National Health Federation (NHF)
The National Health Federation (NHF) is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1955, dedicated to promoting consumer health education and advocating for the elimination of government restrictions related to food, water, vitamins, supplements, and alternative medical practices. Central to its mission are twelve "health-freedom rights" that emphasize personal autonomy in health decisions, including the right to choose alternative medicine and the right to forgo mandatory vaccinations. With members in thirty-five countries, the NHF not only provides resources such as a quarterly magazine and alternative healthcare provider referrals but also engages in lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C., to influence health policy.
The NHF is involved in various activities, including opposing certain legislation perceived as restrictive to dietary supplement freedoms. Its notable campaigns have included efforts against the regulation of dietary supplements and initiatives to challenge childhood vaccination mandates. The organization has faced criticism from mainstream medical communities and regulatory bodies, particularly regarding its controversial stances on vaccines and other health practices. As the NHF continues to advocate for its health-freedom ideals, it remains a focal point of debate within the broader conversation on health regulation and consumer rights.
National Health Federation (NHF)
DEFINITION: An international nonprofit organization that promotes consumer health education and seeks to eliminate certain government restrictions on food, water, vitamins, supplements, and alternative medical techniques.
DATE: Founded in 1955
Overview
The mission of the National Health Federation (NHF) comprises twelve “health-freedom rights” that guide the organization. These rights, which are presented as basic human rights, include the right to control one’s own body, to seek and receive alternative medicine, and to keep such information private. Central to these rights is personal freedom of choice, which includes the right to opt out of mandatory childhood vaccines, the right to utilize vitamins and supplements without prescription or regulation, and, ultimately, the right of every person to make health decisions without government restrictions.
Membership
NHF members in thirty-five countries receive a subscription to the quarterly magazine Health Freedom News, access to the NHF’s alternative healthcare provider referral list, and representation from a Washington, D.C., lobbyist in pursuit of NHF health goals. Although NHF is primarily focused on health issues in the United States, its membership, affiliate organizations, and advisory board are international in scope, and it has membership across the globe. The NHF boasts of its elite membership in the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the highest international body on food standards and part of the United Nations. Although NHF believes the codex is misguided on dietary supplements (in favor of regulation and its ranking of supplements based on their efficacy), it believes that revised codex guidelines will become the international standard, replacing domestic legislation on health and nutrition.
To support its mission, the NHF website archives relevant articles, often written by third parties, and resources such as other health-focused websites, a list of their ongoing campaigns, nutrition resources, and lists of alternative-health-based books.
Activities
The NHF cites the passing of the Poultry Products Inspection Act of 1957, which requires federal regulation of interstate poultry commerce, as one of the organization’s earliest successes. Other activities include opposition to the Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2003, which would have required manufacturers of dietary supplements to report adverse events, such as the death of consumers from taking their respective products, to the federal government. The 2003 bill was, in part, an attempt to modify the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, which deregulated the manufacture and distribution of vitamins and supplements. In 2010, similar regulatory legislation was under review by the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; NHF opposed this legislation as well.
Given its stance on common, long-term health practices in the United States, the NHF is not without controversy. In August 2010, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent a warning letter to the manufacturer of an anti-inflammatory cream, which had been endorsed and named for an NHF holistic expert, because the product’s labeling violated FDA rules on unproven remedies. Clashes between the founder of the NHF and the FDA predate the organization’s creation. Conflict continued through the 1970s when the NHF began an aggressive campaign to ban fluoride from drinking water. Perhaps most controversial is the NHF’s push to eliminate what it believes are “unnecessary” and even “dangerous” childhood vaccines.
Despite ongoing controversies, the NHF continues its tenuous relationship with the FDA and other regulatory agencies as new therapies and techniques evolve amid new health regulations and legislation. In the 2020s, the mainstream medical community remained committed to openly deriding the NHF, and among its biggest opponents were the American Cancer Society and Quackwatch, an organization committed to exposing dangerous pseudoscience. Its primary campaigns in the early 2020s included an effort to limit Telecom antenna instillation called “Stop the Wireless Mesh,” a demand for “safe, non-wireless utility meters,” and a call to end the World Health Organization.
Bibliography
"Campaigns." National Health Federation, thenhf.com/campaigns. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
"FDA 101: Dietary Supplements." U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 6 Feb. 2022, www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/fda-101-dietary-supplements. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. ods.od.nih.gov. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
“Our Mission & Values.” National Health Federation, thenhf.com/about-nhf/our-mission-values. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.