Every January, Americans reflect on the year behind them and draft a familiar list of resolutions. Eat better. Lose weight. Exercise more. Reduce stress. These intentions recur not because people lack discipline, but because the underlying health conditions driving them persist.

Despite unprecedented medical spending and pharmaceutical access, the United States remains chronically unhealthy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 76 percent of US adults live with at least one chronic condition, and over 51 percent live with two or more. The most prevalent conditions are well documented. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death, accounting for 680,981 deaths in 2023, while obesity affects more than 40 percent of US adults. Diabetes impacts 38.4 million Americans, and nearly half of adults have hypertension, a major contributor to stroke, kidney failure, and heart disease.

Treatment typically begins once disease is clinically apparent, and often relies on pharmaceuticals. Over time, this approach can lead to polypharmacy, the use of five or more medications. Patients with chronic illness frequently average two to four comorbidities, each managed independently, increasing the likelihood that side effects from one medication require another.