RFK Jr.'s Possibility of Altering Our Country's Illogical Strategy Towards Obesity
According to a metaphor, a river was swift and relentless, taking numerous lives downstream. Locals attempted to halt the tragedy by placing nets across the water, yet the number of casualties continued to rise. Ultimately, a newcomer posed an essential inquiry: "Why are individuals falling into the river in the first place?" After examining upstream, villagers uncovered the source of their issue - a decaying bridge sending individuals into the rapids.
This "upstream narrative" encapsulates America's blunder in addressing obesity. Similarly, Americans have primarily applied reactive, downstream solutions to combat the challenge. Techniques like bariatric surgeries and recent weight loss pills, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, have aided individuals in significant weight loss; however, they neglect the primary reasons people become obese. Government initiatives aimed at health promotion, food labeling, and exercise programs have failed to reverse the trend.
Confronting the underlying causes of obesity necessitates a shift away from the existing reactive strategies. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a contentious candidate for secretary of Health and Human Services, offers a rare chance to challenge the drivers of the obesity epidemic. If confirmed, Kennedy could divert the trajectory of this escalating issue.
Obesity: Why Root Causes Matter
Obesity rates in the United States have skyrocketed over the past 30 years. As per The Lancet, the proportion of American adults categorized as overweight or obese has more than doubled, rising among women from 22.5% to 45.6% and among men from 18.6% to 41.5%.
For youngsters, the situation is even more dramatic. In the same time frame, obesity rates tripled, with the CDC reporting a fivefold increase in children aged 6 to 11 since the 1960s.
The impact on health extends past body weight gain. Obesity is a primary factor in diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The American Cancer Society links it to 40% of all cancer cases and 50% of cancer deaths, with clear connections to various types of uterine, esophageal, kidney, liver, and gallbladder cancers.
The swift emergence of the obesity epidemic within a few decades has led public health leaders to characterize it as a genetic and biological condition. The Obesity Medicine Association identifies it as a "chronic, relapsing, multifactorial, neurobehavioral disease," while the American Academy of Pediatrics frames childhood obesity as a "chronic and complex disease with lifelong health consequences."
While most organizations acknowledge multiple contributing factors, their emphasis on biological explanations and medical treatments has overshadowed the actual driver of the epidemic. A doubling of obesity in just 30 years can't be rationalized by genetics or biology; human DNA evolves over millennia, not decades.
The main culprit is the food industry and its strategic production and marketing of ultra-processed, calorie-dense food with refined sugars and unhealthy fats.
Genetics do play a role in obesity, but the food industry has exploited this evolutionary mechanism for profit. By engineering products to induce dopamine releases in the brain, manufacturers have created addiction-like behaviors to food that result in overconsumption.
The consequence is a population increasingly reliant on nutrient-poor, high-calorie foods. Presently, 42% of U.S. adults are obese, costing the healthcare system $173 billion annually.
While GLP-1 weight-loss drugs offer effective treatment for individuals grappling with obesity, they require continuous use to maintain results. Approximately 85% of patients discontinue these medications within two years, and the drug's annual cost - surpassing $10,000 per individual - places overwhelming strain on patients and payers, possibly Medicare pending a new rule.
Without alterations to food manufacturing and marketing, the chronic disease crisis – responsible for 30-50% of preventable heart attacks, strokes, kidney failures, and cancers – will only worsen.
To enhance our nation's health and reduce the burdens of medical care, the next HHS secretary will need to initiate this change.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: A Polarizing Force
RFK Jr., awaiting Senate approval as President-elect Trump's nominee for HHS secretary, is a divisive figure. Kennedy has promoted scientifically-discredited theories, such as the claim that vaccines cause autism or that COVID-19 was "strategically aimed at attacking Caucasians and Black people" while sparing Jewish and Chinese people.
While such problematic views cannot be disregarded, neither should we dismiss his advocacy for chronic disease prevention, food reform, and the value of primary care. If confirmed as HHS secretary, Kennedy has the potential to pioneer groundbreaking changes in the food industry - aggressively addressing the root cause of obesity, as no previous secretaries have.
Kennedy has been vocal in his criticisms of the Food and Drug Administration, claiming the agency suppresses access to products that "advance(s) human health but can’t be patented by pharmaceutical companies." He has also voiced opposition to the widespread use of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, calling them a short-sighted approach to obesity. Kennedy has gone so far as to propose that Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic, targets Americans "because we are so gullible and so addicted to drugs."
After pledging to tackle the food industry and enhance America's wellbeing, the question arises, "How might Kennedy accomplish these challenging objectives?"
History presents a two-pronged strategy: prohibition and taxation.
In the 1970s, studies revealed a connection between lead in fuel and severe brain damage in children. As a result, the Environmental Protection Agency phased out leaded gasoline by 1986. This policy, which reduced lead levels in children by over 90%, demonstrates the effectiveness of regulatory bans in improving public health. Similarly, the elimination of lead from paint and water pipes highlighted the impact of prohibitions on driving healthier lifestyles.
In more recent times, cities like Berkeley, California, and Philadelphia have introduced soda taxes to decrease the consumption of sugary beverages, lowering sales by up to 38%. Despite opposition and intense lobbying from the beverage industry, these measures illustrate how financial disincentives can promote healthier choices.
The Way Forward
As long as high-calorie, processed foods prevail in supermarkets, school cafeterias, and restaurant menus, America's health will continue to deteriorate.
A feasible solution is taxation. If sugar- and fat-filled foods result in hundreds of billions in healthcare costs, these expenses should be reflected in their prices. The revenue from these taxes, along with future savings from reduced obesity-related healthcare spending, could support healthier food options for low-income families.
This dual approach—dissuading harmful choices while advancing affordable, nutritious alternatives—has the potential to transform America’s food landscape and improve public health for future generations.
Although I've never met Robert F. Kennedy Jr., if his nomination is confirmed and his tenure leads to the food industry serving as a catalyst for health, I will commend his efforts to address the root causes of obesity.
Within the halls of Congress, Kennedy has the chance to foster bipartisan support. Democrats have typically advocated for nutritional improvements for disadvantaged families, while Republicans could back reforms that decrease healthcare spending and improve population health.
The time has come to shift our focus—to rebuild the crumbling foundation of American health rather than relying on the safety nets of downstream solutions. The next HHS secretary will encounter significant resistance from the food industry while pursuing this path, but bravery and decisive action are vital. Strong leadership can alter the tide of the obesity epidemic and foster a stronger, healthier future for our nation.
- The current approach towards obesity, primarily focused on reactive downstream solutions like bariatric surgeries and weight loss pills such as Ozempic and Wegovy, neglects the root causes of the issue.
- The appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) offers a unique opportunity to challenge the drivers of the obesity epidemic.
- Kennedy's nomination, while controversial due to his promotion of discredited theories, also highlights his advocacy for chronic disease prevention, food reform, and the importance of primary care.
- If confirmed as HHS secretary, Kennedy could push for groundbreaking changes in the food industry, addressing the root cause of obesity, which has tripled in youngsters over the past 30 years.
- History has shown that policies like bans on leaded gasoline and soda taxes have been successful in improving public health, and Kennedy could use these strategies to tackle the obesity crisis and promote healthier food choices.
