Archives: Press Releases

Press Release on health-related topics.

CDC Slashes Universal Vaccine Recommendations

(January 7, 2026)

As flu cases in the U.S. are rising dramatically, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, overseen by the Trump Administration’s Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a noted vaccine skeptic, announced that it is endorsing fewer routinely-recommended vaccinations for all children.

As part of the new schedule, HHS will no longer broadly recommend influenza, COVID-19, rotavirus, and other previously recommended immunizations. It now recommends 11 vaccines for all children, down from previously recommending vaccinations to protect against 18 different diseases in 2024.

That’s happening as flu cases in the U.S. have reached their highest levels since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new data from the CDC, with children and teenagers among the worst affected.

Read the full article.

Public Health Leaders’ Joint Statement in Response to Announced Changes to U.S. Childhood Vaccine Schedule

(Washington, DC – January 5, 2026) — Together, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), and the Big Cities Health Coalition (BCHC) issued the following statement in response to today’s announcement by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) of significant changes to the U.S. childhood vaccination schedule:

Our nation’s vaccine schedule has been built upon extensive scientific evidence and continuous safety monitoring to best protect children as they grow. It has been deliberated and studied to ensure safety while protecting our nation’s children from diseases that can significantly harm their health and wellbeing. For decades, each change to the schedule was discussed openly by experts, with both benefits and risks considered. However, today’s announcement places increased burden on parents and health providers to navigate an increasingly complex system and assure access to these life-saving products.

Immunizations are the most effective defense we have against a host of deadly and painful illnesses. Ensuring all children receive the vaccines they need on time stops diseases from spreading in the community and ensures healthy childhood development. We see the positive impact each day, as diseases once commonplace are now rare, and kids are in school instead of being home sick or hospitalized due to preventable illness. Creating new barriers to immunizations, as today’s announcement does, will make it harder for children to have the opportunity to grow up healthy and strong.

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Trust for America’s Health
Trust for America’s Health is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public health research, policy, and advocacy organization that promotes optimal health for every person and community and makes the prevention of illness and injury a national priority.

About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the over 3,300 local governmental health departments across the country. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information, visit www.naccho.org.

About the Big Cities Health Coalition
The Big Cities Health Coalition (BCHC) is a forum for the leaders of America’s largest metropolitan health departments to exchange strategies and jointly address issues to promote and protect the health and safety of their residents. Collectively, BCHC member jurisdictions directly impact more than 61 million people, or one in five Americans. www.bigcitieshealth.org

 

 

 

New Report Examines State Policies that Support Good Health and Analyzes the Legislative Landscape for their Implementation

Federal cuts to health promoting programs will require that states and community partners innovate and work across sectors to protect and advance residents’ health

 

(Washington, DC – December 17, 2025) – Federal actions that cut funding and lead to program eliminations throughout government will slow the implementation of state-level policies that promote health, concludes a new report, Advancing Policies that Create Conditions for Good Health: Opportunities, Barriers, and Strengths, released today by Trust for America’s Health (TFAH). These program changes will create gaps that states and cross-sector partnerships could help address through support for collaboration and innovation.

The report is the newest in TFAH’s Promoting Health and Cost Control in States (PHACCS) report series highlighting evidence-based policies and programs states can pursue to improve residents’ health and reduce healthcare spending. Population-level health is influenced by a variety of social and economic factors, such as housing access, food affordability, the built environment, and workplace policies. The PHACCS Initiative, launched in 2018, identifies evidence-based policies that states can implement to promote residents’ health and create economic return on investment.

This new report considers these policies in the current legislative landscape, based on input from advocates, service providers, and government staff across different jurisdictions and policy areas. It analyzes how the changed legislative environment is impeding policy action and what new innovations and cross-sector collaborations are needed to create or protect policy momentum.

“The nation’s public health infrastructure has been changed in consequential ways that will impact states and communities across the country. These changes, including funding cuts and the elimination of effective programs, risk reversing progress in improving Americans’ health,” said J. Nadine Gracia, M.D. MSCE, President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health. “In order to fill some of these gaps, state-based organizations and policymakers are developing strategies to support health promoting policies, particularly in communities with the greatest need.”

