Trump world wants to 'Make America Healthy Again' — but divided on how: report

Two people in President-elect Donald Trump's orbit have competing visions about how to address America's obesity epidemic, and whoever wins may have a years-long impact on public health.

According to a Wednesday report in the New York Times, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — who has been tapped to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – is planning to roll out an anti-obesity campaign aimed at "lifestyle" changes. RFK Jr.'s plan is reportedly focused on emphasizing healthier nutrition, and encouraging Americans to make time for a daily exercise regimen.

On the other side, billionaire X owner Elon Musk is calling for Americans to have easier access to weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound. Musk — who says he has used Wegovy to lose weight — said "nothing else is even close" when considering how to address obesity.

“Nothing would do more to improve the health, lifespan and quality of life for Americans than making GLP inhibitors super low cost to the public,” Musk said.

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Dr. Mehmet Oz, who has been nominated to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (which is under the umbrella of HHS) has also endorsed weekly semaglutide injections as a weight loss solution. And West Virginia Republican Governor Jim Justice — now the U.S. senator-elect from the Mountain State – has also urged the incoming Trump administration to embrace weight loss drugs as a way to tamp down on obesity, which can lead to costly medical conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

RFK Jr. is likely to push back hard against any efforts to incorporate weight loss drugs into any anti-obesity campaign. He previously told Fox News Greg Gutfeld that the pharmaceutical industry is "counting on selling it to Americans because we’re so stupid and so addicted to drugs."

But Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. Robert Califf — who currently serves in President Joe Biden's administration — said weight loss drugs are a good solution while building toward long-term goals like revamping the U.S. food system and subsidizing healthier foods.

"While I am totally in favor of helping Americans have a better diet, these drugs are highly effective,” Dr. Califf said. “Not just for losing weight,” but also for preventing heart disease deaths."