RFK Jr.: Americans Are Getting Sicker—Here’s What the Data Reveals

About 10,000 people across the United States Department of Health and Human Services were laid off This week, as part of an extensive reshaping initiative.

In a post on X On Tuesday afternoon, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated that the layoffs marked "a challenging time for everyone," yet he emphasized that "it’s necessary to change direction" as Americans continue to "become unhealthier each year."

A representative from the National Institutes of Health, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the information, informed ABC News that the job cuts constituted an “across-the-board HHS massacre,” resulting in whole departments being dissolved.

According to sources cited by ABC News, several departments were impacted including nearly all of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, crucial sections within the Center for Tobacco Products, the majority of staff at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, as well as the complete assisted reproduction technology unit at the CDC.

Later, Kennedy informed ABC News on Thursday that certain programs would shortly resume as they had been incorrectly discontinued.

FURTHER: Study reveals environmental influences and lifestyle decisions play a more significant role in determining health outcomes compared to genetic predispositions.

In a video message shared on X Before the layoffs, Kennedy stated that his intention for the agency was to instill a clear sense of purpose aimed at dramatically enhancing the well-being of Americans and boosting staff morale within the organization.

In the six-minute segment, Kennedy asserted that the United States is the "sickliest country globally," noting significant rises in chronic illnesses and cancer cases along with a decline in American life expectancy. However, he didn’t provide any statistics within his video to back up these assertions.

Smoking and the utilization of tobacco items lead to both long-term illnesses and cancers—and the departments addressing these problems were some of those severely reduced in Kennedy’s recent actions.

Although Kennedy is accurate in asserting that certain aspects lead to this conclusion, he does point out that some chronic disease and cancer Rates have increased, according to public health experts — and data indicates — that the nation has achieved significant strides in addressing diseases, such as reducing cancer death rates, with life expectancy also showing an upward trend.

"Cutting funds from the public health sector while supposedly combating diseases poses a significant paradox," stated Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and Chief Innovation Officer at Boston Children's Hospital, who also contributes to ABC News.

Ideally, we ought to concentrate on bolstering — rather than weakening — our public healthcare framework if we genuinely aim to address long-term illnesses," Brownstein went on. "Disassembling essential structures will merely hinder our efforts to maintain the well-being of Americans.

American life expectancy increasing

In a post on X Dr. Ashish Jha, who served as the White House COVID-19 response coordinator from 2022 to 2023, stated that Kennedy’s claim regarding Americans becoming more ill was inaccurate.

The information presented contains numerous inaccuracies," he noted. "Americans are NOT becoming increasingly ill each year. Despite a challenging pandemic, life expectancy is starting to increase once more.

From 2022 to 2023, the age-adjusted mortality rates dropped for nine out of the top leading causes of death in the United States, as reported. The December 2024 report released by the CDC .

This encompasses reductions in mortality rates for conditions such as heart disease, accidental injuries, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, kidney ailments, chronic liver disease including cirrhosis, and also COVID-19.

Moreover, according to the CDC report, mortality rates decreased across all age groups five years old and above from 2022 to 2023.

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The report additionally noted that life expectancy in the U.S. is starting to increase once more following its decline. fell in each US state in the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the CDC report, life expectancy reached its peak in 2023 since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The data indicates that the average lifespan for the US population was 78.4 years in 2023, marking a rise of 0.9 years compared to 2022.

The reduction in age-modified death rates can primarily be linked to declines in deaths caused by COVID-19, cardiovascular diseases, accidental injuries, and diabetes.

Brownstein informed ABC News that assertions suggesting Americans are becoming more ill annually aren’t accurate. He pointed out that life expectancy has increased since the pandemic and noted decreases in deaths related to cancer, heart disease, and drug overdoses.

Childhood obesity increasing while adult obesity declining

Kennedy has said He aims to address the obesity crisis, particularly focusing on childhood obesity.

Studies indicate that childhood obesity is increasing in the United States and affecting kids at increasingly younger ages, with about one in every five children and adolescents in the country experiencing obesity, as reported by the CDC. CDC .

FURTHER: Study reveals environmental influences and life decisions play a larger role in determining health outcomes compared to genetic makeup.

A A 2022 study conducted at Emory University The study examining data from 1998 to 2016 revealed an increase in severe obesity among elementary school students, spanning kindergarten to fifth grade, which elevates the number of children facing potential health issues.

Jha highlighted in his X post that "obesity rates among adults have levelled off and are starting to decline."

For the first time in more than ten years, the rate of adult obesity in the U.S. might be declining, as indicated by a study published recently. The figures show a slight decrease from 46% in 2022 to 45.6% in 2023. JAMA Health Forum in December 2024.

The study reviewed the body mass index A widely recognized approach for assessing obesity was used to analyze data from approximately 16.7 million American adults across a decade. Over this time frame, the mean Body Mass Index (BMI) increased yearly, reaching 30.24—classified as obese—until it stabilized in 2022. Since then, it has slightly decreased to 30.21 in 2023.

“Research I was involved in, published in JAMA, indicates that adult obesity rates have stabilized and may be decreasing,” stated Brownstein, who co-authored the study. “This advancement underscores the type of long-term public health funding that this restructuring could jeopardize.”

Prevalence of chronic diseases increasing

Kennedy has prioritized addressing chronic illnesses as a key element of his "Make America Healthy Again" agenda.

In the last twenty years, the incidence of long-term illnesses has consistently risen, as reported. 2024 study carried out by scientists in Iowa, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas.

The authors noted that an growing number of Americans are managing several long-term health issues; 42% have two or more, and 12% have at least five.

The research additionally revealed that the occurrence of chronic diseases differs based on geographical area and socio-economic standing. The study indicated that individuals residing in regions where chronic conditions are most common encounter numerous obstacles related to social, economic, and environmental factors.

A A 2022 study conducted by the CDC identified chronic conditions associated with cigarette smoking encompass respiratory and cardiovascular ailments, along with various cancers and diabetes.

Cancer rates have seen a significant surge.

Kennedy accurately points out that cancer rates in the U.S. have gone up, as evidenced by an increase in incidence rates for 17 different types of cancer among younger people, according to a 2024 joint study from the American Cancer Society, CancerCare Alberta, and the University of Calgary.

There has been a notable increase Research indicates an increase in occurrence rates of various cancers among women and younger individuals.

The incidence rates for women aged between 50 and 64 have now exceeded those of men, as reported. 2025 report published in the Journal of the American Cancer Society.

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Moreover, the study revealed that cancer incidence among women under 50 years old has surged to being 82% higher compared to their male counterparts in the same age group, an increase from 51% since 2002.

Nevertheless, despite the rise in cancer cases, the number of deaths due to cancer has declined.

A The 2025 report from the American Cancer Society discovered that the age-adjusted cancer mortality rates declined by 34% since reaching their highest point in 1991, up until 2022. This decrease can mostly be attributed to declines in tobacco use, improvements in medical treatments, and earlier identification of certain types of cancer.

Nonetheless, there is further progress to make as inequalities continue to exist. For instance, with Indigenous peoples of America, experience the most significant cancer mortality rates from any racial or ethnic background in the United States

Furthermore, African Americans experience double the mortality rates compared to Caucasian Americans for prostate, stomach, and uterine corpus cancers; with the last being a type of cancer affecting the lining of the uterus.

Dr. Jay-Sheree Allen Akambase serves as both a practitioner in family and preventive medicine at the Mayo Clinic and as part of the ABC News Medical Unit.

Dr. Niki Iranpour from ABC News, along with Cheyenne Haslett and Will McDuffie, have contributed to this report.