Martin Makary on the Disparity Between Medical Innovation and Public Health Progress
Martin Makary, 27th Commissioner of the U.S. FDA, posted on X:
“In the terms of biochemistry and science, the last 50 years of modern healthcare have been an incredible success but when it comes to the health of the population, American healthcare has been a 50 year failure…we have had an entirely reactionary system, until now.”
Main Summary of the Press Release:
At a recent national event unveiling the MAHA report, Martin Makary, 27th Commissioner of the U.S. FDA, delivered a powerful statement calling attention to the failures of the U.S. healthcare system in addressing population health. While celebrating scientific advances in areas like CAR-T therapy, immunotherapy, and proton beam treatment, Makary underscored that despite 50 years of innovation, America remains home to the most obese, medicated, depressed, and disabled population in the world.
Makary criticized the healthcare system’s focus on billing, coding, and throughput over root cause prevention. He highlighted alarming trends, including high rates of antidepressant and ADHD medication use among children, calling the current approach a “reactionary system.” He urged the medical community to shift toward proactive solutions—addressing diet, stress, sleep, environmental exposures, and lifestyle factors as central pillars of disease prevention.
Emphasizing a need for systemic change, Makary proposed rethinking chronic disease management through public health measures rather than pharmaceutical dependency. He called for national conversations about food as medicine, environmental risks, and patient-centered care strategies. “This marks a milestone,” he stated, “where we must move from a reactionary to a proactive healthcare model.”
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