health:
- More than 40% of American children have at least one chronic health condition.
- Since the 1970s, rates of childhood cancer have soared by nearly 50%.
- In the 1960s, less than 5% of children were obese. Now, over 20% are obese.
- Just a few decades ago, 1 in 10,000 children had autism. Today, it's 1 in 31.
"Four months ago, I created the presidential commission to Make America Healthier Again, and today the commission officially delivers its first report on childhood health. Here are just some of the alarming findings, and they really are alarming; it's unbelievable—terrible. More than 40% of American children now have at least one chronic health condition. Since the 1970s, rates of childhood cancer have soared by nearly 50% in many cases. Well, in the 1960s, less than 5% of children were obese. Now, over 20% are obese.
A few decades ago, one in 10,000 children had autism. Today, it's one in 31. Last time I heard, the number was one in 34, right? Now, it's one in 31. There is something wrong, and we will not stop until we defeat the chronic disease epidemic in America. We're going to get it done. For the first time ever, this report examines some of the root causes that many believe are making our children sicker and our population sicker, I guess. It just doesn't stop with the children—it's our population also.
Such as the ultra-processed foods, over-medicalization, and over-prescription, and widespread exposure to potentially toxic chemicals. Unlike other administrations, we will not be silenced or intimidated by the corporate lobbyists or special interests, and I want this group to do what they have to do. We have to spell it out. In some cases, it won't be nice or it won't be pretty, but we have to do it.
When you hear, when you hear 10,000, it was one in 10,000 and now it's one in 31 for autism—I think that's just a terrible thing. It has to be something on the outside; it has to be artificially induced, it has to be. And we're not going to allow our public health system to be captured by the very industries it's supposed to oversee. So, we're demanding the answers—the public is demanding the answers, and that's why we're here."