The Biden management is facing increasing scrutiny over rising obesity rates in the United States, where more than 40% of adults are now considered obese. As President Trump pledged to “Make America Healthy Again” upon reelection-appointing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his Health and Human Services Secretary-a significant shift in national dietary guidelines appears to be underway. Kennedy’s recently unveiled plans to de-emphasize restrictions on saturated fats have ignited debate, with some experts questioning the long-held assumptions about healthy eating and heart disease, while others express concern about potential public health ramifications.
The United States faces a continuing obesity epidemic, with 40 percent of adults considered obese and over 70 percent either overweight (BMI over 25) or obese (BMI over 30).
Following his reelection last year, Donald Trump promised to “Make America Healthy Again.” A key component of that pledge involved appointing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his Secretary of Health and Human Services.
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Kennedy has signaled his intention to implement significant changes. At a leadership forum hosted by the Food Allergy Fund research center late Tuesday night, he offered further insight into his plans.
“We are ending the war on saturated fat in this country. We’re going to publish new dietary guidelines that emphasize the importance of protein and saturated fat. I think they’ll come out next month, and I think it really will revolutionize the food system and the food culture in this country,” Kennedy stated.
MAJOR CHANGES: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is planning a sweeping health reform.
Photo: Ben Curtis (AP Photo)
Says Fat is the Reason for Obesity Epidemic
If implemented, this would represent a significant departure from current dietary recommendations. For years, the U.S., like Norway and most other European countries, has advised limiting saturated fat intake to less than 10 percent of daily calories.
Kennedy, however, is firm that saturated fat intake should come from minimally processed sources – such as pure meat and full-fat dairy – and not from processed foods.
The Health and Human Services Secretary has previously been critical of the replacement of saturated fat with refined carbohydrates and highly processed vegetable oils (such as soybean, rapeseed, and sunflower oil) – which he believes is the primary cause of the obesity epidemic in the United States.
Media Storm
This is not the first time Kennedy has sparked controversy with his statements. Earlier this year, he created a media storm after he criticized vaccines, and he has also claimed a connection between circumcision and autism.
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Simen Nitter Dankel, a professor of medicine and nutrition, previously told Nettavisen that he believes the focus on reducing saturated fat is misguided.
“Basically, this comes from old studies about saturated fat increasing LDL cholesterol. That has guided dietary advice for 50 years, but scholars disagree about the quality of this research. Later research has shown that this is far more uncertain,” he said.
Dankel also pointed to a pooled analysis from Deakin University which concludes that replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat likely has no impact on heart disease and mortality.
Dr. Cate Shanahan is trained in both biochemistry and medicine, and specializes in ethnobotany – how plants are used for human consumption. She has written several books on metabolism and nutrition, and has previously described vegetable oils as “chronic disease in a bottle.”
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STRONG WORDS: Dr. Cate Shanahan believes vegetable oils are detrimental to health.
Photo: DrCate.com
Swears by the Diet Herself
Kennedy has long advocated for eliminating ultra-processed foods from the diet. Several years ago, he switched to a diet primarily based on meat and claims it has transformed his life.
“It’s mostly meat and everything that’s fermented. So it’s a lot of yogurt – good yogurt without added sugar. And coleslaw and kimchi and all kinds of fermented vegetables,” Kennedy has said.
Trump has also long favored red meat in his diet, but in contrast to his health secretary, he has been a strong supporter of fast food and pre-prepared meals.
Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s former campaign manager, previously stated that Trump regularly ate a 2,400-calorie McDonald’s meal consisting of two Big Macs, two Filet-O-Fish sandwiches, and a chocolate milkshake while on the campaign trail in 2016.
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Following his 2024 election victory, Trump and Kennedy were photographed with Elon Musk and Mike Johnson aboard the president’s private plane.
All with a portion of McDonald’s.
VIRAL MOMENT: A photo of Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Donald Trump Jr., Mike Johnson and Robert F. Kennedy eating burgers on a private plane went viral.
Photo: Margo Martin/X
Shortly after the flight, Kennedy described Trump’s diet as “poison.”
“The stuff he eats is really, really bad. Campaign food is never good, but the food that’s served on that plane is just poison. You have no choice, you get either KFC or a Big Mac. If you’re lucky, the other stuff that’s served I think is just inedible,” Kennedy said on the Joe Polish podcast.
CLEAR WORDS: Dr. Cate Shanahan says vegetable oils ruin your health.
Photo: DrCate.com
Trump has reportedly lost nearly 30 pounds in recent years, a change that came after concerns were raised about his health. His annual physical in 2018 showed he was 6’3” and weighed 239 pounds.
That equated to a BMI of 29.9 – placing him on the cusp of being classified as obese.
A photo of Trump at a golf tournament in 2022 went viral, with many noting the president appeared to have gained weight.
LOOKING FITTER: At 79 years old, Donald Trump is in better shape than he has been in years.
Photo: Mark Schiefelbein (AP Photo)
In an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News earlier this year, Kennedy claimed the president had lost almost 30 pounds.
The Fox News host, who is also a longtime friend of Trump, offered an explanation for how he had managed to lose weight despite continuing to eat junk food:
“He looks great. If he has a burger, he usually eats it without the bun,” Hannity said.
Trump himself offered a simpler explanation for his weight loss:
