Science Facts & Fallacies

It wasn’t a total train wreck. That’s the best way to summarize the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission’s May 22 report addressing rising rates of chronic childhood diseases in the U.S. Led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Commission’s 68-page document mixed some good science with a lot of speculation and inference that could mislead the public as much as inform them about how to keep their kids healthy.

The report identified four potential drivers of obesity, diabetes, autism, and mental health disorders: poor diet, chemical exposure, lack of physical activity, and overmedicalization. Over 40 percent of nearly 73 million U.S. children have at least one chronic health condition, the document noted, with obesity rates in children over six exceeding 20 percent—a troubling increase since the 1970s. In what may be its most science-based analysis, the Commission observed that most US children don’t get the recommended amount of physical exercise each week, and more than 50 percent of American teens spend nearly nine hours daily in front of screens outside of school, correlating with reduced physical activity, sleep deprivation, and increased risks of obesity and mental health issues.

Although the report correctly diagnosed some of the critical health issues facing children, its prescriptions were often disappointing. For example, the Commission’s claims about chemical exposures, including pesticides, pharmaceutical drugs and consumer products, were just wrong, falsely asserting that these exposures could cause a “wide range of toxic effects” without robust evidence. In fact, the report’s sources sometimes directly contradicted the Commission’s conclusions, raising suspicions that the authors had predetermined points they were going to make regardless of what the evidence actually showed. This weakens the Commission’s credibility and risks vilifying widely used chemicals that help us protect public health and produce an abundant food supply.

The report called for further research and policy recommendations by August 2025, though it remains to be seen if those conclusions will be based on the “gold standard science” RFK, Jr. so frequently touts to the media.

Join hosts Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 317 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they discuss:

Dr. Liza Dunn is a medical toxicologist and the medical affairs lead at Bayer Crop Science. Follow her on X @DrLizaMD

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Visit his website and follow him on X @camjenglish

Starting around 2010 or 2011, events converged in ways that made prescription pills less widely available. Law enforcement cracked down on pill mills, the maker of Oxycontin made the pill harder to crush, physicians tightened their prescribing practices, and more states created prescription registries to help identify people who were obtaining prescriptions by “doctor shopping”—that is, by seeking prescriptions from multiple physicians at the same time.

While this initial response was necessary to clamp down on unethical prescribing, it metastasized into a broader campaign against medical opioid use more generally, in which legitimate patients who needed pain control were denied access to medicine and their physicians were prosecuted and often convicted for drug trafficking. It’s an approach that unfairly penalizes upstanding doctors, disrupts patient care, and raises concerns for public health: many people have been left to languish in pain so severe they take their own lives or overdose after turning to street drugs like heroin.

The ongoing anti-opioid campaign has blurred the line between responsible medical practice and illegal activity, with laws like the Controlled Substances Act, meant to combat drug trafficking, being punitively applied to clinicians. On this episode of facts and fallacies, author and medical malpractice attorney Ron Chapman joins Cameron English to discuss how we can restore the balance between accountability and compassion, protecting the public from bad actors while providing appropriate medical care to patients who need it.

Ron Chapman is a federal criminal defense attorney and author of the book Truth and Persuasion. Visit his Substack and follow him on X @RonChapmanAtty.

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Follow him on X @camjenglish

The disinformation cycle itself thrives on social media, where wellness influencers and ideological outlets amplify fear-driven narratives and exploit public skepticism of institutions like the FDA and CDC. But rather than fixing real problems within these public health agencies, the bipartisan wellness crusade uses them as fodder for its own idiosyncratic and often dangerous policy proposals.

This bipartisan convergence threatens public health innovation, particularly in agriculture and medicine, where life-saving technologies face unwarranted vilification from activists who wrongly see such innovations as inherently harmful. The solution to these distorted narratives? Healthy skepticism and a willingness to challenge our own ideological assumptions. Too many people today allow their existing beliefs to mold their views on scientific and medical questions, when they should be guided by rational thinking and data wherever possible.

Join hosts Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 315 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they discuss:

Dr. Liza Dunn is a medical toxicologist and the medical affairs lead at Bayer Crop Science. Follow her on X @DrLizaMD

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Visit his website and follow him on X @camjenglish

The same basic toxicology lesson is a helpful counter to misleading scare claims about food dyes, herbicides, and pharmaceutical drugs that proliferate across social media. These substances have legitimate medical and industrial uses, and their toxicity depends on dosage and route of exposure—not their mere presence in your environment or body. Caffeine, to cite another common example, is a naturally occurring neurotoxin that plants use to combat hungry insects, a fact that doesn’t stop 85 percent of Americans from consuming it daily as a mild stimulant with typically no dangerous side effects.

The problem is that myriad bad actors (wellness influencers, activists and even ideological scientists) exploit the term “toxic” without context, capitalizing on the public’s limited knowledge of toxicology and chemistry to sell their wares, whether those are sham supplements, diet books or chemical bans they want voters to support.  The solution to each scam is a heavy dose of critical thinking to navigate the nonsense. Equipped with a baseline scientific understanding, we can discern fact from fear-driven propaganda.

