HHS official sounds alarm on America’s chronic disease crisis: ‘The most drugged country in the world’

Mar 4, 2026 - 13:28
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HHS official sounds alarm on America’s chronic disease crisis: ‘The most drugged country in the world’


White House senior adviser Calley Means is on a mission — and he’s been leading this mission alongside Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the MAHA movement.

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“So you and RFK Jr. came in with this singular mission to make America healthy again, which — I don’t think, you know, it’s like it’s not a crazy mission. Overhauling the food system is the key tenet of this, and I think — you correct me if I’m wrong — kind of your key focus,” Gonzales says.

“We’re at HHS right now. This is the largest budget of any government department in human history. We have a $2 trillion budget, and you look at that — 90% of that is chronic diseases tied to food. We in America have the highest rates of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's," Means tells Gonzales.


“This is what’s costing lives. It’s what’s shortening lives. It’s what’s causing issues for day-to-day Americans. And it’s bankrupting our budget. And it’s a multitude of factors, but these are external factors that are causing this increasing rate of chronic disease, which is devastating the country, particularly our kids,” he continues.

And he points out that this chronic disease epidemic has nothing to do with a lack of pharmaceuticals, as we are “the most drugged country in the world.”

Means also explains that this is why it’s so important that RFK Jr. has such an important role in the Trump administration.

“He’s the most important person. He’ll go down as the most important person in the history of modern public health, because he’s brought light to these simple things,” Means tells Gonzales.

“I don’t disagree with you. I mean, he is one of my own personal heroes,” Gonzales agrees.

However, while Gonzales and Means both see the importance of shining a light on the chronic disease epidemic in America and how it relates to our environment and food supply, others appear to be blinded by politics.

“Why do you think that we can’t be bipartisan about something as simple as keeping America healthy?” Gonzales asks Means.

“Trump derangement syndrome, I think, is the most pernicious and incurable condition impacting much of the American populace. It’s defining American politics,” Means answers.

“And the simple reality is Trump derangement syndrome has led Democrats to passionately defend artificial food dyes. It’s led Democrats to now be the party of ultra-processed food. It’s led Democrats to — I couldn’t believe this — passionately argue that we should maintain government funding for soda on food stamps,” he continues.

“My hope and our prayer here at HHS is this does become bipartisan,” he adds.

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Fibis I am just an average American. My teen years were in the late 70s and I participated in all that that decade offered. Started working young, too young. Then I joined the Army before I graduated High School. I spent 25 years in, mostly in Infantry units. Since then I've worked in information technology positions all at small family owned companies. At this rate I'll never be a tech millionaire. When I was young I rode horses as much as I could. I do believe I should have been a cowboy. I'm getting in the saddle again by taking riding lessons and see where it goes.