Latest news with #AmericaHealthyAgain
CNN
5 days ago
- Health
- CNN
100 days into the job, FDA Commissioner talks to CNN about staff changes, agency process— and Coke's switch to sugar
The US Food and Drug Administration is plowing ahead with sweeping plans to crack down on ultra processed foods and reshape the way new drugs and devices are reviewed and approved, the agency's commissioner, Marty Makary, told CNN in an interview this week. Makary sat down with CNN at the FDA's White Oak, Maryland campus, roughly 100 days into his tenure as the head of the agency that oversees vast portions of the US's food and health system: drugs, medical devices, tobacco and a portion of the food supply that accounts for roughly a fifth of the US economy. In the large, sunny room overlooking the courtyard at the center of the FDA's sprawling grounds, Makary put forth talking points he has often repeated on his podcast, 'FDA Direct'— a new feature for a commissioner. In a wide-ranging interview, he addressed everything from the agency's staffing changes to his thoughts on Coca-Cola's switch to real sugar. Makary, a gastrointestinal surgeon, took over the FDA just as broad layoffs and a slew of departures of experienced senior staff hit the agency amid changes orchestrated by DOGE, a White House efficiency group that attempted to reform the federal government through dramatic cuts. Makary was sworn in on the same day that the cuts took place, April 1. The FDA has since reinstated 'hundreds' of those terminated employees, Makary told CNN on Monday, and the waters have calmed since the layoffs. 'I want the public to know something very clear,' Makary said. 'The FDA is strong, and it will continue to be strong. The trains are running on time,' he said. 'We're going to meet all our targets this year,' he said, referring to the number of drugs and devices the FDA aims to evaluate by January. Such an achievement, if met, would be a relief for the US pharmaceutical industry, which has been watching cautiously as the agency overhauls its regulatory process, promising speedy new pathways for approvals. There has been skepticism. Earlier this year, hundreds of biotech executives had publicly lamented that FDA's leadership on science would be 'irretrievably lost' because of the April staffing losses. While scientists reviewing new drugs and devices were spared from cuts, administrative staff who aid their work were not. Since Makary assumed his post, the FDA also rolled out Elsa, a new artificial intelligence chatbot billed as a tool to help staff speed up clinical reviews and scientific evaluations. But Elsa has made up nonexistent studies and gotten facts wrong, according to six current and former FDA officials who spoke to CNN. Asked about the potential risks of AI-aided review, Makary said it is a work in progress. 'We never want to miss something that could be dangerous,' he said. 'It is a balancing act, and we've got to continue to try to do it.' The FDA is also a critical part of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vision to 'Make America Healthy Again' through food policy reforms. This week, the US Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the FDA, took a first major step toward regulating ultra processed foods by asking industry and scientific experts for feedback on how to define them. A major tenet of Kennedy's MAHA agenda is to remove artificial ingredients from foods, overhaul prescription drug use and tackle environmental toxins, all of which he believes are driving chronic illness among American children. Speaking to CNN, Makary laid out a framework for the FDA's broader food policy plans, including dramatic changes to the federal dietary guidelines, a compass for doctors, schools and families on the foods to eat and avoid. They are 'cleaning house' on the guidelines, Makary said. 'We're going to go bold on this because for too long, people have been confused, they've been misled.' 'We have a public trust epidemic in health care because in part people were lied to about what's healthy and what's not healthy,' he said — an assertion that would be highly disputed by experts who advise on the guidelines every five years. Moreover, the dietary guidelines are not entirely up to Makary and his agency. They'll have to hammer out the final recommendations by December with the US Department of Agriculture, and there has already been friction. Makary is also determined to see an end to what he called 'the 70-year war on natural saturated fat'— a substance, he says, that has 'never been found in any clinical trial to be directly associated with heart disease.' That claim is disputable. While Makary did not elaborate on which types of natural saturated fat have been demonized, as he put it, nutrition experts have said there are still significant and well-established harms to heart health from fats in red and processed meats. In dairy, different saturated fats are thought to have varied levels of risk and benefit. Makary's comments come as major food companies and fast-food chains scramble to position themselves as MAHA allies, promising to remove artificial ingredients and food dyes, and switch out seed oils for Kennedy's favored frying ingredient, beef tallow. Coca-Cola announced last week that it would start offering products with cane sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup, news that was heralded by President Donald Trump. Experts say that is a marginal change; both are ultimately bad for your health. Asked about Coke's sugar announcement, Makary said, 'There are incremental benefits to the different types of sugar out there' but that 'I think it's a good switch.' There is more to come. The commissioner also said that FDA is 'doing an inventory' of more than 11,000 chemicals that are banned in Europe and other countries, but 'common' in the US food supply. Before coming to the FDA, Makary, a surgeon at Johns Hopkins University, was probably best known for a series of books on flaws in the health care system. He supported lockdowns and masking in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, but later became a prominent critic of vaccine requirements and booster shots. He argued in a February 2021 Wall Street Journal op-ed that the US would reach herd immunity by that April; instead, new waves of Covid strains hit the population. Those views did not exactly alienate Makary from the medical establishment or Washington's political world. Three Democratic senators voted to confirm him, making him the only one of Trump's health nominees to win Democratic votes in this administration. 'The day before my Senate confirmation hearing, I was in the operating room. So this is an entirely different domain for me,' Makary said. Sandee LaMotte contributed to this report.
