Book excerpt: Who controls the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and what are the real goals of this powerful agency? These are the central questions explored in Health at Gunpoint, a book that brings into clear focus the silent war being waged by the FDA against American consumers. The FDA was established in 1906 to protect the U.S. public from misbranded and adulterated foods and drugs. While the original intent may have been honorable, over the years, the mission has become tainted by lobbyists and money. In Health at Gunpoint, award-winning health writer James Gormley presents a history of this Federal agency’s long-standing battle against health products and examines some of its most controversial decisions and the troubling reasons behind them. Now, the FDA is once again poised to make decisions that would have a major impact on the public’s health—this time, by imposing restrictions that would eventually eliminate many of the nutritional supplements Americans take every day. Health at Gunpoint not only sheds light on what is happening, but also prepares you for the coming battle.