Dr. Mark Hyman: How To Reclaim Your Health In A Food System Designed To KILL You

Mark Hyman delves into the alarming rise of chronic illnesses and obesity, detailing how these conditions are detrimentally affecting Americans' health and economy.

The alarming rise in chronic illnesses and obesity across America

Hyman stresses that over 60% of adults have a chronic disease, with heart disease up by 50% in the last 50 years, cancer by 30%, and notably a 50% rise in cancer among those under 50. The incidence of type 2 diabetes has climbed dramatically, now affecting young children, which previously had been adult onset. He brings attention to the grave increase in mental illness among children, with autism rates soaring by 1000%. Dementia too has escalated by 150%. He observes a significant upsurge in drug use, with diabetes drugs increasing by 400%, cardiovascular by 300%, psychiatric by 400%, autoimmune by 500%, respiratory by 200%, pain drugs by 400%, and gastrointestinal drugs by 300%.

With chronic disease driving healthcare spending to one in five dollars of the economy, the nation sees chronic illnesses caused or worsened by ultra-processed food intake. Hyman highlights that 51% of children have conditions such as obesity, asthma, allergies, autoimmune diseases, and diabetes. These diseases, like dementia, heart disease, cancer, or diabetes, don't strike suddenly but develop over decades.

Hyman singles out the case of a 42-year-old father in Easley, South Carolina, battling kidney failure from type two diabetes and on dialysis, pointing to the family’s nutritionally poor diet of processed ingredients. This mirrors a nationwide issue, with 93.2% of Americans ranging from optimal to poor metabolic health, including many on the spectrum of prediabetes to type two diabetes.

Lamenting how 40% of children now are overweight, a stark contrast from his youth, Hyman notes the current obesity rate is at 42%. He emphasizes the prevalence of chronic disease, with six out of ten Americans affected, and for those over 65, the figure jumps to 83%.

The connection between diet, lifestyle, and chronic disease

Hyman illustrates how chronic illness stems from our food, lifestyle, and environmental toxins, tackling the lifestyle disease of type 2 diabetes as being incited by sugar overconsumption. He associates the modern American diet with inflammation-related diseases such as allergies, autoimmune diseases, and other chronic conditions, noting that ultra-processed food makes up a significant portion of our diet and harms our metabolism, microbiome, and prompts chronic illnesses.

He tackles the met ...

The food industry and government policies play a critical role in public health, particularly relating to the consumption of unhealthy foods. Mark Hyman and Lewis Howes discuss these issues, highlighting the negative impact on society.

The food industry's profit-driven agenda undermines public health

Hyman criticizes the food industry, which includes companies creating products like cigarettes, sugar, and cereals such as Kellogg's Fruit Loops. These companies are driven by profit and aim to maximize consumption. Hyman characterizes the modern American diet as filled with bad fats, additives, "weird things," and ingredients that make people addicted to ultra-processed foods.

Food companies prioritize maximizing profits over producing healthy, nutritious foods, leading them to engineer highly addictive, ultra-processed products.

Ultra-processed foods are the main issue, according to Hyman, with seventy-three percent of grocery store shelves filled with these products. These foods are designed to be highly palatable, potentially leading to overeating and contributing to the obesity epidemic.

Aggressive marketing tactics, particularly aimed at children, further drive overconsumption of unhealthy foods.

Howes points out the need to turn off commercials because they predominantly promote fast food, hinting at the food industry's aggressive advertising. Hyman talks about drug companies spending twice as much on marketing as on research, a tactic to influence consumers—and this includes marketing strategies that target children.

Misguided government policies exacerbate the problem

Hyman indicates that while the food industry is significant globally and drives economic activity, misguided actions and policies of governmental bodies like the FDA, NIH, HHS, and USDA have been influenced by corruption and captured by industry interests.

Government subsidies for commodity crops like corn and wheat enable the production of cheap, unhealthy ingredients used in processed foods.

He critiques policies that lead to the food industry making the most profit on the most processed foods—those engineered using subsidized commodities like corn, wheat, and soy.

Nutrition guidelines and food assistance programs often promote or fund the consumption of these unhealthy, processed foods.

Hyman ...

Mark Hyman and Lewis Howes highlight the urgent need for systemic changes to address the current situation of socialized costs and privatized profits where taxpayers bear the burden of unhealthy food consumption.

Policy reforms to shift incentives and promote healthier options

Implementing taxes on sugary drinks, restricting junk food marketing, and improving front-of-package labeling can discourage unhealthy consumption.

Hyman is working in Washington with the food fix campaign on initiatives such as changing SNAP policies, changing food packaging labeling, and changing dietary guidelines. He discusses the need for implementing taxes on sugary drinks and mentions getting junk food out of schools and ending food marketing to kids as key policy changes. Chile's example, where an 80% soda tax was implemented, junk food marketing was ended, cartoon characters in food marketing were removed, junk food was banned from schools, and stop sign front-of-package labeling was used to indicate excessive nutrients, is brought up by Hyman as measures to discourage unhealthy consumption and promote healthier options.

Increasing education and individual empowerment

Improving nutrition education for healthcare providers and the general public can help people make more informed choices.

Increased awareness and education among doctors, as well as the general population, through books and documentaries, are part of what is needed to facilitate widespread changes in health approaches. Hyman co-founded Function Health to allow people to access their own lab data without a doctor or insurance. The significant growth of Function Health indicates a consumer demand for greater control and understanding of personal health information. Hyman also tackles the lack of emphasis on prevention and reversal of diseases in medical practice, advocating for nutrition education in medical schools and requirements for minimum competency in nutrition in graduate medical education programs and licensing exams.

Providing individuals with affordable, accessible tools to monitor their own health data can empower them to take control of their wellbeing.

FunctionHealth.com was mentioned by Hyman as a service enabling people to easily get blood work done and gain insights into their health data. This empowers individuals to monitor their health, which can lead to early detection and tr ...