UPI
03-07-2025
- Business
- UPI
Agriculture Department announces National Farmers Market
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins takes part in a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., in May. In a release on Thursday, she said The Great American Farmers Market is a "chance to honor the heart of our nation." File Photo by Francis Chung/UPI | License Photo July 3 (UPI) -- The Department of Agriculture has announced that it will host the Great American Farmers Market on the National Mall Aug. 3 to Aug 8., inviting local producers and growers from throughout the country to attend. "There is no greater celebration of America's legacy than through American agriculture!" Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement. "Farmers helped found our nation and for centuries have diligently passed down the craft of feeding, fueling, and clothing their fellow patriots. The Great American Farmers Market is a celebration of the almost 250 years since our inception and a chance to honor the heart of our nation." The USDA, which was founded by Abraham Lincoln as the "People's Department" during the Civil War, is the only department to be located directly on the National Mall, which officials have said signifies the importance of American agriculture. Th event has hosted a farmers market every year since 1995 to provide access for vendors in the Washington, D.C., area. This year, the event is being expanded to include farmers from all 50 states. The farmers market event is designed to recognize agriculture "as the cornerstone of our history, providing direct market access to the heart of Washington, inspiring the next generation of farmers and ranchers, and Making American Health Again with fresh food grown by our farmers," the release said. The Great American Farmers Market will be held as part of America 250, the celebration of the country's birthday.
Tom's Guide
01-07-2025
- Health
- Tom's Guide
RFK Jr. wants every American to be wearing a fitness tracker within 4 years — here's what we know so far
The best fitness trackers can tell you a lot about your overall health — designed to be worn 24/7, they'll track your heart rate, daily activity levels, calories burned, and how well you sleep. And now, US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said he'd like to see every American wearing some form of health or fitness device by 2029. 'My vision is that every American is wearing a wearable within four years,' he said at a congressional hearing last week. It was announced, his department will soon begin one of 'the biggest campaigns in HHS history,' which it says will help Americans 'take control over their own health.' We don't know the details just yet. It isn't clear, for example, whether the government will subsidize existing devices to make them more affordable or release a Trump-branded health tracker, following the recent Trump phone. During the congressional hearing, Kennedy Jr. said that his agency, which is behind the 'Make America Healthy Again', or MAHA, movement, is exploring ways to make the cost of blood glucose monitors more accessible. He also suggested that an $80 wearable might be a better solution to the weight-loss drug Ozempic for controlling diabetes and weight, describing friends who 'lost their diabetes' after wearing glucose monitors. Evidence shows diet and exercise changes can reverse Type 2 diabetes, and that glucose monitoring can be effective in motivating patients to make better decisions. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. At the time of writing, we don't have a lot of information about what this campaign might look like, but questions have been raised about the safety of users' health data. Would the government or insurance providers have access to our fitness tracker data? And how would our privacy be protected? It's also worth noting that while fitness trackers are an excellent resource, they won't be suitable for everyone. It's estimated that 28.8 million Americans will suffer from an eating disorder in their lifetime, and psychologists have tracked a recent rise in orthorexia, body dysmorphia, and anxiety. These disorders can all be aggravated by the influx of data you receive while wearing a fitness tracker. On the surface, however, fitness trackers have the potential to help you make healthier choices and gain a deeper understanding of your overall health. Trackers like the Apple Watch will alert you if it detects an irregular heart rhythm, which could save your life. But this isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, and a fitness tracker can never replace guidance from medical professionals. Ultimately, fitness trackers are only a piece of the health puzzle, and right now, we have more questions than answers
Fox News
17-06-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Reagan-nominated federal judge accuses Trump admin of 'discrimination' with cuts to NIH diversity grants
Print Close By Alex Nitzberg Published June 17, 2025 A federal judge declared the Trump administration's move to nix some National Institutes of Health grants as illegal, describing the cuts as discriminatory during remarks on Monday, according to reports. "I am hesitant to draw this conclusion — but I have an unflinching obligation to draw it — that this represents racial discrimination and discrimination against America's LGBTQ community," Judge William Young said, according to Politico. "That's what this is. I would be blind not to call it out. My duty is to call it out." Young, who serves in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, was nominated by then-President Ronald Reagan in 1985, according to the court's website. SECOND FEDERAL JUDGE SIDES AGAINST TRUMP'S ELECTION EXECUTIVE ORDER "Any discrimination by our government is so wrong that it requires the court to enjoin it and at an appropriate time, I'm going to do it," the judge said, according to Reuters. HHS Communications Director Andrew Nixon noted in a statement that the department "is exploring all legal options, including filing an appeal and moving to stay the order." WATCH: RFK JR. REBUKES DEM SENATOR FOR PLAYING POLITICS WITH CANCER-STRICKEN CONSTITUENT: 'YOU DON'T CARE' "HHS stands by its decision to end funding for research that prioritized ideological agendas over scientific rigor and meaningful outcomes for the American people," Nixon declared in the statement the department provided to Fox News Digital. "Under the leadership of Secretary Kennedy and the Trump administration, HHS is committed to ensuring that taxpayer dollars support programs rooted in evidence-based practices and gold standard science – not driven by divisive DEI mandates or gender ideology," Nixon said. White House Spokesman Kush Desai accused the judge of airing his own view. "It is appalling that a federal judge would use court proceedings to express his political views and preferences. How is a judge going to deliver an impartial decision when he explicitly stated his biased opinion that the Administration's retraction of illegal DEI funding is racist and anti-LGBTQ? Justice ceases to be administered when a judge clearly rules on the basis of his political ideologies," Desai declared in a statement he provided to Fox News Digital. WE GOT RID OF ALL THE BEAGLE EXPERIMENTS ON THE NIH CAMPUS, SAYS DR. JAY BHATTACHARYA CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The White House deputy press secretary asserted, "DEI is based on the premise that an individual's competence and abilities are tied to his or her racial background, and Americans have resoundingly rejected this flawed and racist logic." "The Trump administration is committed to restoring the Gold Standard of Science, and that starts with recognizing the biological reality of the male and female sexes. The NIH is focusing on Making America Healthy Again by realigning our research spending to address our chronic disease crisis instead, not to validate ideological activism," he noted. Print Close URL
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
RFK made another dream come true for MAHA moms. Doctors are pushing back.
