Topline
The increased spread of misinformation is the latest factor contributing to lower than average life expectancy in the U.S., Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf told CNBC Tuesday.
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf testifies during a Senate Committee on … [+]
Key Facts
Compared to other high-income countries, life expectancy in the U.S. is three to five years lower, Califf told CNBC, adding that over the past few years “it’s looking worse, not better.”
The impact of having immediate access to share information and misinformation with a billion people via the internet, is something Califf said the FDA was not prepared for, adding “it’s impacting our health in very detrimental ways.”
Califf called for better regulation at the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission to root out misinformation.
On top of the spread of misinformation, already existing life expectancy disparities include race, ethnicity, education and income, Califf said.
Life expectancy has dropped the past two years, with the current life expectancy at 76.4 years, the lowest it’s been since 1996, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Crucial Quote
“Why aren’t we using medical products as effectively and efficiently as our peer countries? A lot of it has to do with choices that people make because of the things that influenced their thinking,” Califf told CNBC.
Key Background
These are not Califf’s first remarks tying misinformation to declining health in Americans. Last year, he said that “almost no one” in the U.S. should be dying from Covid-19 but because of the spread of misinformation, the death toll continued to rise. In an interview with CNN last year, Califf said he believed misinformation was the leading cause of death in the U.S., pointing to the “erosion of life expectancy” in the U.S. as evidence. While “reliable, truthful” messages are not getting to people, misinformation is and it’s “leading people to make bad choices that are unfortunate for their health,” Califf said. Califf has served two nonconsecutive terms leading the FDA, first during the Obama administration and now during the Biden administration.
Further Reading
Misinformation Spurring U.S. Life Expectancy “Erosion,” FDA Chief Says (Axios)
U.S. Life Expectancy Drops To 25-Year Low Amid Covid, CDC Data Show (Forbes)
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