It is not a conspiracy if its true, The Profitable Alignment of Food, Drugs, and Healthcare.
- Gary Lambert
- Jan 7
- 4 min read
The modern healthcare, food, and pharmaceutical industries have increasingly aligned to prioritize profits over patient health. This alignment has created a system where chronic illnesses are managed—not cured—while life expectancy stagnates and health expenditures skyrocket. Below is a comprehensive timeline and analysis demonstrating how systemic decisions over the last century have contributed to this crisis.
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1900–1950: The Foundations of the Modern Health Crisis
1900: Sickness Trends and Leading Causes of Death
Infectious diseases (pneumonia, tuberculosis, diarrhea) were the primary causes of death, with high infant mortality rates. Chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease were rare.
Average life expectancy: 47 years.
1910: The Flexner Report
Funded by the Carnegie and Rockefeller Foundations, this report restructured medical education to emphasize pharmaceuticals and surgical interventions.
Holistic and nutrition-based medicine was marginalized, creating a system reliant on treating symptoms, not addressing root causes.
1920s: Rise of Seed Oils
Industrial by-products like soybean, cottonseed, and corn oils were introduced as cheap cooking alternatives.
Marketed as “heart-healthy,” these oils were later linked to systemic inflammation and chronic illnesses.
1938: Establishment of the FDA
Following unsafe food and drug scandals, the FDA was created to regulate food and pharmaceuticals. However, the influence of industries shaped the agency’s priorities, favoring patents and profits over natural remedies.
1940s: Discovery of Antibiotics
While antibiotics revolutionized treatment for infections, their overuse in agriculture and medicine disrupted human microbiomes, laying the groundwork for metabolic disorders and antibiotic resistance.
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1950–1970: Industrialization of Food and Healthcare
1950s: Proliferation of Processed Foods
Post-war convenience foods, high in sugar, seed oils, and preservatives, became dietary staples.
These ultra-processed foods exacerbated metabolic dysfunction and nutrient deficiencies.
1958: Introduction of GRAS
The FDA created the "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS) category, allowing thousands of food additives and chemicals into the food supply without rigorous testing.
Harmful ingredients like trans fats, artificial sweeteners, and emulsifiers became ubiquitous.
1960s: Low-Fat Diet Craze
Flawed studies like Ancel Keys’ "Seven Countries Study" blamed saturated fats for heart disease, leading to government-endorsed low-fat, high-carb dietary guidelines.
These recommendations fueled the rise of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
1967: Sugar Industry Scandal
The Sugar Research Foundation funded studies to downplay sugar's role in chronic disease and shift blame to dietary fat.
This misinformation shaped public health policies for decades.
Healthcare Expenditures vs. Health Outcomes (1950s–1970s)
Spending: Healthcare expenditures began rising significantly, driven by new technologies and pharmaceuticals.
Outcomes: While infectious disease deaths declined, chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer began to rise.
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1970–2000: Chronic Disease Epidemic and Escalating Costs
1977: U.S. Dietary Guidelines
Government-issued dietary guidelines promoted low-fat, high-carb diets.
Result: Increased consumption of refined carbs, sugar, and processed foods, worsening obesity rates and metabolic disorders.
1980s: Emergence of Ultra-Processed Foods
Foods high in high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), seed oils, and artificial additives became the norm.
Research linked these foods to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), diabetes, and heart disease.
1990s: Rise of Pharmaceutical Marketing
Direct-to-consumer drug advertising began, leading to increased reliance on medication over preventive care.
The pharmaceutical industry became deeply intertwined with healthcare, prioritizing symptom management over cures.
Healthcare Spending vs. Life Expectancy
1990: U.S. healthcare spending reached 12% of GDP.
Life Expectancy: 75 years, stagnating despite medical advancements.
Chronic diseases (heart disease, diabetes, cancer) became the leading causes of death, linked to dietary and lifestyle factors.
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2000–Present: A Crisis of Chronic Illness and Declining Lifespan
2000s: Explosion of Seed Oils and Additives
Seed oils (rich in omega-6 fats) and emulsifiers disrupted gut health, contributing to inflammation and leaky gut syndrome.
Artificial sweeteners and preservatives exacerbated metabolic dysfunction and gut dysbiosis.
2010s: Microplastics and Hormone Disruptors
Studies revealed widespread contamination of food and water with microplastics and chemicals like BPA, which mimic estrogen and disrupt hormones.
Result: Rising rates of infertility, PCOS, and hormone-related cancers.
Life Expectancy Declines
2015–2020: U.S. life expectancy began to decline for the first time in decades, attributed to chronic diseases, rising obesity rates, and socioeconomic disparities.
Healthcare Costs vs. Health Outcomes
2020: Healthcare spending reached nearly 20% of GDP, yet the U.S. ranked poorly in health outcomes among developed nations.
Chronic diseases accounted for 90% of healthcare spending.
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Key Data Highlights
1. Healthcare Expenditures:
1960: 5% of GDP
2020: Nearly 20% of GDP
2. Chronic Disease Rates:
1960: 10% of adults had chronic diseases.
2020: Over 60% of adults have at least one chronic disease, and 40% have two or more.
3. Life Expectancy Trends:
1900: 47 years
1970: 70 years
2020: 76 years (declining due to chronic illnesses and lifestyle factors).
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The Alignment for Profit, Not Health
Food Industry
Promotes cheap, ultra-processed foods high in sugar, seed oils, and additives.
Profits from addictive products that worsen health.
Pharmaceutical Industry
Focuses on managing chronic diseases with lifelong medications rather than addressing root causes.
Profits from treatments for obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other preventable conditions.
Healthcare System
Prioritizes expensive diagnostics and interventions over preventive care.
Driven by a fee-for-service model that incentivizes treatment over cures.
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Conclusion: A Systemic Shift is Needed
This timeline reveals a system designed to maintain sickness for profit rather than improve health. Chronic illnesses have become the norm, fueled by:
Poor dietary guidelines shaped by industry influence.
Ultra-processed foods filled with harmful additives.
A healthcare system that treats symptoms instead of preventing disease.
To reverse these trends, we must:
1. Redefine Dietary Policies: Prioritize whole, minimally processed foods.
2. Limit Industry Influence: Enforce stricter regulation of food and pharmaceutical lobbying.
3. Focus on Prevention: Emphasize nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes in healthcare.
The alignment of food, drug, and healthcare industries for profit has come at the cost of human health. It’s time to challenge this system and rebuild one focused on true wellness and prevention.
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