The report is organized into three sections which encourage states and cross-sector partners to continue their work promoting good health in every community by sharing information, evidence, and innovative strategies.

“Leaders within policy areas supported by the PHACCS initiative continue to leverage strategies that help advance policies in ways that uniquely fit their states despite fiscal constraints created by the current budget environment,” said Breanca Merritt, Ph.D., Director of Policy at Trust for America’s Health. “This report identified recent progress and policy wins using these approaches, including bipartisan and community-driven efforts within multiple states.”

The first section, Creating Conditions for Good Health: A Changing Policy Environment, outlines federal policies that have supported states in advancing health promoting programs, as well as recent federal policy decisions and state actions that limit states’ ability to do so.

The second section, Creating Conditions for Good Health: What’s Working for States, summarizes input from advocacy organizations and government partners collected during national and regional level convenings. During the convenings, participants discussed effective strategies for advancing health promoting policies in states as well as barriers to their implementation.

The last section of the report, Creating Conditions for Good Health: Progress and Highlights of PHACCS Policies reviews trends in state-level adoption within policy areas highlighted by PHACCS, including:

  • Universal pre-kindergarten programs
  • School nutrition programs
  • Drug overdose and infectious disease prevention strategies, including harm reduction
  • Smoke-free policies
  • Tobacco and alcohol pricing strategies
  • Complete Streets policies
  • Housing rehabilitation and rapid re-housing programs
  • Earned Income Tax Credit
  • Earned employee sick leave
  • Paid family leave
  • Fair hiring practices

These policies have shown strong or emerging evidence for their ability to improve health and can offer return on investment for states that implement them. In the coming years, states and their community partners should strive to collaborate even more closely to support their implementation.

 

 

Un nuevo informe examina las políticas estaduales que apoyan la buena salud y analiza el panorama legislativo para su aplicación

Los recortes federales a los programas de promoción de la salud exigirán que los estados y los socios comunitarios innoven y trabajen entre los distintos sectores para proteger y mejorar la salud de los residentes

 

(Washington, D. C., 17 de diciembre de 2025): Las medidas federales que recortan la financiación y conducen a la eliminación de programas en todo el gobierno frenarán la aplicación de políticas estatales que promuevan la salud, según concluye un nuevo informe, Advancing Policies that Create Conditions for Good Health: Opportunities, Barriers, and Strengths (Cómo promover políticas que generen las condiciones para una buena salud: oportunidades, obstáculos y fortalezas), publicado hoy por Trust for America’s Health (TFAH). Estos cambios en los programas crearán lagunas que los estados y las asociaciones intersectoriales podrían ayudar a resolver apoyando la colaboración y la innovación.

El informe es el más reciente de la serie de informes “Promoción de la salud y control de costos en los estados (PHACCS)” de TFAH en la que se destacan las políticas y los programas basados en pruebas que los estados pueden aplicar para mejorar la salud de sus residentes y reducir el gasto atención sanitaria. La salud a nivel de la población se ve influida por diversos factores sociales y económicos, como el acceso a la vivienda, la asequibilidad de los alimentos, el entorno construido y las políticas laborales. La Iniciativa PHACCS, lanzada en 2018, identifica políticas basadas en pruebas que los estados pueden implementar para promover la salud de los residentes y generar un retorno económico de la inversión.

Este nuevo informe considera estas políticas en el panorama legislativo actual y se basa en los aportes de activistas, proveedores de servicios y personal gubernamental que se desempeña en diferentes jurisdicciones y ámbitos políticos. En él se analiza cómo el cambio ocurrido en el entorno legislativo impide que se tomen medidas políticas y qué nuevas innovaciones y colaboraciones intersectoriales se necesitan para generar impulso político o mantenerlo.

“La infraestructura de salud pública de la nación ha cambiado ostensiblemente de maneras que afectarán a los estados y las comunidades de todo el país. Estos cambios, que incluyen recortes en la financiación y la eliminación de programas eficaces, corren el riesgo de revertir los avances que ha habido en la mejora de la salud de los estadounidenses”, declaró la doctora J. Nadine Gracia, MSCE, presidenta y consejera delegada de Trust for America’s Health. “Para zanjar algunas de estas lagunas, las organizaciones estatales y los responsables de formular políticas están llevando adelante estrategias de apoyo a las políticas de promoción de la salud, sobre todo en las comunidades con mayores necesidades”.

