This week, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified before the Senate, exposing the deeply entrenched ties between corporate interests and public health policy. His hearings shed light on the dangerous intersection of regulatory agencies and industry profits, revealing how policies that should prioritize the well-being of Americans are instead dictated by pharmaceutical giants, agribusiness conglomerates, and the billion-dollar wellness industry. Kennedy’s testimony was a wake-up call: the American people are not just being underserved; they are being exploited.
In the United States, we are living through a profound health crisis. This is not simply the result of personal choices or isolated misfortunes; it is the predictable consequence of policies and systems that have, for generations, prioritized corporate profits over human well-being.
As 2025 unfolds, our food system teeters on the brink: 70% of what’s readily available is ultra-processed. These products are designed for maximum profitability—cheap to produce, easy to distribute, and highly addictive. They fill grocery shelves, flood school cafeterias, and dominate marketing campaigns. The consequences are dire: rising obesity rates, metabolic disorders, and preventable chronic diseases that erode the health of millions. When an economy is structured so that a bag of chips costs less than a bag of fresh spinach, we must ask ourselves: who truly benefits?
Pair this with a for-profit healthcare system, where access is dictated by wealth, and the picture becomes even bleaker. Economic and food inequities deepen the divide, ensuring that those with fewer resources face the worst health outcomes. In America, wealth has become one of the strongest determinants of longevity. Those with the means can afford organic produce, boutique fitness memberships, and top-tier medical care. Those without are left battling preventable conditions with limited access to doctors, nutritious food, and basic health education.
And then there is the trillion-dollar wellness industry, offering an illusion of solutions. Rather than addressing the root causes of our health crisis, it caters to an elite audience, selling optimization strategies disguised as self-care. From $50 meditation apps to $200 supplement regimens, it promises vitality—but only for those who can afford it. Meanwhile, millions of Americans are navigating food deserts, working multiple jobs without healthcare, and making impossible choices between rent and groceries.
Too often, the health conversation is hijacked by trends and distractions: Should we avoid seed oils? Are synthetic food dyes harmful? What’s the latest cleanse? These debates are luxuries of the privileged, detached from the realities of those who struggle to find any fresh food at all.
This crisis is not accidental; it is systemic. And yet, rather than demanding fundamental change, we are given band-aid solutions: a detox tea, a wellness retreat, an exclusive fitness membership. These offerings exist within the very capitalist framework that created this crisis. They are not solutions—they are distractions.
The path to true wellness does not come in a bottle or a subscription box. It is built through policy changes and collective action: universal access to fresh, nutrient-dense foods; investments in walkable, safe communities; equitable healthcare systems; and robust mental health and educational resources. These are the true markers of health, yet they are consistently sacrificed in the name of corporate expansion and shareholder profits.
If we are to create a healthier America, we must reject the notion that wellness is a commodity to be bought and sold. True well-being is a public good. It belongs to all of us, not just the privileged few. The time for systemic solutions is now—because a society that prioritizes profits over people is a society that is unwell at its core.
Until next time, friends.
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Stephanie Pascarella is the co-founder of Birdsong Medical Center. As a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach, Stephanie offers consciousness-based coaching built upon the fundamentals of Ayurveda and meditation, offering comprehensive wellness programs that leverage the latest in neuroscience, evolutionary and positive psychology for individuals. As a seasoned health and wellness advocate educated under Deepak Chopra with a deep-rooted knowledge of Ayurvedic healing practices, Stephanie has spent over a decade exploring the profound connections between the physical and spiritual aspects of living.
Additionally, Stephanie is an internationally recognized environmentalist as Founder of Wash with Water. Trusted since 2012 as a global CPG leader in the wellness sector, Stephanie has successfully partnered with non-profits like rePurpose Global to fund the collection, processing, and reuse of ocean-bound plastic waste. Building one of the first certified Negative Plastic Footprint, BCorp and Climate Neutral companies, Stephanie Pascarella has enabled the removal of millions of pounds of low-value plastic waste otherwise landfilled, burned, or flushed into the oceans every year.