Shame on the Media for Protecting Big Food, Pharma & Healthcare
The Dr. Phil Podcast
Dr. Phil McGraw
4.3 • 13.5K Ratings
🗓️ 18 February 2026
⏱️ 23 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Yes, headlines say U.S. life expectancy has rebounded. But here’s what they don’t tell you. The United States ranks 32 out of 38 developed nations in life expectancy according to OECD data.Thirty-second. Out of thirty-eight. That places America near the bottom of the developed world behind Turkey, Estonia, the Czech Republic, and the Slovak Republic. Only six developed nations rank lower.
At the same time:
• In 2024, the 10 largest pharmaceutical companies reported more than $100 billion in profits**
• The industry spent over $5 billion on television advertising
• Prescription drug commercials account for a significant share of evening news ads
• The U.S. healthcare system remains structured around treatment, not prevention
• Ultra-processed foods dominate the American diet
The United States spends more per capita on healthcare than any other developed nation.Yet we rank near the bottom in longevity. Americans deserve the complete story — not just the comfortable headline. Source: U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I have a question for you. |
| 0:01.7 | Did you ever look at one of those super close-up images where you have no idea what you're looking at? |
| 0:07.2 | That is, until you zoom out and bring everything into focus. |
| 0:13.3 | That's why you can't trust the mainstream media. |
| 0:17.0 | They can give you one small, super close-up piece of a story without providing the whole picture. |
| 0:25.4 | Well, let me tell you something. |
| 0:27.2 | I'm going to be telling you the truth. |
| 0:29.5 | I'm going to tell you what they don't want you to know. |
| 0:33.5 | And I'm going to tell you who they is. |
| 0:37.2 | And I'm going to tell you who they is, and I'm going to tell you why they don't want you to know |
| 0:42.0 | what it is they don't want you to know. And I got a sneaking suspicion. It's going to make you |
| 0:48.4 | really upset. But you're going to be glad to find out what it is you didn't know and why they didn't want you to know it. |
| 0:57.9 | Now, case in point today is a recent CDC report on U.S. life expectancy, and here are the headlines |
| 1:05.3 | the legacy media is throwing at you. |
| 1:08.1 | Life expectancy in U.S. hits record high of 79 years. Yay. |
| 1:13.6 | U.S. life expectancy reaches new high as overdose and COVID deaths fall. |
| 1:20.6 | Americans are living longer than ever. Hey, celebration time. Get out the balloons and whistles, |
| 1:26.6 | right? Sure sounds like good news. |
| 1:28.9 | Except these news organizations have zoned in so tightly on this one piece of good news that you're |
| 1:37.5 | missing the real story. What you're missing is what they're not telling you. The real story is this. |
| 1:45.5 | The U.S. life expectancy, while getting a little better, |
| 1:50.2 | is among the worst in the developed world. |
... |
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