Assessing the Chronic Diseases That Have Gripped Children

Summary

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The Dr. Laura Podcast

Episode: Assessing the Chronic Diseases That Have Gripped Children
Host: Dr. Laura Schlessinger
Date: May 22, 2026

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Overview

In this episode, Dr. Laura Schlessinger addresses a sobering report on the dramatic rise of chronic diseases in American children. Drawing on data and personal observations, Dr. Laura offers her candid perspective on potential causes, cultural shifts, and the consequences for health, national security, and American society. The discussion highlights issues ranging from skyrocketing childhood obesity and autism diagnoses to pharmaceutical over-prescription and the impacts of a changing environment and lifestyle.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Alarming Trends in Children's Health

(Starts around 00:59)

• Dr. Laura sets the tone by referencing a recent report on chronic illnesses in children, noting she feels a moral obligation to share these findings.

• The conditions discussed include depression, obesity, autism, allergies, asthma, autoimmune diseases, and behavioral disorders.

  “Teenage depression doubling from 2009 to 2019. More than one in five children over the age of six ... is obese. We're not even talking about chunky. We're talking about obese.”
  (Dr. Laura, 01:37)

• Dr. Laura compares this with her childhood, remarking on how unusual it was to see obese or autistic children in past decades.

  “I'm 78, but not but I'm 78 and thinking back when I was in school...I don't remember any fat kids...I also don't remember anybody being autistic. Asperger's. None of this behavioral stuff.”
  (Dr. Laura, 02:22)

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2. Societal and Environmental Factors

(06:38)

• She attributes the rise in disease partly to changes in the food system, exposure to environmental chemicals (pesticides, microplastics), and a shift from outdoor activity to screen time.

  “Variables including a food system that's safe but could be healthier. Environmental chemicals such as pesticides outside, microplastics in food consumed, as a culture shift that moves from kids playing outside to being glued to their phones, tablets.”
  (Dr. Laura, 08:32)

• Dr. Laura reminisces about the outdoor-focused lifestyle of her youth and notes the increased isolation and inactivity among kids today.

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3. Over-Medication and Pharmaceutical Profit

(07:30)

• Points out the sharp increases in prescriptions for children, questioning “who makes money?” and following the maxim “follow the money.”

• Shares startling prescription statistics:

  • 250% increase in ADHD medications (2006–2016)
  • 1,400% increase in antidepressant prescriptions (1987–2014)
  • 800% increase in antipsychotics for kids (1993–2009)

  “These time trends significantly outpace more moderate increases seen in other developed countries...Psychotropics for ADHD are one example, prescribed 2.5 times more in the US than in Britain, 19 times more than in Japanese youth.”
  (Dr. Laura, 09:38)

• She criticizes the apparent crisis of over-diagnosis and over-treatment, especially compared to international norms.

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4. National Security Consequences

(07:30; expanded at 08:00)

• Dr. Laura links chronic illness trends to military readiness, emphasizing that 75% of youth (17-24) are ineligible to serve due to health conditions.

  “Childhood cancer is spiking 40% since 1975...Over 40% of these 73 million children...have at least one chronic health condition, according to the CDC...75% of America's youth 17 to 24 do not qualify to serve in the military. 75%.”
  (Dr. Laura, 06:38-08:00)

• She queries whether the nation could have mobilized for challenges like WWII with today’s youth statistics.

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5. Environmental Toxins and Policy Questions

(11:00)

• Dr. Laura mentions the EPA’s ongoing review of fluoride in drinking water due to its potential link to lowered IQ in children.

  “The EPA is in the midst of reviewing fluoride data to potentially enact revisions to the federal drinking water standard because above the permitted levels of fluoride lower kids IQs...somehow miraculously appear[s] around the country.”
  (Dr. Laura, 11:00)

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6. The Paradox of American Healthcare Spending

(12:00)

• Critiques the contradiction between high healthcare spending and poor outcomes:

  “Despite the fact that we outspend peer nations by more than double per capita on health care...our kids can't read and do math, the United States ranks last in life expectancy among high income countries. How can that be? We spend more money on being healthy.”
  (Dr. Laura, 12:20)

• She repeatedly asserts today's children may not live as long as their parents—a shocking reversal of historical trends.

