Trump's Health Pick: US is 'Most Chronically Ill' Rich Nation, Echoes India's Woes

Appearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Wednesday (local time), Means described a nation burdened by chronic disease. "We live shorter, sicker lives than peer high-income nations," she said. "Today's children are projected to live shorter, sicker lives than their parents."

She argued that public health leaders must address "ultra-processed foods, industrial chemical exposure, lack of physical activity, chronic stress and loneliness, and overmedicalisation."

Her testimony struck a chord beyond Washington. India, like the United States, is grappling with a surge in non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity -- conditions increasingly linked to diet and lifestyle shifts.

Means framed her mission as shifting the US system from "reactive sick care to proactive health care."

"My dream for this role is first and foremost to help nudge, push, inspire our health care system towards focusing on root causes," she told lawmakers.

She pointed to metabolic dysfunction as a central driver of illness. "Ninety-three per cent of American adults have at least one biomarker of metabolic dysfunction," she said, arguing that chronic disease stems from deeper systemic causes rather than isolated conditions.

Republican senators largely welcomed her emphasis on prevention. Senator Roger Marshall said nearly eight in 10 adults live with at least one chronic disease and urged reforms to medical education that prioritise nutrition.

Democratic lawmakers, however, pressed Means on vaccines and her past financial ties to health-related companies.

"I believe vaccines save lives," Means said repeatedly, adding they are "a key part of any infectious disease public health strategy."

When questioned about influenza vaccines, she said, "At the population level, I certainly think that it does" reduce serious illness.

For India, the discussion on chronic diseases is particularly relevant. Both countries face mounting healthcare costs linked to lifestyle-driven illnesses. Urbanisation, processed food consumption, and sedentary habits have fuelled similar health trajectories.

India is also expanding policy conversations around food labelling, sugar consumption, and preventive care -- themes central to Means' testimony.

If confirmed, Means would serve as America's chief public health spokesperson at a time when non-communicable diseases are rising globally.

- IANS