With the Thursday confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the spotlight is on the new secretary’s plans to “Make America Healthy Again.”
“The future of public health is about to change forever,” Kennedy’s team wrote in an email announcing his confirmation. “This is a turning point for our nation. With RFK Jr. at the helm, the battle for accountability and real health reform is just getting started.”
Also on Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing the Make America Healthy Again Commission, which will be led by Kennedy, Fox News Digital exclusively learned.
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Here are some of the key issues and policies the commission plans to focus on, along with doctors’ insights.
Reforming food policy
Many doctors — including Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurosurgeon and longevity expert — believe that food is the “root cause of chronic disease.”
From left: Neil Gorsuch, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court; President Donald Trump; actress Cheryl Hines, wife of RFK Jr.; Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS); and his children Kyra and Kathleen, during a ceremony in the White House on Feb. 13, 2025. (Jason C. Andrew/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“Kennedy understands that fixing the food system is a priority,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Americans should expect policies to increase access to real, whole foods, counter corporate lobbying, and make nutrition a cornerstone of healthcare.”
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“If Americans stopped consuming nutrient-deficient, ultra-processed junk laden with sugar, we wouldn’t need a drug like Ozempic to compensate for poor dietary discipline,” the doctor also said. “Remember, aside from the rare exception, a leaner body is always a healthier body.”
“Kennedy understands that fixing the food system is a priority.”
Dr. Dino Prato, oncologist and owner of Envita Medical Centers in Arizona, also emphasized Kennedy’s focus on food quality and safety.
“Kennedy’s focus on promoting healthier food choices could lead to reforms in food policy, such as updating dietary guidelines to reflect the importance of whole foods, limiting the marketing of unhealthy foods to children, and supporting local and sustainable food systems,” he told Fox News Digital.
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Kennedy’s emphasis on clean food aligns with a “growing public concern” about the impact of processed foods and environmental toxins on health, Prato noted.
“By promoting cleaner food standards and a shift toward sustainable, whole food-based dietary guidelines, we aim to address chronic diseases at their roots.”
Improving healthcare access
The MAHA Commission aims to expand health coverage and treatment options “for beneficial lifestyle changes and disease prevention,” Fox News Digital has learned.
“Kennedy’s support for value-based care models could lead to more efficient and cost-effective healthcare delivery, improving access to care for underserved populations,” Prato told Fox News Digital. “This will also incentivize the development of innovative and more affordable healthcare solutions.”
President Donald Trump, actress Cheryl Hines and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the new secretary of Health and Human Services, during a ceremony in the White House on Feb. 13, 2025. At right, RFK Jr. is seen doing pull-ups as part of his AmericaMoves challenge. (Getty Images; RFK Jr. campaign)
Prato also predicts a renewed focus on “integrative medicine,” which combines therapies and lifestyle changes.
“Kennedy’s personal experience with integrative medicine could lead to increased support for and greater access to alternative and complementary therapies, potentially improving patient outcomes and reducing reliance on pharmaceuticals,” he said.
More accountability for pharma companies
Kennedy’s focus on holding pharmaceutical companies accountable for potential vaccine side effects could lead to greater safety measures for patients, according to Prato.
“This increased scrutiny may incentivize companies to conduct more rigorous and transparent clinical trials,” he told Fox News Digital.
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Emily Austin, TV personality and clean beauty brand owner in New York City, agreed that people are getting “more and more dependent on drugs and procedures that profit organizations and corporations.”
Osborn reiterated that the pharmaceutical industry generates profit by managing disease, not preventing it.
“Kennedy intends to challenge this model, starting with transparency in drug pricing while exposing conflicts of interest and the revolving door between regulatory agencies and industry executives,” he told Fox News Digital.
“This increased scrutiny may incentivize companies to conduct more rigorous and transparent clinical trials.”
Kennedy will push to break the ties between government agencies and pharmaceutical giants, Osborn predicted.
“Expect reforms in clinical trial transparency, a crackdown on direct-to-consumer drug advertising, and a stronger emphasis on disease prevention rather than symptom management.”
Restoring medical freedoms
While some lawmakers have expressed concerns about Kennedy’s vaccine views, the incoming secretary has vowed not to take away anyone’s access to vaccines, but rather provide them with access to “good science.”
“Medical decisions – like surgery — should be rooted in informed consent, not blind compliance,” Osborn said.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., joined by his wife Cheryl Hines and his family, is sworn in as secretary of Health and Human Services by Associate Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch in the Oval Office at the White House, Feb. 13, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
“Kennedy’s is not an ‘anti-vax’ position, but a pro-transparency, pro-science position. Patients deserve full access to data, risk-benefit analysis, and the ability to choose what is injected into their bodies without coercion or censorship.”
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The pandemic exposed “glaring issues” in our public health infrastructure, Osborn said, and he believes Kennedy will address those head on.
“Kennedy’s message is clear: Your health is your responsibility.”
“The goal is not to abolish vaccines – national vaccine programs have been around for decades, and they work — but to restore trust by eliminating the profit-driven conflicts of interest that have eroded credibility.”
“Americans should be able to ask questions without being silenced or ridiculed.”
Advocating for physical activity
RFK Jr. has regularly shared videos of his rigorous gym workouts on social media, including some with Ike Catcher, a bodyweight training influencer.
Osborn refers to exercise as “the forgotten prescription,” blaming physical inactivity as one of the strongest predictors of chronic disease.
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“Our system prioritizes pharmaceutical interventions over lifestyle changes that actually address the root cause,” he said. “In this context, RFK will push for initiatives that reinforce movement as medicine.”
Promoting personal accountability
The appointment of RFK Jr. as secretary of Health and Human Services marks a “major shift” in American healthcare, according to Osborn.
“Kennedy’s approach rejects top-down mandates and bureaucratic interference,” he said. “Instead, he focuses on personal accountability.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is seen doing leg presses as part of his AmericaMoves challenge. (RFK Jr. Campaign)
The current healthcare system profits from disease rather than preventing it, Osborn noted.
“For too long, we’ve been stuck in a passive disease management system that treats symptoms instead of addressing the root causes of illness,” he said.
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“Kennedy’s message is clear: Your health is your responsibility. The government won’t fix it. Your doctor won’t fix it. Big pharma certainly won’t fix it. It’s on you.”
Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan and Emma Colton contributed reporting.