The COVID-19 vaccine will no longer be recommended to pregnant people or healthy children in the US. RFK Jr. made the announcement on X, but the CDC has not changed its website. Pregnancy puts people at a higher risk of serious illness or death from COVID-19. The COVID-19 vaccine will be removed from the list of recommended shots for healthy children and pregnant people, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the US Health Secretary, announced on X Tuesday. "I couldn't be more pleased to announce that as of today, the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from the CDC recommended immunization schedule," Kennedy said in a video. While unusual, it is in line with RFK's general health philosophy. He frequently shouts out "MAHA moms," a group of vocally vaccine-skeptical parents whose backing has played an important role in RFK's political success. The moms are a driving force behind the health secretary's "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement, and are fueled by a strong distrust in medical institutions, a rejection of vaccine safety, skepticism about fluoride in the water supply, and concerns about the health impact of seed oils, as well as ultra-processed foods. The Trump administration previously recommended that everyone six months and older get the COVID-19 vaccine, advice which still stands on the CDC website at the time of publication. The new policy will mean that the COVID-19 vaccine is only recommended to people older than 65 and those at high risk for severe COVID-19. That is a group that should — and does — include all pregnant women, according to obstetricians, professional associations, and even Dr. Marty Makary, the newly appointed commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Last week, Makary included pregnancy in a New England Journal of Medicine article listing medical conditions that would put someone at higher risk for the disease, alongside asthma and cancer. "There is no OB-GYN in this country that I know who is in agreement with this recommendation," Dr. Amanda Williams, a practicing obstetrician-gynecologist in northern California, who is the interim chief medical officer at March of Dimes, told Business Insider. "Pregnancy is a high-risk condition." Williams says people should ignore the latest government recommendation, and continue to follow the advice of professional associations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which both continue to recommend COVID-19 vaccines to pregnant people. "ACOG's recommendations have not changed as the science has not changed," the organization told BI in a statement. Pregnancy suppresses the immune system, making people more vulnerable to infectious diseases like COVID. Pregnancy also prompts widespread changes to a person's vascular system and respiration, which can make it harder for a pregnant body to fight off the virus. "When patients have COVID, they are more likely to have miscarriage, stillbirth, preeclampsia, and preterm birth," Williams said. "When a patient gets COVID and is pregnant, they're more likely to need to be hospitalized, intubated, and unfortunately die because of COVID." She remembers the case of a healthy, young mother-to-be who contracted COVID during the height of the pandemic, had to be intubated, and ultimately died, a few days after giving birth. "The very last thing that she said to the obstetric team was, 'I wish I had gotten the vaccination and not listened to other people,'" Williams said. There are rumors online that COVID-19 vaccines mess with fertility and can cause miscarriages. Even though the claims have been widely discredited, they persist. "Any person who's been pregnant before knows it's really hard to get a deep breath and to walk up and down stairs, even in normal pregnancy — imagine what that's like then with COVID on top of it," Williams said. "I made it my personal mission to be vocal, especially in communities of color — where there is well-earned distrust — to talk about the vaccine, what the safety data has shown us, and to try to be a trusted messenger and bridge builder so that things like that wouldn't happen again." If given during the second or third trimester of pregnancy, vaccines can also help protect a newborn baby from COVID for roughly their first six months of life, through the transfer of maternal antibodies. "All the existing data shows that these vaccines can help protect children and they can help protect pregnant women and they can help protect even infants after they're born," Jesse Goodman, a former FDA chief scientist who is now director of Georgetown University's Center on Medical Product Access, Safety and Stewardship told STAT. "I'm pretty taken aback by this." Read the original article on Business Insider
