In the latest news from the ever-entertaining world of government policy, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Secretary for Health and Human Services, is making waves with some bold moves. After a year in office, Kennedy has been busy flipping the traditional food pyramid, taking a hammer to high drug prices, and dreaming up fitness regimes for Americans everywhere. Apparently, if you want a steak cooked exactly the right way, Kennedy is your guy—but who knew he would also shake up our daily plates and medicine cabinets?
Kennedy successfully tackled what has been, for many, an infuriating issue: the absurdly high cost of prescription drugs in the United States. In an astonishing deal, spurred on by none other than former President Trump and involving hard-nosed negotiations backed by tariff threats, Kennedy managed to cut drug prices. Americans are now set to pay the same, or even less, than some of their European counterparts. It’s enough to make one wonder if the pharmaceutical companies had been pulling the wool over our eyes all these years. Maybe it just took someone willing to ruffle some feathers to get results—something the Kennedys are prone to do.
But it doesn’t stop at revising big pharma’s price tags. Kennedy has also turned the spotlight on what Americans eat. The food pyramid, an icon (or perhaps a warning sign) in classrooms across America, is getting a makeover. For decades, it seems refined carbs and processed foods were inexplicably pushed to the forefront, thanks to what Kennedy calls politicized science. Now, the focus is shifting to proteins, fruits, and fiber, with the goal of reducing the chronic diseases that plague many Americans—a win for real food and common sense.
Kennedy’s food revolution isn’t just about giving advice; it’s about implementing change across the board. New directives aim to implement these healthier guidelines in various institutions, from schools to military installations. Ideally, these changes will start to reverse the alarming trend of lifestyle-induced illnesses, which have put a hefty burden on taxpayers. One might wonder if we all should have been eating like our grandparents all along; maybe they weren’t on to an organic whole-grain conspiracy, but just eating a dinner that wasn’t out of a box.
And the plans don’t stop there. Kennedy’s vision for the coming year includes initiatives to reduce kids’ screen time and introduce more robust physical fitness tests. It’s almost as if America is attempting to jump off the couch and take a jog around the block. One can only hope these initiatives will indeed change habits, especially when even a little white lie about the Wi-Fi being down gets kids to unplug—because apparently, “Find the internet” is now a common game in households.
In summary, RFK Jr. is proving that a little bit of audacity goes a long way when it comes to public health. Whether it’s knocking down drug prices or telling Americans they need to swap cereal for real food, he seems committed to shaking things up. It’s an ambitious agenda, but if anyone can pull it off, it might just be someone with Kennedy’s pedigree of shaking up the status quo—paired with a side of medium-rare steaks.