  “Today's children are the sickest generation in American history in terms of chronic disease...and these preventable trends continue to worsen each year, which is obviously a threat to the nation's health, the economy.”
  (Dr. Laura, 12:55)

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7. Personal and Societal Accountability

(13:30)

• Dr. Laura expresses concern that increased diagnoses and dependencies extend into adulthood, noting things like “30-year-olds still living at home” were rare in the past.
• She closes with her phone number and encourages listeners to rate, review, and share the podcast.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Who makes money? I have always said. And in movies, they always tell you in criminal movies, follow the money. Who's motivated? Pharmaceuticals.”
  (Dr. Laura, 01:11)
• “Our kids today are less healthy than their parents were at the same age and your kids today are likely not going to live as long as you do.”
  (Dr. Laura, 12:10)
• “Today's children are the sickest generation in American history in terms of chronic disease.”
  (Dr. Laura, 12:55)
• “We now have the most obese, depressed, disabled, medicated population in the history of the world.”
  (Dr. Laura, 08:31)

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Key Timestamps

• 00:59 – Dr. Laura introduces the chronic disease report’s findings
• 01:37 – Data on childhood depression, obesity, and autism rates
• 06:38 – Link between health trends and national security
• 08:32 – Discussion of environmental and lifestyle factors
• 09:38 – Prescription drug statistics and comparison to other countries
• 11:00 – EPA reconsidering fluoride standards and IQ concerns
• 12:00 – Commentary on US healthcare spending versus outcomes
• 13:30 – Societal consequences and closing commentary

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Tone and Style

Dr. Laura’s signature forthrightness and deep concern for family and national well-being is evident throughout. She blends research data with personal memories, expresses frustration at systemic failings, and calls for both personal responsibility and cultural change. The episode is direct, reflective, and at times, urgent—meant to provoke thought and action among parents, families, and policymakers.

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For listeners seeking a comprehensive analysis backed by both statistics and lived experience, this episode offers a sobering but clarifying look at the state of American children’s health and its broader implications.

Transcript

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

As people age, it's normal to ask what more they could be doing to take care of their health. It's important to be proactive, especially when it comes to your brain health. Don't wait for something to feel off before taking action. Make your next checkup count. Ask your doctor about your risk factors for dementia and a cognitive assessment. Visit brainhealthmatters.com for more information and resources provided by Lily.

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[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

homes only thank you for listening to my morning monologue, brought to you by Golden Crest Medals Helping everyday investors protect what they've worked so hard to build by adding gold and silver to retirement portfolios. Learn [e-mail] Protect Remember, you can hear my radio program daily on Sirius XM Triumph and connect with me 24 [e-mail] read this this morning. I believe I have a moral obligation to read it to you. Excerpting that is because I've been pointing out these things, which is what do we here's the problem, and I'm going to excerpt the report's been made assessing chronic diseases that have gripped US Children in recent years, pinning blame for a spike in childhood issues on a host of variables stretching from ingesting foods with added chemicals to it increase in prescribing pharmaceuticals to young kids. Who makes money, I have always said. And in movies, they always tell you in criminal movies, follow the money. Who's motivated? Pharmaceuticals. This is going to horrify you. As I Read on, the report's findings include teenage depression doubling from 2009 to 2019. More than one in five children over the age of six line up five kids. One of them is obese. We're not even talking about chunky. We're talking about obese. You see that all the time. Go to malls, go anywhere, go to parks, anywhere. Fat. Not even fat. They're obese. The other ones are probably somewhat fat. Why? So as I went through all of these I'm 78, but not but I'm 78 and thinking back when I was in school, truth be told, I don't remember any fat kids. Not everybody was pretty. Not everybody was tall. Not everybody had a gorgeous physique. But your kids. You know what's a gorgeous physique in a kid? But I don't remember fat kids. Huh? One in 31 children is diagnosed with autism by the age of eight. What. Now? Knowing now what I know about the symptoms, the behaviors of autism. I also don't remember anybody being autistic. Asperger's. None of this behavioral stuff. As people age, it's normal to ask what more they could be doing to take care of their health. It's important to be proactive, especially when it comes to your brain health. Don't wait for something to feel off before taking action. Make your next checkup count. Ask your doctor about your risk factors for dementia and a cognitive assessment. Visit brainhealthmatters.com for more information and resources provided by Lily Life doesn't have to be so complicated. Walmart helps you simplify. They're your one stop. Shop for daily essentials like groceries, snacks, school supplies and thanks to Walmart Pharmacy. You can count on them for your prescription needs too. Use the Walmart app to easily manage your family's medications and save time by getting prescriptions delivered right to your door. Switch your prescriptions to Walmart Pharmacy Delivery not available for all prescriptions and exclusions apply.

