Jillian Michaels warns of America's 'terrible' health crisis: 'Good versus evil'

Celebrity fitness coach Jillian Michaels has raised the alarm about America's “horrific” health crisis, demanding that the country take action to address the root causes of the chronic diseases plaguing the country.

Michaels addressed the crisis on “Fox & Friends,” warning that highly processed, chemical-laden foods are contributing to a worrying increase in obesity and disease across the country.

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“The statistics are horrifying,” Michaels said Wednesday. “It's not a question anymore. It's not nuanced. It's just right or wrong, good versus evil. And the reality is I can sit here and tell everybody, 'Hey guys, eat less and move more and choose your food with common sense. But the reality is you can be thin and still get cancer and type 2 diabetes.'”

Michaels testified before Congress this week and accused food companies of promoting highly processed, chemical-laden foods that are often inexpensive and marketed specifically to children.

Experts link these products to higher obesity rates and many chronic diseases.

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“For the reasons we're laying out for you today, it's becoming increasingly difficult for people to take responsibility and make change happen,” she testified Monday. “And ultimately, I've found that despite my best efforts and the efforts of people like me here, Americans need systematic help, and they need it urgently.”

Michaels' urgent call to action comes after a recent study published in The Lancet Public Health found that certain types of cancer are more common among Generation X and Millennials.

According to an ACS press release, researchers found that the prevalence of small bowel cancer, kidney cancer and pancreatic cancer was two to three times higher among children born in 1990, both in men and women, than among children born in 1955. Among women, the prevalence of liver cancer was also two to three times higher.

Rates were also higher in younger groups for Breast cancer (estrogen receptor positive), uterine cancer, colon cancer, non-cardiac gastric cancer, gallbladder cancer, ovarian cancer, testicular cancer, anal cancer in men and Kaposi's sarcoma in men, according to the study.

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Other cancers that were more common in younger groups included myeloma, leukemia, gastric cancer, and non-HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer (in women).

Over 23 million patients were diagnosed with 34 different diseases. Types of cancer over two decades. The patients were between 25 and 84 years old and represented several generations.

“I think Americans have been prepared for this for a long time because they are directly affected,” Michaels said on Wednesday. “One in 30 children today has autism. Early cancer diagnosis [has] has increased by 79% in the last 30 years. We all know someone… I'm not here to give you the statistics and worry you, because we all know someone. We're all affected.”

“The bigger problem, if I can get up on the pulpit here, is that you're the only ones covering this,” she continued. “This is not a partisan issue. I don't know what the hell is going on, but all these other media outlets that are politicizing health and making it partisan should be ashamed of themselves. It's despicable and disgusting, and you're not using the health of Americans to create division. It's reprehensible, and I can't praise you enough.”

Despite the high cost of living, Michaels assured Americans that there are ways to buy cleaner, healthier foods and ingredients for their families by shopping locally and “going organic where it counts.”

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“We want to go back to the old advice,” Michaels said. “First, buy in bulk. Second, try to go to the local farmer's market and buy your produce locally. It's more cost-effective and contains fewer chemicals. Buy organic where it counts, like dairy, beef and thin-skinned fruits and vegetables. If you can't afford that, go for thick-skinned fruits and vegetables or the so-called 'Clean 15' and you'll get your money's worth.”

“But here's the thing… when we're talking about drugs like Ozempic… that's $1,200 a month, right? So now we find the money. That's what I mean,” she continued. “And they want the government to pay for that. How about you take that money and give people clean, healthy food.”

She pointed out that about two-thirds of all Americans are considered overweight and/or obese, which is inextricably linked to the health crisis.

Michaels also said that despite the grim statistics, she was confident that Americans could bring about positive change if they continued to demand action from politicians and food companies.

“If we make it a big enough deal, attack it from all sides, take it hard, talk to the politicians and take them hard when they do the wrong thing, I think we'll get it done,” Michaels said.

“We just have to keep fighting.”

Melissa Rudy of Fox News contributed to this report.

Source of the original article: Jillian Michaels warns of America's 'terrible' health crisis: 'Good versus evil'