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The documentary Unpacking the Lies We’ve Been Fed takes a deep dive into America’s chronic disease epidemic and the powerful institutions responsible for its perpetuation. From big pharma and big food to government agencies acting without oversight, the film makes a compelling case that the nation’s health crisis is no accident—it is the direct result of corporate greed, regulatory capture, and propaganda.
>>> CLICK HERE to watch Unpacking the Lies We’ve Been Fed free of charge!
A Nation in Decline
The documentary opens with a sobering assessment of the state of American health. The US has the lowest life expectancy among developed nations, with six in ten Americans suffering from chronic illness. Fertility rates are at their lowest in years. These alarming statistics set the stage for the film’s central thesis: America’s health is declining because of systemic corruption, not personal choice.
Drawing from Edward Bernays’ theories on propaganda, the film traces the roots of modern consumer manipulation back to the early 20th century. One of the first targets? Breakfast. The pork industry, through Bernays’ strategic efforts, convinced Americans that a heavy, bacon-laden breakfast was doctor-recommended. This early campaign set the precedent for how industry, with the backing of so-called experts, could shape public perception and behavior.
The Rise of an Unelected Bureaucracy
ANH General Counsel Jonathan Emord provides the film with crucial historical context, explaining how figures in FDR’s administration admired centralized power in the Soviet Union and fascist Italy. This admiration led to an expansion of federal agencies, giving rise to what Emord describes as “a government inside a government” where unelected bureaucrats wield immense power over our lives. Over time, these agencies evolved into oligarchic institutions controlling every aspect of American life. This became abundantly clear during COVID, with lockdowns, mask mandates, and massive coercion campaigns designed to increase vaccine uptake.
ANH founder and Executive and Scientific Director, Rob Verkerk, PhD, one of the film’s expert commentators, exposes how corporations manufacture both the problem and the solution.
Dr. Verkerk comments in the film,
A huge country like America was the perfect place to put in an industrialized food system, and that food system has moved in parallel to the drug industry. After the Second World War we saw this incredible boom of organic chemistry, this ability to alter molecules at will so you could stamp a patent on them. So the Big Food producer, just like Big Pharma in the drug area, started to modify foods so that it could basically sell them to us in a way that would create addiction.
Industrial food production creates highly addictive, nutritionally bankrupt products, while pharmaceutical companies profit by selling treatments for the diseases caused by these foods.
The Capture of Science and Regulation
The revolving door between these industries and regulatory agencies ensures that profits always take precedence over public health. The film underscores a warning issued by President Dwight Eisenhower on his way out of office: that public policy could be captured by a scientific and technological elite who use their authority to suppress dissent and advance their own interests.
Pharmaceutical companies spend hundreds of millions on advertising and lobbying to maintain their grip on public perception. A staggering percentage of the NIH’s budget comes from pharmaceutical industry funding, raising serious questions about objectivity. Most drugs approved between 2010 and 2019 were backed by NIH research, creating an intertwined system where regulatory agencies, research institutions, and pharmaceutical giants operate as one.
RFK Jr. and the Fight for Reform
The documentary highlights the efforts of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to expose this corruption and advocate for a more transparent, prevention-focused health system. Kennedy has repeatedly challenged the safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical products, asking the uncomfortable but necessary questions about vaccines and medical mandates. He insists on rigorous testing, informed consent, and scientific integrity.
Kennedy’s confirmation as HHS secretary is a rare opportunity to challenge the entrenched power structures that have dictated health policy for decades.
The Path Forward
The film argues that the American people must reclaim control over their health by rejecting the drug-centric model of care and embracing preventive, integrative medicine. Chronic diseases, as Dr. Verkerk points out in the film, are largely caused by modern environmental factors—processed foods, radiation exposure, and chemical pollutants. True reform will require breaking free from corporate-driven narratives and returning to health approaches rooted in nutrition, lifestyle, and personal autonomy.
As the documentary concludes, it leaves viewers with a powerful call to action. We are at a pivotal moment in history where genuine reform is possible. With RFK Jr. at the helm of HHS, we could be at the beginning of a fundamental shift in how America approaches health, moving away from corporate-driven policies toward a system prioritizing well-being over profit.
Unpacking the Lies We’ve Been Fed is an eye-opening exposé that challenges mainstream narratives and calls on Americans to demand transparency, accountability, and real change in the healthcare system. It is a must-watch for anyone concerned about the future of public health.
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