Missing the mark: RFK junior's flawed reasoning on ADHD

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  The Economist Hello, Alok Jha here.

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  I host Babbage, our science and tech podcast.

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  Welcome to Editors' Picks.

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  Here's an article handpicked from the latest edition of The Economist, read aloud.

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  I thought you might enjoy it.

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  Few things agitate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., America's new health secretary,

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  more than the rate of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder,

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  or ADHD, among American children.

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  And for good reason.

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  One in nine children aged 3 to 17 years has been diagnosed with ADHD two to three times the rate in other Western countries.

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  On February 13th, Mr Kennedy's first day in office,

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  President Donald Trump put him in charge of a special commission,

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  tasked with working out in the next 100 days why so many American children have ADHD and other chronic conditions.

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  There are reasons to worry that the commission will miss the mark.

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  Its terms of reference mirror Mr Kennedy's beliefs.

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  He blames ADHD on the rampant use of chemicals by America's food industry.

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  While there is scientific evidence that artificial food colours can worsen some ADHD symptoms in children,

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  their role is marginal.

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  The actual reason why America is an outlier is widespread over-diagnosis.

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  A typical ADHD diagnosis in America is done by a pediatrician or a family doctor in an office visit as brief as 15 minutes.

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