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[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

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[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

We had mild version of gangs like in the movie Grease. Nobody had guns and knives but you know, they had the DA haircuts and denim or leather jackets. That was about it. So yeah, the world is different than when I was a kid. Childhood cancer is spiking 40% since 1975. Over 40% of these 73 million children children are defined by 0 to 17 in the United States. Over 40% of our kids have at least one chronic health condition, according to the CDC. Asthma, allergies, obesity, autoimmune diseases, behavioral disorders. Now all these chronic conditions in kids are ultimately a chilling effect on national security because 75% of America's youth 17 to 24 do not qualify to serve in the military. 75% imagine if we were back in time revving up for World War II. Don't think we would have won that one. We wouldn't have a fighting force. Why do they not qualify? Obesity. First one. Asthma, allergies, autoimmune diseases and it just goes on. We now have the most obese, depressed, disabled, medicated population in the history of

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the world,

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

said the FDA commissioner. This doesn't get better. As I read on, the report pointed out variables including a food system that's safe but could be healthier. Environmental chemicals such as pesticides outside, microplastics in food consumed as a culture shift that moves from kids playing outside to being glued to their phones, tablets. I just remember being a kid and you stayed in your house when you were sick or being punished. Otherwise, okay, you did your homework, otherwise you were outside. I do not remember being anybody being an inside kid. We were outside. American children are highly medicated and it's not working. The report found that prescribing medication to children has skyrocketed in recent history because it is such a good business. Friends. 250% increase in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder prescriptions just between the 10 years between 2006 and 2016 despite scientific evidence that the prescriptions did not improve long term outcomes. Okay, gets worse. 1,400% increase between 87 and 2014 for antidepressant prescriptions for kids. I'm only talking about kids. 800% increase in antipsychotic medications for kids between 1993 and 2009. These time trends significantly outpace more moderate increases seen in other developed countries. Psychotropics for ADHD are one example, prescribed 2.5 times more in the US than in Britain, 19 times more than in Japanese youth. The crisis of over diagnosis and over treatment in children is empirically evident and proportionally specific to American children. And then this gets even more upsetting if it could the EPA is in the midst of reviewing fluoride data to potentially enact revisions to the federal drinking water standard because above the permitted levels of fluoride lower kids IQs, not all fluoride above the accepted level, which does somehow miraculously appear around the country. Okay, our kids today are less healthy than their parents were at the same age and your kids today are likely not going to live as long as you do. Despite the fact that we outspend peer nations by more than double per capita on health care as we do on education, and our kids can't read and do math, the United States ranks last in life expectancy among high income countries. How can that be? We spend more money on being healthy. We rank last in life expectancy. Today's children are the sickest generation in American history in terms of chronic disease. And these preventable trends continue to worsen each year, which is obviously a threat to the nation's health, the economy. I mean, when everybody's sick, a lot of money is just going into that, isn't it? And consider the world has some evil empires we're not going to be able to fight unless we just use drones. That's enough. When I started on radio, it was rare that any parent called me about an autistic kid. Rare. Not because we didn't know what it was. A lot of things were rare. 30 year old still living at home rare. That's enough for now. My number 1-800-375-2872. If you like this podcast, be sure to rate it on Apple Podcasts or your favorite place to listen to my podcast. Of course, I'd love if you gave me five stars. And be sure to share this podcast with a friend on Facebook or your preferred social media platform.

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Inspiration.

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Every time you go to bed with a negative thought, you have to match it up with a positive one. That's your new rule.

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