Prevention Should Be Primary, But Making America Healthy Requires Much More Than That

Sept. 11, 2025 (WASHINGTON, D.C.) The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) has released the following statement in response to the Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy report.

“More than 40% of U.S. children and adolescents have at least one chronic condition, a concerning trend that deserves data-driven research and recommendations. The Make America Healthy Again Commission correctly highlights that improving nutrition, increased physical activity, reduced stress, and curtailing exposure to toxins are essential to health promotion for children. Given the desire to reduce exposure to toxins, we were troubled to see no mention of tobacco use and nicotine addiction prevention and cessation anywhere in the report. Tobacco use remains a major preventable cause of chronic disease, and nearly 90 percent of adults who smoke started before they turned 18.

“Even more concerning is the Commission’s emphasis on ‘overmedicalization’ as a ‘driver behind the rise in chronic disease,’ imprecisely calling it a ‘concerning trend … often driven by conflicts of interest in medical research, regulation and practice.’ Medicine is not the enemy of prevention; it is its partner:

·         One in 15 U.S. children has asthma, and inhalers and other therapies keep symptoms under control and prevent hospitalizations. Preventing exposures to triggers is important to avoid asthma attacks but is not enough for many without the support of medicines that prevent attacks and rescue medicines needed during one.

·         For the 300,000 children and adolescents living with type 1 diabetes, insulin is not optional but life-sustaining.

·         Advances in pediatric oncology have raised the five-year survival rate for childhood cancers above 85%, a direct result of research and treatment.

"Getting regular exercise and spending time outdoors certainly do have beneficial effects on stress levels and mental wellbeing. However, to suggest that those activities alone can prevent and treat diagnosed mental illnesses diminishes the reality of these diseases, reinforces stigmas that prevent people from seeking treatment, and risks the health of children and adolescents suffering from mental illnesses. Medical care does not create chronic disease, but rather it allows children to live longer, healthier lives. Suggesting otherwise risks stigmatizing families who depend on these treatments and undercutting the value of efforts focused on delivering innovative treatments and cures to those living with unmet needs.

“Any effort to make America healthy should prioritize prevention while also leveraging current and future treatments to better manage the existing toll of chronic disease across the U.S. The best path forward is to invest in healthier environments while strengthening research and health care that saves children’s lives. A comprehensive approach to children’s health must value both prevention and medicine.”