El informe está organizado en tres secciones que animan a los estados y a los socios intersectoriales a continuar su labor de promoción de la buena salud en todas las comunidades compartiendo información, pruebas y estrategias innovadoras.

“Los líderes dentro de las áreas políticas que reciben el apoyo de la iniciativa PHACCS continúan aprovechando estrategias que ayudan a avanzar en las políticas de maneras que se adaptan a sus estados en particular, a pesar de las restricciones fiscales creadas por el entorno presupuestario actual”, dijo Breanca Merritt, Ph.D., directora de políticas de Trust for America’s Health. “Este informe identificó progresos recientes y victorias políticas que se obtuvieron gracias a estos enfoques, lo que incluye esfuerzos bipartidistas e impulsados por la comunidad en diversos estados”.

La primera sección, Creating Conditions for Good Health: A Changing Policy Environment (Cómo crear las condiciones para una buena salud: un entorno político cambiante) detalla las políticas federales que han apoyado a los estados para llevar adelante los programas de promoción de la salud, así como las recientes decisiones políticas federales y las medidas estaduales que limitan la capacidad de los estados para hacerlo.

La segunda sección, Creating Conditions for Good Health: What’s Working for States (Cómo crear las condiciones para una buena salud: qué funciona para los estados) resume los aportes de las organizaciones de defensoría y los socios del gobierno recopilados durante las convocatorias a nivel nacional y regional. Durante las reuniones, los participantes debatieron estrategias eficaces para impulsar las políticas de promoción de la salud en los estados, así como los obstáculos para su implementación.

La última sección del informe, Creating Conditions for Good Health: Progress and Highlights of PHACCS Policies (Cómo crear las condiciones para una buena salud: progreso y aspectos destacados de las políticas), PHACCS repasa las tendencias en la adopción a nivel estadual dentro de las áreas políticas destacadas por PHACCS, lo que incluye:

  • Programas universales de preescolar
  • Programas de nutrición escolar
  • Estrategias de prevención de sobredosis de drogas y enfermedades infecciosas, incluida la reducción de daños
  • Políticas antitabaco
  • Estrategias de fijación de precios del tabaco y el alcohol
  • Políticas de calles completas
  • Programas de rehabilitación de viviendas y realojamiento rápido
  • Crédito fiscal por ingresos del trabajo
  • Baja por enfermedad del empleado remunerada
  • Permiso familiar remunerado
  • Prácticas de contratación justas

Estas políticas han dado muestras sólidas o incipientes de su capacidad para mejorar la salud y pueden ofrecer un retorno de la inversión a los estados que las apliquen. En los próximos años, los estados y sus socios comunitarios deberán esforzarse por colaborar aún más estrechamente para apoyar su implementación.

Informe completo (en inglés)

 

Trust for America’s Health es una organización sin fines de lucro, no partidaria, dedicada a la investigación, las políticas y la defensoría de la salud pública, que fomenta que todas las personas y comunidades cuenten con una salud óptima, y prioriza la prevención de enfermedades y lesiones a nivel nacional. www.tfah.org

Statement from J. Nadine Gracia, M.D., MSCE, President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Vote to Change Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommendations

(Washington DC – December 5, 2025) – “The ACIP’s vote today to recommend delaying administration of the hepatitis B vaccine for most infants moves the U.S. away from an evidence-based vaccine policy that has saved countless lives. The universal hepatitis B birth-dose vaccine has reduced hepatitis B cases among children and adolescents by 99 percent and prevented more than ninety thousand childhood deaths. The new recommendations were made with little transparency on the reasoning behind the decision, and no new evidence was presented during the meeting to explain the change. That process undermines public trust, causes confusion and threatens our nation’s health.

The universal hepatitis B birth-dose has prevented millions of hepatitis B infections in people of all ages since its introduction – a disease that can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer, liver failure, and premature death. Decades of research and surveillance have demonstrated that hepatitis B vaccines are safe and effective for newborns. Delaying or otherwise hindering access to this vaccine leaves infants at higher risk for infection and could have lifelong impacts on those children and their families.”