Join host Cameron English and special guest Dr. Kevin Folta on episode 314 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down:

Kevin M. Folta is a professor, keynote speaker, and podcast host. Follow Professor Folta on X @kevinfolta

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Visit his website and follow him on X @camjenglish

Join hosts Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 313 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

Activists routinely blame modern agriculture, plant breeding, and pesticide use for reduced nutrient density in fruits and vegetables, but this assertion is oversimplified and exaggerated, ignoring the complexities of food production and consumption. Often overlooked is that modern breeding focuses on sensory appeal and post-harvest durability to increase consumption of nutrient-rich produce and reduce food waste, despite slightly lower nutrient density in some produce.

A growing body of science is fueling debate about the downsides of pornography consumption. Although studying porn use is ethically fraught – we can’t put people in a room and watch them watch it – some research indicates that porn alters brain function, hijacking the reward system and impeding impulse control, potentially leading to compulsive behavior. Still, the evidence is inconclusive, with conflicting research and a lack of consensus on whether these changes are harmful or significant over the long term.

A recent study comparing fraternal and identical twins, over 9,000 individuals in total, found that genetic factors partially influence how much people enjoy music, accounting for distinct and overlapping variations in musical appreciation. The study suggests that while environment and upbringing play a role, inherited traits contribute to a person’s affinity for music. The results could encourage further investigation into the evolutionary roots of music appreciation.

Dr. Liza Dunn is a medical toxicologist and the medical affairs lead at Bayer Crop Science. Follow her on X @DrLizaMD

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Visit his website and follow him on X @camjenglish

Reed’s allegations, detailed in a 2023 Free Press article and a sworn affidavit to Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, claimed the center harmed vulnerable adolescents, some of whom later regretted their transitions. “During my time at the Center, I personally witnessed Center healthcare providers lie to the public and to parents of patients about the treatment, or lack of treatment, and the effects of treatment provided to children at the Center,” she declared in her affidavit. These cases included shocking examples of children suffering from depression, anxiety, ADHD, eating disorders, and even autism receiving puberty blockers rather than the patient-specific care they really needed.

Reed’s actions triggered a series of investigations, ultimately leading Washington University to shutter its pediatric gender clinic. The school and some of its allies have dismissed Reed’s claims as “unsubstantiated,” asserting compliance with standards set by organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). However, AAP’s guidelines on youth gender medicine are based on recommendations from advocacy groups like the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), which in turn cites guidelines from—the AAP. This circular citation amounts to little more than a Potemkin village, “an apparent consensus on key areas of practice for which evidence remains lacking,” as a 2024 review in the British Medical Journal put it. The guidelines from US-based advocacy groups also flout the growing global consensus of medical professionals who doubt the safety and efficacy of gender-affirming care.

Reed has rebuffed allegations that she has “been brainwashed or paid off—or probably even both—by conservatives.” Striking a more scientific tone, she says her decision to blow the whistle on Wash U came down to one thing: “my realization that I … was wrong.” Before Wash U closed the pediatric gender clinic, it also instituted major policy changes, requiring written parental consent before prescribing gender-affirming drugs and asking for custody agreements prior to a child’s first visit. Reed says these changes were an acknowledgement that her allegations were well-founded.

After leaving Wash U, Reed founded the LGB Courage Coalition, a nonprofit challenging youth gender medicine. She’s currently testifying in state legislatures across the country in an effort to outlaw pediatric gender interventions.

On this episode of Facts and Fallacies, Reed joins Dr. Liza Dunn and Cam English to challenge the questionable science behind the ethically fraught field of youth gender medicine.

Jamie Reed is the executive director of LGB Courage Coalition. Visit the group’s website and follow here on X @JamieWhistle

Dr. Liza Dunn is a medical toxicologist and the medical affairs lead at Bayer Crop Science. Follow her on X @DrLizaMD

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Visit his website and follow him on X @camjenglish

Join hosts Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 311 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

Sugar is addictive. Girl Scout cookies help fuel deforestation. Chemicals in cosmetics damage your hormones. Each of those claims is false, yet NPR has promoted them all over the years. But now that right-wing activists are making similar claims, the publicly funded news outlet is suddenly pro-science, dismissing allegations about “toxic” Girl Scout cookies as unfounded. Enough of the double standards; it’s time for journalists to provide consistent, evidence-based reporting to counter unscientific claims, regardless of the politics of the people who make those assertions.

Meanwhile, the MAGA-driven culture war against mRNA vaccines is a true setback for science. Outrageous allegations, e.g. mRNA shots are untested gene therapies, have lowered vaccination rates, threatening public health and gutting support for vaccine development that could help treat serious diseases, including some cancers. Why have so many conservatives become hostile to mRNA technology, and what do we do about it?

Looking ahead, future generations may see AI reshape work, health and culture, with enhanced cognition and virtual realities blurring human boundaries and even changing the direction of evolution. How do we prepare for the unprecedented tech-driven challenges future generations will confront?

