The “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) Commission, established in February 2025, has highlighted poor diet, sedentary lifestyles, and excessive medical intervention as root causes of childhood chronic disease. Its initial concrete actions include supporting state-level bans on harmful food dyes (West Virginia) and fluoride (Utah). Proposed federal actions like phasing out petroleum-based food dyes nationally and restricting SNAP benefits for junk food are largely recommendations. These efforts, however, appear profoundly misguided, failing to directly address the most significant cause of modern chronic disease: caloric imbalance.

Most illnesses tied to diet stem from excessive caloric intake compared to what is expended, leading directly to overweight and obesity. This fundamental issue is neglected when public health efforts divert attention to peripheral issues like food dyes or attempts to control specific food assistance programs.

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That many modern illnesses are nutritionally driven is no longer seriously disputed. Type 2 Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers are inextricably linked to sustained patterns of relative caloric excess, often resulting in overweight or obesity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that over 40% of adults in the United States are obese, with another 30% classified as overweight. This prevalence directly correlates with the rising incidence of these illnesses, placing an immense burden on healthcare systems.

The economic impact is staggering: in 2016, diseases directly caused by obesity accounted for $480.7 billion in direct healthcare costs and $1.24 trillion in indirect costs, totaling $1.72 trillion.

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