For more information, please refer to TFAH’s public comment here.

 

Statement from J. Nadine Gracia, M.D., MSCE, President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health on Changes to CDC Webpage on Vaccines and Autism:

(Washington, DC – November 20, 2025) – “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website has been changed to promote harmful, false claims about vaccines and autism. The science is clear: vaccines do not cause autism. Using a federal platform to promote disproven claims is a violation of public trust that jeopardizes vaccine confidence, undermines prevention efforts, and puts communities at risk of vaccine-preventable outbreaks. These myths contribute to needless illness and suffering.

Parents, patients, healthcare providers, and public health practitioners depend on CDC as a trustworthy source of verified, accurate scientific information.  Trust for America’s Health calls upon the CDC to restore the previous, science-driven vaccine webpages.”

 

 

The U.S. is facing an obesity epidemic. New report details the best and worst states.

(October 16, 2025)

The number of U.S. states where 35% or more of adults were obese dropped slightly in 2024, according to a report released Thursday analyzing federal health data.

Nineteen states had these particularly high rates of adult obesity, down from 23 states a year earlier.

“That’s actually the first time that there’s been a decrease in the number of states that are at or above that 35% level since this dataset began in 2011,” said Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, president and CEO of the Trust for America’s Health, the nonpartisan public health research and policy organization that released its annual “State of Obesity” report.

Read the article. 

Las tasas de obesidad siguen teniendo niveles de epidemia en los Estados Unidos a pesar de la caída durante todo un año en estados con tasas superiores al 35 %

El recorte en los presupuestos federales podría revertir el reciente progreso

(Washington, DC – 16 de octubre de 2025) – Datos recientemente publicados revelaron que diecinueve estados tenían tasas de obesidad adulta del 35 % o más en 2024, en comparación con 23 estados el año anterior, lo que significó un descenso por primera vez del número de estados con una tasa del 35 % o superior para este conjunto de datos.

Sin embargo, este progreso está limitado y en riesgo debido en parte a las recientes acciones federales para recapturar y reducir los fondos para programas de salud pública, eliminar programas, despedir a especialistas que trabajan en la prevención de las enfermedades crónicas y limitar el acceso a los apoyos nutricionales. Esta es la conclusión a la que llega el estudio State of Obesity 2025: Better Policies for a Healthier America (“Estado de la obesidad 2025: Mejores políticas para un país más sano”) publicado hoy por Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), una organización sin fines de lucro y apartidaria dedicada a la investigación y las políticas en materia de salud pública.

La investigación, basada en parte en el análisis que TFAH hizo de datos de 2024 recientemente publicados por el Sistema de Vigilancia de los Factores de Riesgo Conductuales (BRFSS) de los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades, datos recientes de la Encuesta de Salud Nacional y Examen de Nutrición 2021-2023 (NHANES), muestra que, si bien la suba en el número de personas adultas con obesidad se ralentizó en algunos estados, la tasa de obesidad nacional general sigue siendo alarmantemente alta. A nivel nacional, 4 de cada 10 personas adultas tienen obesidad.

“Las barreras estructurales que obstaculizan la alimentación saludable y la actividad física necesitan continua atención por parte de las políticas públicas e inversión —expresó J. Nadine Gracia, M.D., MSCE, presidenta y directora ejecutiva de Trust for America’s Health—. Es vital que el Gobierno y otros sectores inviertan, en lugar de recortar, en programas que han demostrado que apoyan la buena nutrición y la actividad física y que aseguran que se llegue a todas las comunidades”.

