A recent US government report on children’s health has come under scrutiny after academics identified as authors of cited studies declared those studies “totally fabricated” or non-existent. The report, initially released on May 22 by the Make America Healthy Again Commission, aimed to investigate the causes behind what it described as a “chronic disease crisis” among American children.
Following digital outlet NOTUS’s discovery of seven non-existent sources cited in the report, an amended version was issued on May 29. Despite the corrections, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated the issues were “formatting” related and did not undermine the overall findings.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), led by US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has previously promoted disputed vaccine-autism links, released the report under a directive from President Donald Trump’s executive order earlier this year. The report attributes childhood chronic illnesses to factors such as poor diet, environmental toxins, stress, lack of physical activity, and “overmedicalisation.”
However, several academics named as authors have denied involvement. Guohua Li, a Columbia University professor, called the cited study on children’s mental health during the pandemic “totally fabricated,” stating he did not know the supposed co-author. Noah Kreski, also listed as an author, said the study “doesn’t appear to be a study that exists at all.” Another professor, Katherine Keyes, expressed concern over the misuse of citations, emphasizing the importance of accurate referencing in scientific research.
The Democratic National Committee criticized the HHS for using false and misleading citations to support policy, describing the references as “rife with errors, from broken links to misstated conclusions.”
Since his appointment in February, Kennedy has cut thousands of jobs within the department and proposed new policies including placebo-controlled vaccine trials.
The controversy raises questions about the report’s credibility and the integrity of the scientific sources used to justify health policy decisions in the US.
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