GLP-1 is a popular obesity treatment, but Trump health officials may focus on prevention

The drug known as glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist, or GLP-1, is very popular as a weight loss drug. GLP-1 is effective for weight loss when taken according to label directions and with a proper diet and exercise regimen.

But what about obesity prevention? What is sometimes missing from current discussions about obesity in the media and elsewhere is the role of prevention. Ideally, a newly revamped Department of Health and Human Services would be able to rebuild the nation's food and nutrition ecosystem, in addition to prioritizing more physical activity. But care must be taken, as both previous administrations and the current Becerra-led HHS have attempted to address these issues. And so far the desired result has not been achieved.

About 40% of adult Americans are obese. Obesity rates have been steadily rising since 1980. Harvard University TH Chan School of Public Health A reminder that obesity increases your risk of developing diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, osteoarthritis, and some cancers, just to name a few. Furthermore, these diseases shorten the lifespan of those affected. Additionally, treating obesity-related diseases costs hundreds of billions of dollars each year.

If confirmed by the Senate as HHS Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would like to address high rates of diabetes and obesity through lifestyle modifications, including dietary and other behavioral changes. Integral to his vision is a plan to “fix” the food system.

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a british medical journal article Although some people are genetically predisposed to unhealthy weight gain, the majority of people can “change the vector of obesity” by adopting healthier eating habits and daily physical activity. I'm doing it.

Improving food safety and eliminating additives has always been a popular theme for President Kennedy, and he has said that eliminating “hazardous chemicals” will be his primary goal. This is an area of ​​oversight since the Food and Drug Administration regulates approximately four-fifths of the U.S. food supply. Not known to mince words, President Kennedy said on the X show that he planned to fire all of the FDA's nutrition scientists from day one, saying they were “all corrupt.”

Kennedy was critical of GLP-1's role in weight loss. “We're so stupid and addicted to drugs that they expect us to sell it to Americans,” he said on his appearance. fox news he posted Instagram last month. He specifically cited Ozempic, a popular drug approved by the FDA to treat type 2 diabetes but used off-label for weight loss, saying it is “not going to make America healthy again.” This casts doubt on whether the incoming Trump administration will support the recently announced proposals. Biden to cover weight loss drugs With Medicare and Medicaid.

But, as experts have pointed out, President Kennedy's position may contain a straw man fallacy. said Addressing deficiencies in the food system and the use of weight loss drugs are not mutually exclusive. Perhaps a more charitable interpretation of Kennedy's view would be that GLP-1 is not intended to prevent obesity, so it cannot solve the problem, at least not on its own. This would be consistent with the World Health Organization's position. as STAT News reportedThe WHO believes that weight loss drugs are an important tool but not the solution to the global obesity problem. What needs to happen instead, according to the WHO, is a transformation of “food systems and environments that can prevent obesity.”

Kennedy told National Public Radio that he hopes Trump will show “a measurable impact in reducing chronic disease within two years.” This probably includes obesity, which may be a tall order. Good results can occur as a result of behavioral changes, but usually only after a long period of time. For example, consider the recent finding that increased physical activity is associated with symptoms such as: Reduced all-cause mortality over 2 million people 11-Annual follow-up. Similarly, meta-analysis The results of more than 150 studies examining the effects of dietary changes showed a median follow-up of nearly five years.

Even one of the most successful public health campaigns in U.S. history took many years to bear fruit. For decades, policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels have taken a multipronged approach to curbing smoking. US Surgeon General in 1964 smoking and health This report was followed by legislation to add warning labels to cigarette packages. Advertising on television was banned in 1971, followed by significant increases in excise taxes, followed by bans on smoking in public places in the 1980s and 90s.

When it comes to obesity prevention, the problem may be more difficult than Kennedy imagines, given the long history of trying to address the problem through federal efforts. Nutrition and physical activity problems in the United States have long been recognized. This is a problem that the Carter and Biden administrations have tried to address, but have apparently failed.

Since the Carter Administration, the Department of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have convened the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee every five years to review existing evidence on diet and health and inform the next recommendations for Americans. Dietary guidelines do more than just advise Americans what to eat. It also set budgeting priorities for hundreds of millions of dollars the government invests in food programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps. Notably, over time, the committee's focus has shifted from single nutrients and foods to holistic dietary patterns. The 2025-2030 U.S. Dietary Guidelines, developed under the Biden administration, include a historic shift in favor of whole, plant-based foods.

former first lady michelle obama led the program This was called a “Let's Move” aimed at curbing childhood obesity. President Barack Obama is Task Force on Childhood Obesity It was founded in 2010 with the lofty goal of solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation. She announced her role as first lady to lead a national awareness campaign to improve children's health through nutrition and exercise guidance. “To achieve our goals, we must accelerate implementation of successful strategies to prevent and combat obesity,” President Obama said. Such strategies include updating child nutrition policy in a way that addresses the best available scientific information, ensuring access to healthy and affordable food in schools and communities, and This includes increasing activity. ”

Twelve years later, the Biden administration has convened the second White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in 2022, 50 years after the first. The government soon began Implementation of new national strategy “Eliminate hunger, increase healthy eating and physical activity, and reduce the number of Americans who contract diet-related illnesses.”

Biden administration announces school lunch program healthier, strengthened Nutritional Standards for Special Supplemental Nutrition Programs for Women, Infants, and Children; banned certain pesticides. The government claims that there is invested Pursuing local food systems policy To counter the restructuring of the agricultural industry.

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra also said: hosted The first-ever “Food is Medicine” summit will be held in January 2024, where stakeholders will explore the intersection of food and health. HHS will advance understanding of the relationship between nutrition and health, promote easy access to healthy foods, especially in under-resourced communities, and educate the public that nutrition is essential to improved health. It is intended to educate.

It is unclear whether Kennedy will take these actions into account. He's hinted at dismantling the status quo in the FDA's nutrition division, but perhaps that's just an exaggerated rhetorical twist to show a determination to change things. As for concrete steps to achieve his goals, other than Kennedy's intention to ban SNAP recipients from using their benefits to buy sugary drinks and ultra-processed foods. I haven't seen the actual plan. However, this has something to do with the Biden administration's policies. already pursuing Starting in 2021, it aims to increase benefits for the purchase of fruits and vegetables and allow states to remove sugary drinks from the list of foods eligible for SNAP.

To summarize some of what Kennedy is saying, not new or fundamentally different From ongoing policies and previously implemented policies. Nevertheless, after coining the catchy MAHA acronym, President Kennedy is likely to make federal efforts to combat obesity more visible than ever.