Conclusiones clave incluidas en el informe:

  • Los estados con mayores tasas de obesidad en personas adultas en 2024 fueron Virginia Occidental (41,4 %), Misisipi (40,4 %) y Luisiana (39,2 %) (datos de 2024 del BRFSS).
  • Los estados con menores niveles de obesidad en personas adultas en 2024 fueron Colorado (25,0 %), Hawái (27,0 %) y Massachusetts (27,0 %) más Washington, D.C. (25,5 %) (datos de 2024 del BRFSS).
  • Las personas adultas negras y latinas tuvieron las tasas de obesidad más altas con un 49,9 % y un 45,6 % respectivamente.
  • Quienes viven en comunidades rurales tienden a tener tasas de obesidad más altas que quienes habitan en áreas metropolitanas.
  • Los niveles de obesidad son típicamente más bajos entre personas con estudios universitarios y para personas en hogares con mayores ingresos, lo que sugiere que la asequibilidad de los alimentos saludables desempeñan un papel en las tasas de obesidad de la nación.

Las tasas de obesidad están aumentando en la población infantil y adolescente. Poco más del 21 % de los niños, niñas y adolescentes estadounidenses, entre los 2 y los 19 años, tienen obesidad a nivel nacional (NHANES, 2021-2023).

  • Estas tasas crecieron más del triple desde mediados de la década de 1970, y la juventud negra y latina tienen índices de obesidad considerablemente más altos que sus pares de comunidades asiáticas y blancas.

La obesidad y otras enfermedades relacionadas con la dieta están asociadas con una variedad de estados de salud física y mental, mortalidad más alta, costos de salud más altos y pérdida de productividad. Si bien las tasas de obesidad dependen de muchos factores, el contexto económico y de la comunidad determinan tanto la vida diaria de la población como sus opciones con respecto a alimentos saludables, actividad física, educación, trabajo y seguridad financiera, lo cual afecta sistemáticamente el peso y la salud de las personas.

Aunque las tasas de obesidad aumentaron para todos los grupos poblacionales, los grupos con índices más altos, que incluyen a personas que viven en comunidades rurales y algunas poblaciones no blancas, típicamente enfrentan más barreras estructurales que obstaculizan la alimentación saludable, como el costo de la comida y el acceso a ella, y la falta de oportunidades y lugares para hacer actividad física en sus vecindarios.

El informe incluye un especial sobre los hallazgos científicos emergentes y las consideraciones políticas en torno a los alimentos ultraprocesados y el papel que desempeñan en la crisis de obesidad, una problemática que está atrayendo creciente atención a nivel nacional y que constituye el foco de la iniciativa Make America Healthy Again. Las autoras del estudio entrevistaron a un director de nutrición escolar de Colorado que se explayó sobre dificultades técnicas y financieras específicas asociadas con la eliminación de alimentos ultraprocesados en las comidas escolares.

El documento también resalta los programas federales que buscan hacer frente al incremento de las tasas de enfermedades crónicas como la obesidad. Sin embargo, el presupuesto presidencial para el año fiscal 2026 propone la eliminación casi total del Centro Nacional para la Prevención de Enfermedades Crónicas y Promoción de la Salud en los CDC. Entre las labores de este centro, hay programas fundamentales que financian iniciativas estatales, locales, tribales y territoriales para hacer frente y prevenir la obesidad, la diabetes, la enfermedad cardíaca, el accidente cerebrovascular y otras enfermedades crónicas.

El informe incluye recomendaciones para la acción política para la administración, el Congreso y los estados a fin de afrontar la crisis de obesidad de la nación, entre ellas:

  • Conservar y fortalecer el Centro Nacional para la Prevención de Enfermedades Crónicas y Promoción de la Salud en los CDC, que apoya actividades comprobadas de prevención de enfermedades en estados y comunidades.
  • Revertir los recortes efectuados y propuestos a programas de apoyo a la nutrición al tiempo que se mejora la calidad nutricional de los alimentos disponibles, incluidos Programa Asistencial de Nutrición Suplementaria (SNAP) y el Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Especial para Mujeres, Bebés y Niños (WIC).
  • La Administración de Alimentos y Medicamentos debería implementar un requisito de etiquetado nutricional frontal de los envases para ayudar a la población a hacer elecciones informadas.
  • Garantizar el acceso a la salud, incluidos los programas de prevención y tratamiento de la obesidad, revirtiendo los recortes a Medicaid y a los subsidios para el mercado de salud.
  • Atacar los causas principales y los factores que impulsan la disparidades en la salud y dirigir los programas de prevención de la obesidad a las comunidades con mayores necesidades.
  • Hacer que la actividad física sea más accesible incrementando las iniciativas fundamentadas empíricamente que apoyan el transporte activo y la actividad física en las comunidades.
  • Abordar las estrategias de marketing y de precios de la industria para reducir la publicidad de alimentos poco saludables dirigida a niños y niñas.