Dr. Liza Dunn is a medical toxicologist and the medical affairs lead at Bayer Crop Science. Follow her on X @DrLizaMD

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Visit his website and follow him on X @camjenglish

Surveying how the FDA functions helps to confirm that point. The cost in time and money to commercialize a new pharmaceutical is beyond staggering. According to one recent estimate, taking a drug from discovery through FDA approval and getting it into pharmacies carries a price tag north of $1 billion and can take 10 to 15 years. Underscoring how difficult the process is to complete, the FDA approved just 355 therapeutic drugs and biologic agents between 2009 and 2018.

Indeed, only 1 in 1000 compounds that enter laboratory testing actually make it to the FDA review process. The agency’s regulatory framework is far from perfect—with some experts arguing it’s actually far too expensive and cumbersome—and often limits patient access to medicines that could save lives. Nevertheless, these flaws are hardly evidence that FDA rubber-stamps new drug applications or does the bidding of industry.

While there are undeniable cases of Big Pharma malfeasance in drug development and marketing (which should be punished), far less attention is paid to the rampant misdeeds of wellness gurus who market fad diet books, untested supplements and any number of questionable lifestyle products. It’s these activists with enormous financial conflicts of interest who so often drive the narrative of a pharma-dominated FDA, and who have increasing influence over federal health policy.

This prompts an important question: is industry influence over federal regulations universally dangerous, or is it OK when “health coaches” and trial lawyers like Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. shape policy? Join Dr. Liza Dunn and Cam English on this episode of Facts and Fallacies as they tackle that messy issue.

Dr. Liza Dunn is a medical toxicologist and the medical affairs lead at Bayer Crop Science. Follow her on X @DrLizaMD

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Visit his website and follow him on X @camjenglish

It’s a devastating message that devalues the lives of those who are autistic and alienates them from society, according to Leah Riter, an analytical chemist at Bayer Crop Science and the mother of a daughter with autism. Riter and other parents like her have watched the anti-vaccine movement stigmatize their children by portraying autism as a condition to be feared and avoided. By falsely claiming vaccines cause autism, the activists wrongly imply that autistic individuals are somehow “damaged” or “broken,” rather than individuals worthy of respect and dignity like everybody else. Autistic people often face social exclusion, and the anti-vaccine narrative compounds this phenomenon by wrongly suggesting their existence is a cautionary tale. Parents who buy into this trope may even view their autistic children with regret or shame—straining family relationships and hindering acceptance.

The practical issue is that the anti-vaccine movement diverts attention and resources from genuine support for autistic individuals. The obsession with “preventing” autism through immunization avoidance overshadows efforts to improve education, healthcare and employment opportunities for those on the spectrum. Advocacy groups and researchers waste time debunking myths instead of addressing pressing needs like sensory-friendly environments or mental health services. Autistic self-advocates, who emphasize acceptance over cure, are drowned out by conspiracy-driven campaigns.

On this episode of Facts and Fallacies, Riter joins Liza Dunn and Cam English to discuss the anti-vaccine movement’s harmful influence on the autism community and what we can do to stop it.

Dr. Leah Riter, a Senior Fellow at Bayer Crop Science and a Fellow of the American Chemical Society, is recognized for her expertise in analytical chemistry. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Florida and a doctorate in Analytical Chemistry from Purdue University. Connect with her on LinkedIn and visit Autism Speaks to learn more.

Dr. Liza Dunn is a medical toxicologist and the medical affairs lead at Bayer Crop Science. Follow her on X @DrLizaMD

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Visit his website and follow him on X @camjenglish

Join hosts Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 308 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

Greenpeace USA faces a potential dissolution following a $667 million lawsuit loss tied to its activism against a North Dakota pipeline project. The lawsuit, brought by pipeline company Energy Transfer, accused the organization of orchestrating “unlawful” demonstrations that disrupted operations. The hefty financial penalty threatens Greenpeace USA’s viability, and could set a precedent for stifling activist groups through litigation. Will high-profile NGOs think twice before launching their next advocacy campaign?

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has again falsely claimed that the measles vaccine “causes deaths every year,” a statement debunked as activist propaganda lacking scientific backing. Experts affirm that the measles vaccine saves many lives each year by preventing a highly contagious disease.  Kennedy’s assertion has nonetheless found a receptive audience among many Americans on the left and right. Let’s take a closer look at his allegation.

Under Trump 2.0, the FDA faces uncertainty with Marty Makary as commissioner. Makary, a Johns Hopkins surgeon, aims for transparency but has a history of controversial COVID-19 stances. The agency, regulating 25% of U.S. consumer spending, could see seismic shifts in drug, device, and food policies. Though Makary supports vaccines, his alignment with RFK, Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda sparks concern among experts about scientific integrity. With ultimate authority resting with Health and Human Services secretary RFK, Jr., the FDA risks becoming a battleground for ideological health reforms, threatening its reputation.

Dr. Liza Dunn is a medical toxicologist and the medical affairs lead at Bayer Crop Science. Follow her on X @DrLizaMD

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Visit his website and follow him on X @camjenglish