The executive order establishes the MAHA Commission, a coalition including the FDA, NIH, and CDC, tasked with developing a sweeping national strategy to combat chronic disease. This includes reassessing nutrition, physical activity, pharmaceutical use, and environmental exposure across all levels of childhood health. A core objective is transparency — protecting science from “inappropriate influence” and reevaluating how medications like SSRIs and antipsychotics are prescribed to children.

However, the initiative isn’t without critics. Medical professionals warn that a rigid federal approach could strain the doctor-patient relationship and delay essential care. Dr. Lelach Rave, for instance, raised concerns about undermining treatment for mental health issues. Still, the administration insists that its mission is about restoring health through informed policy, not restricting care. With the commission’s first report due in 100 days, the country waits to see whether this ambitious plan can balance scrutiny with compassion — and truly change the trajectory of children’s health in America.