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MAHA report exposes national security crisis: 75% of young Americans too unhealthy to serve in military

By isabelle // 2025-05-23

• A shocking MAHA report reveals 75% of young Americans aged 17 to 24 are too unhealthy for military service due to obesity, diabetes, and neurological disorders.
• Chronic diseases like autism, ADHD, and childhood cancer have surged, with obesity up 270% since the 1970s and type 2 diabetes rising 600% since the 1980s.
• Ultraprocessed foods, loaded with harmful additives, make up 70% of the U.S. diet, far exceeding European levels, while toxins like pesticides and fluoride worsen health risks.
• Overmedication is rampant as 1 in 5 U.S. kids take prescription drugs, with ADHD meds doubling and antidepressants up 1,400% since the 1980s.
• The report demands urgent policy reforms targeting food systems, toxins, and medical practices, warning that America’s health crisis threatens national security.

America’s next generation is facing a health crisis so severe that it poses a threat to national security. A bombshell report from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) commission reveals that 75% of young Americans (ages 17 to 24) are too sick or unfit to serve in the military due to chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and neurological disorders. The report, released Thursday, blames ultraprocessed foods, environmental toxins, and the overmedicalization of children for this alarming decline. With policy solutions expected in August, the findings underscore a dire need for systemic reform to safeguard the nation’s future.

The epidemic of chronic disease

The MAHA report paints a deeply concerning picture of America’s youth: over 40% of children now suffer from at least one chronic condition, including asthma, autism, and ADHD. Childhood obesity has surged by 270% since the 1970s, while type 2 diabetes diagnoses among children have increased 600% since the 1980s. Autism rates have skyrocketed from 1 in 150 children in the early 2000s to 1 in 31 today, and childhood cancer has risen 40% since 1975. “The health of American children is in crisis,” the report states, warning that these trends jeopardize military readiness. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, NIH director and MAHA commission member, emphasized the stakes: “The next generation of children will live shorter lives than their parents.”

Ultraprocessed foods and environmental toxins to blame

The report identifies ultraprocessed foods (UPFs)—making up 70% of the U.S. food supply—as a primary culprit. These products, loaded with artificial additives like Red 40 (linked to hyperactivity) and titanium dioxide (associated with DNA damage), dominate school lunches and federal nutrition programs. By contrast, UPFs account for just 10 to 31% of diets in European nations like Italy and France. Environmental toxins further compound the problem. The report highlights pesticides, microplastics, and fluoride—the latter controversially tied to reduced IQ levels in children—as pervasive threats. “Even minor exposures during critical periods—in utero infancy early childhood and adolescence—can result in developmental delays or permanent harm,” the authors warn.

Overmedicalization and vaccine safety concerns

America’s reliance on pharmaceuticals has also drawn scrutiny. 1 in 5 U.S. children take prescription drugs, with ADHD medication use doubling since 2006 and antidepressant prescriptions soaring 1,400% since 1987. The report criticizes “misaligned incentives” driving overdiagnosis, noting that U.S. children are prescribed psychotropics at 19 times the rate of Japanese youth. Vaccine safety remains a flashpoint. While acknowledging vaccines’ benefits, the report questions the lack of long-term studies on the U.S. schedule, which has expanded from 3 shots in 1986 to 29 today. It also raises concerns about underreported side effects, citing flaws in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). The MAHA commission’s policy recommendations, due in August, are expected to target food systems, environmental regulations, and medical practices. President Trump called the findings “alarming, unbelievable, terrible” and vowed to confront corporate interests. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary framed the report as a turning point: “We cannot keep going down the same road.” The MAHA report is a wake-up call. With three-quarters of young adults unfit to defend the nation, America’s health crisis is a ticking time bomb for national security. Sources for this article include: DailyMail.co.uk NYPost.com FoxNews.com

collapse obesity national security childhood obesity dangerous environmental toxins badhealth ultraprocessed foods