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The Bulletin July 29, 2025

Newsweek6 days ago
The rundown: Launched in early 2025, the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative, led by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., aims to combat childhood chronic disease through food policy reforms.
Why it matters: While early signs suggest U.S. obesity may be plateauing, experts credit GLP‑1 weight-loss drugs like Ozempic—not MAHA—for the trend. Critics warn the administration risks taking credit for changes driven by pharmaceutical breakthroughs, not policy. MAHA's efforts, such as banning food dyes and urging soda recipe changes, lack regulatory force and may distract from structural reforms. Simultaneously, federal cuts to health programs undercut its goals.
Read more in-depth coverage:
Ozempic Could Change Births in America
TL/DR: "The intention of what RFK Jr. wants in this area is good," said Dr. Robert Klitzman, professor of psychiatry and director of the bioethics program at Columbia University.
What happens now? Experts say meaningful change requires balancing prevention with treatment and worry that misattributing success could undermine long-term public health strategy.
Deeper reading America's Obesity Epidemic Is Finally Easing. Will MAHA Take Credit?
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