El informe completo puede leerse en: https://www.tfah.org/report-details/state-of-obesity-report-2025

 

Trust for America’s Health es una organización sin fines de lucro y apartidaria dedicada a las políticas de salud pública, la investigación y la incidencia que promueve la salud óptima para cada persona y comunidad y hace de la prevención de enfermedades y lesiones una prioridad nacional.

 

 

U.S. Adult Obesity Rates Remain at Epidemic Levels Despite a One-Year Dip in States with Obesity Rates Over 35 Percent

Federal budget cuts risk reversing recent progress 

(Washington, DC – October 16, 2025) – Newly released data found that nineteen states had adult obesity rates at or above 35 percent in 2024, down from 23 states the prior year, a first time decrease in the number of states at or above the 35 percent level for this dataset.

However, this progress is limited and at risk due in part to recent federal actions to claw back and reduce funding for public health programs, eliminate programs and lay off experts that work on chronic disease prevention, and limit access to nutrition supports. So concludes a new report, State of Obesity 2025: Better Policies for a Healthier America, released today by Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), a non-partisan, non-profit organization focused on public health research and policy.

The report, based in part on TFAH’s analysis of newly released 2024 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System  (BRFSS), and recent data from the 2021-2023 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), shows that while the rise in the number of U.S. adults with obesity slowed in some states, the nation’s overall obesity rate continues to be alarmingly high. Nationally, 4 in 10 American adults have obesity.

“Structural barriers to healthy eating and physical activity need continued policy attention and investment,” said J. Nadine Gracia, M.D., MSCE, President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health. “It is vital that government and other sectors invest in – not cut – proven programs that support good nutrition and physical activity and ensure they reach all communities.”

Key findings from the report include:

  • The states with the highest rates of obesity among adults in 2024 were West Virginia (41.4%), Mississippi (40.4%), and Louisiana (39.2%) (2024 data from BRFSS).
  • States with lowest levels of adult obesity in 2024 were Colorado (25.0%), Hawaii (27.0%), and Massachusetts (27.0%) plus Washington, D.C. (25.5%) (2024 data from BRFSS).
  • Black and Latino adults had the highest rates of obesity at 49.9 percent and 45.6 percent respectively.
  • People living in rural communities tend to have higher rates of obesity compared to people living in metro areas.
  • Obesity levels are typically lower among people with college degrees and for people with higher household incomes, suggesting that the affordability of healthy foods plays a role in nation’s rates of people with obesity.

Obesity rates are increasing among children and adolescents, with just over 21 percent of U.S. children and adolescents, ages 2 to 19, having obesity nationwide (2021–2023 NHANES).

  • These rates have more than tripled since the mid-1970s, and Black and Latino youth have substantially higher rates of obesity compared to their Asian and white peers.

Obesity and other diet-related diseases are associated with a range of physical and mental health conditions, higher mortality, higher healthcare costs, and productivity losses. While obesity rates depend on many factors, economic and community context shape Americans’ daily life and available choices around healthy food, physical activity, education, jobs, stress, and financial security, which systematically affect people’s weight and health.

While obesity rates have increased for all population groups, groups with higher rates, including people who live in rural communities and some populations of color, typically face more structural barriers to healthy eating, including food cost and access and a lack of opportunities and safe places to be physically active in their neighborhoods.

The report includes a special feature on the emerging science and policy considerations concerning ultra-processed foods and their role in the obesity crisis, an issue that is gaining increased national attention and is a focus of the Make America Healthy Again effort. The report authors interviewed a Colorado school nutrition director who delves into the specific technical and funding challenges associated with limiting ultra-processed foods in school meals.

The report also highlights the federal programs that seek to address rising rates of chronic diseases like obesity. However, the president’s fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget request proposes the near total elimination of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at CDC. The center’s work includes cornerstone programs that fund state, local, tribal, and territorial efforts to address and prevent obesity, diabetes, heart disease and stroke, and other chronic diseases.

