America: The Wealthiest Yet Sickest Country in the World

America: The Wealthiest Yet Sickest Country in the World

In 2024, healthcare spending in the U.S. is projected to reach a staggering $4.7 trillion, averaging around $14,200 per person. By 2028, this number will balloon to $7.5 trillion, accounting for roughly 20% of the nation’s GDP.

But what are we getting for this massive investment? A healthier population? Unfortunately, the answer is no.

Today, 6 in 10 adults in America have at least one chronic disease, and 4 in 10 are battling two or more chronic conditions. Chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer now account for 75% of the nation’s healthcare spending. And the outlook is grim:

2024 is expected to see 1.96 million new cancer cases.
By 2030, that number is projected to rise to 2.3 million.

The question remains: Why is America the sickest country in the world?

The Chemicals in Our Food

One of the biggest reasons is the sheer number of chemicals hiding in our food. Processed foods are filled with preservatives, sweeteners, colorants, emulsifiers, and flavor enhancers—substances that may improve shelf life, taste, texture, or appearance, but come at a severe cost to our health.

The U.S. food supply contains over 10,000 food additives deemed “safe” for consumption. These additives are complemented by 10,000 pesticide residues that coat the foods we eat every day. Beyond that, about 100 color additives are also approved for use in our food.

But is all this really “safe”?

GMO/Bioengineered Food

The U.S. is the largest producer of GMO crops, with more than 90% of corn, soybeans, and cotton grown here being genetically modified. While recent regulations require that all GMO products be labeled as “bioengineered” or “derived from bioengineering,” the damage may already be done.

GMO crops include corn, soybeans, cotton, canola, sugar beets, and alfalfa, contributing to a food system that increasingly relies on bioengineered ingredients.

Why Don’t We Know More?

Why isn’t the U.S. public better educated about the dangers of nutrition, chemicals, sugars, and GMOs? The roots of this problem can be traced back to the 1980s, when tobacco companies like RJ Reynolds and Philip Morris began buying up processed food companies. These companies used the same scientists who had perfected the addictive qualities of tobacco to make food just as addictive—using sugar and other chemicals.

Today, the food industry spends five times more than the oil industry on lobbying. They’ve paid off agencies like the FDA, the USDA, and even some of Harvard’s professors. They even played a role in creating the notorious food pyramid, designed to hook children on unhealthy foods from an early age.

A Lifetime of Dependency

The human body simply isn’t designed to handle this overload of chemicals, bioengineered ingredients, and highly processed sugars. As a result, the U.S. has some of the highest rates of chronic diseases, including cancer, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and an obesity rate of 74%—one of the highest in the world.

This isn’t just a coincidence. By getting children hooked on unhealthy, processed foods early in life, they become lifelong customers for Big Pharma, the food industry, and healthcare providers. It’s a win-win for them, but a devastating loss for the rest of us.

From the moment a baby is born, they are placed on a pharmaceutical treadmill.

The Solution

It’s time to break free from this vicious cycle of addiction, illness, and profit. The first step is education—understanding what’s in our food and the long-term consequences of what we consume. The second step is action—demanding transparency and advocating for a food system that prioritizes health over profit.

We can do better. America can do better. The future of our nation’s health depends on it.