WASHINGTON — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. cites a lofty goal as health secretary: “to reverse the chronic disease epidemic in America.” It’s a goal he shares with Americans of all stripes, who have watched the burden of death and disability rise from obesity, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses.
To better understand the dauntingly complex crisis and how Kennedy could meet the moment, STAT interviewed a broad range of health experts about chronic disease and examined reams of publicly available data, dozens of research papers, and federal health guidance. Our reporting — including extensive novel data analysis — points to several approaches that could reduce illness and death across the population in a relatively short timespan.
Kennedy has appeared open to some of the strategies, like reforming the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, but other ideas he hasn’t mentioned. In some areas, like widening access to medications for obesity and cardiovascular disease, and his stance on vaccines, he goes against expert recommendations.
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