The report includes recommendations for policy action by the administration, Congress, and states to address the nation’s obesity crisis, including:

  • Retain and strengthen the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at CDC, which supports proven disease prevention activities in states and communities.
  • Reverse cuts or proposed cuts to nutrition support programs while improving the nutritional quality of available foods, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).
  • The Food and Drug Administration should implement a front-of-package nutrition label requirement to help consumers make informed choices.
  • Ensure access to healthcare, including obesity prevention and treatment programs, by reversing cuts to Medicaid and marketplace subsidies.
  • Address upstream drivers and root causes of health disparities and target obesity prevention programs to communities with the highest needs.
  • Make physical activity more accessible by increasing evidence-based initiatives that support active transportation and physical activity in communities.
  • Address industry marketing and pricing strategies to reduce advertising of unhealthy foods to children.

Read the full report

The Number of People in the U.S. Serving as Informal Caregivers is Growing, Yet Support and Assistance for Them is Shrinking, According to New Policy Brief

Public health agencies can play vital role in supporting caregivers

(Washington, DC – September 30, 2025) – As the percentage of older adults continues to grow in the United States, so do the number of people providing informal caregiving to them. A new policy brief highlighting the role of caregivers, published by Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) today, finds that many people who provide unpaid, informal caregiving are experiencing increasing levels of economic, emotional, and physical hardships as a result. The brief highlights the many roles that public health agencies can play in supporting caregivers and that more federal and state interventions are needed to support this growing segment of the population.

The brief, Public Health’s Roles in Supporting Informal and Family Caregivers, reports that 41.8 million people served as a caregiver to an adult over the age of 50 in 2020, an increase of over 7 million people who provided unpaid care to a family member or friend in 2015.

“The prevalence of caregiving in the U.S. has grown exponentially more complex,” said Megan Wolfe, senior policy development manager at TFAH who leads its Age-Friendly Public Health Systems initiative. “As more jurisdictions work to be age-friendly communities, having a nuanced understanding of the role and challenges facing caregivers will allow public health organizations to work with community partners to advocate for and provide the support caregivers need.”

The caregiving population is a diverse one, with about 40 percent of caregivers being individuals of color (17 percent Hispanic or Latino, 14 percent non-Hispanic Black, 5 percent Asian American and Pacific Islander, and 3 percent some other race/ethnicity, including those who identified as multiracial), according to the brief.

Women that serve as caregivers and caregivers of color face greater financial stress and physical demands that can impact their health, including experiencing depressive symptoms and feeling ignored or difficulty navigating healthcare systems.

TFAH’s Age-Friendly Public Health Systems (AFPHS) provides guidance for public health practitioners on the policy and systems changes that are needed to advance healthy aging and build supportive communities. This includes programs and activities that support caregivers, including better availability and easier navigation of caregivers’ supports.

The brief provides recommendations for the roles of public health that are aligned with the AFPHS Framework, including:

  • Advocate for changes to the workplace to create supports for caregivers including leave policies and employment protections.
  • Help create cross sector initiatives that support older adult and caregiver needs.
  • Work with the healthcare sector to ensure that healthcare providers understand and can refer caregivers to non-clinical support resources in their communities.
  • Collect data on the experience of caregivers and help communities design programs that meet their needs.
  • Model the use of culturally appropriate communication strategies that recognize the diversity of the caregiving population.
  • Create programs that provide caregivers with the tools they need to care for themselves and their care recipients.

TFAH’s Age-Friendly Public Health Systems initiative is made possible with generous support from The John A. Hartford Foundation.

To learn more about the Age-Friendly Public Health Systems initiative, visit Age-Friendly Public Health Systems – Trust for America’s Health (afphs.org)

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Trust for America’s Health is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public health policy, research, and advocacy organization that promotes optimal health for every person and community and works to make the prevention of illness and injury a national priority.

The John A. Hartford Foundation, based in New York City, is a private, nonpartisan, national philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults. The leader in the field of aging and health, the Foundation has three areas of emphasis: creating age-friendly health systems, supporting family caregivers and improving serious illness and end-of-life care. https://www.johnahartford.org/