Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s ‘Make America Wholesome Once more’ effort is poised for actual energy : NPR

SCOTT DETROW, HOST:

We will now speak extra about a type of picks, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who President-elect Trump has tapped to steer the Division of Well being and Human Providers. If confirmed, Kennedy can have broad affect over federal businesses and well being care coverage, and that could be a prospect that worries many in public well being, given his historical past of constructing false claims about vaccines and selling conspiracy theories.

Within the ultimate stretch of the election, Kennedy centered closely on tackling persistent ailments and corruption below the slogan Make America Wholesome Once more, and Trump has stated that will likely be an enormous precedence. NPR well being correspondent Will Stone joins us now to speak extra about this, Hey, Will.

WILL STONE, BYLINE: Hey, Scott.

DETROW: Let’s begin right here. How would you sum up the Make America Wholesome Once more agenda?

STONE: OK, so Kennedy and Trump have stated that their central mandate is to reverse the persistent illness epidemic within the U.S., and we’re speaking about diabetes, coronary heart illness. These are the main causes of loss of life. They’re tied to weight loss plan, bodily exercise and different way of life elements. And to attain this bold objective, supporters of this MAHA motion have set their sights on Huge Meals and Huge Pharma. You realize, these are industries that they are saying use their affect over authorities to push insurance policies that undermine the nation’s well being.

A key determine in Kennedy’s orbit and an advisor of his is Calley Means. He is a former marketing consultant for these industries. Means works within the well being and wellness business. This is what he advised me once we spoke a number of days earlier than Trump introduced Kennedy as his choose to steer HHS.

CALLEY MEANS: What Bobby Kennedy has helped President Trump understand is that there is no higher instance of this swamp, there is no higher instance of this corruption President Trump has talked about all through his political profession, than what’s occurring with our meals business that is cashing in on low cost, addictive meals and our well being care business that earnings from children getting sick from persistent illness tied to meals.

DETROW: I’ve heard Kennedy speak about so many various areas, although. What precisely is the preliminary focus right here?

STONE: Yeah, good query. I imply, he has spoke about considerations associated to ultraprocessed meals, poor vitamin, meals components, pesticides, poisonous chemical substances, the harms of business agriculture and, extra broadly, the well being care system’s concentrate on remedies as a substitute of prevention. Tackling any of those alone can be a major enterprise, and many individuals have tried. You’ll be able to guess, Scott, he’ll face main headwinds, each from Congress and lobbyist. I spoke to a longtime pal of Kennedy’s, Dr. Mark Hyman. He is a bestselling writer and an advisor to the Cleveland Clinic.

MARK HYMAN: I feel there is a distinctive alternative, partly as a result of Trump is form of a burn-down-the-house form of man. Bobby’s, , not on the lookout for incremental change.

STONE: Kennedy has shared lots of his targets. He desires to overtake dietary tips and federal packages that pay for ultraprocessed meals, tackle crop subsidies, possibly ban sure pesticides that European nations have already banned.

DETROW: What is the response been to all of this?

STONE: It is definitely an odd, virtually dizzying second for the general public well being area. Kennedy is well-known for questioning the scientific consensus, pushing inaccurate details about vaccines. He is based an antivaccine advocacy group and is usually antagonistic towards mainstream medication. As NPR has lined, he is promoted unproven remedies for COVID and made different basless claims associated to well being.

On the similar time, there is no denying that on persistent illness prevention, there may be some actual overlap between what he talks about as his priorities and what you hear from scientists who work on this area. Certainly one of them is Barry Popkin, a professor at UNC Gillings Faculty of International Public Well being. He says, he would welcome significant motion on vitamin and the meals provide.

BARRY POPKIN: If it comes, I will help it, and I will be tremendous shocked, and academia will likely be behind them and so forth. However I don’t see that. I concern the worst.

STONE: Popkin tells me he is apprehensive in regards to the different realms of public well being below Kennedy’s management – our preparation for the subsequent pandemic, outbreaks of measles and backsliding on confirmed public well being instruments like vaccines.

DETROW: How would Kennedy get most of this agenda via relating to the – what he is speaking about with persistent illness prevention?

STONE: Yeah, that’s the query, Scott, as a result of, clearly, Trump and different Republicans are already speaking about chopping authorities and rules. That is what Dr. Randall Stafford at Stanford is making an attempt to sq..

RANDALL STAFFORD: I’m more than happy to see the problems of weight problems and poor weight loss plan being articulated, however I am unsure that these targets are in line with different targets to decontrol the economic system.

STONE: And in Trump’s first time period, his administration put in business insiders and took actions on vitamin and pesticides that run counter to this new agenda. I requested Calley Means about this, and he stated that essentially, their precedence is extra about stamping out business affect, whether or not that is with people who find themselves funded to do analysis or who advise the federal government.

MEANS: Our well being and meals equipment – it is rigged. And aggressively and clearly derigging that system just isn’t overregulation.

STONE: He argues when you get that accomplished, the analysis and proposals will observe, and Congress must act.

DETROW: That is NPR’s Will Stone. Thanks a lot.

STONE: Thanks.

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