(NaturalNews) Thanks to emerging research, the health effects connected to water fluoridation are finally being acknowledged by the mainstream media as being, at the very least, controversial and most likely damaging.For over 65 years, the federal government has told us that water fluoridation is good for our health; however, research continues to illustrate the long-term damaging effects of adding an industrial byproduct to the water supply.Not only is fluoride bad for your health, but the concept of adding it to the public's waterinformed consent is completely unethical and arguably criminal. Forced medication isto be taken lightly, according to the American Medical Association's (AMA) (the largest association of physicians and medical students) own standards for medical ethics.Ashas been reporting for years, and as new science continues to support such claims, water fluoridation may cause a variety of health problems, including lowered IQs, hypothyroidism and increased risks for certain cancers.Aboutof all fluoride ingested is stored in the body, accumulating in tissues such as teeth, bones and the pineal gland in the brain, according to Richard Wiles, co-founder of the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a research organization based in Washington, D.C.One of the most recent studies documenting the adverse health effects of water fluoridation comes from the University of Kent, a public research university in the United Kingdom.Scientists studied data obtained from nearly every medical practice in England and discovered that fluoride may be increasing the risk for hypothyroidism , a condition in which the thyroid gland fails to produce enough hormones, resulting in symptoms such as fatigue, obesity and depression.Published in the, the study included the largest population ever analyzed in relation to the adverse health effects caused by water fluoridation Because an underactive thyroid is known to cause depression, weight gain, fatigue and aching muscles, the study showed that nearly 15,000 people could be unnecessarily suffering from these symptoms due to fluoride being added to the water With this new information, it makes adding fluoride to the water without informed consent evencriminal."The patient's right of self-decision can be effectively exercised only if the patient possesses enough information to enable an informed choice," according to the AMA's Code of Medical Ethics It continues:In regard to water fluoridation , "patients," which would be any citizen receiving fluoride through publicly supplied water, are unable to make their own decision about "treatment," or the process of adding fluoride to the water."Physicians should sensitively and respectfully disclose all relevant medical information to patients," states the AMA's code of ethics However, we all know this doesn't happen. Even with new research, the public is told that water fluoridation is SAFE and GOOD for our health, a blatant example of "all relevant medical information" not being disclosed, preventing us from making an informed decision, as outlined above.