What RFK Jr. have said about Ozempic, other drugs for weight loss

On November 27, 2024By Littum

On Tuesday, the Biden administration announced plans to provide coverage for expensive anti-obesity drugs, including Wegovy and Zepbound, to Americans enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid.

Ozempic, the most commonly known weight loss drug, was originally developed for type-2 diabetes treatment. Wegovy is the same medication, but dosed and administered solely for weight loss purposes. The two drugs together with Zepbound all work to reduce one’s appetite.

The proposed rule would make an estimated 4 million Medicaid recipients and 3.4 million Americans on Medicare eligible for the drug, which can sell for more than $1,000 a month without coverage.

However, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been chosen to lead the Department of Health and Human Services by President-elect Donald Trump, has not been so keen on weight loss drugs. Instead, he wants Americans to focus on their diets.

What has RFK Jr. said about weight loss drugs?

Kennedy has taken a strong anti-Ozemic stance in his pledge to tackle high rates of chronic diseases, including diabetes and obesity. And while these are goals shared by many health authorities in America, his position stands out.

“If we just gave good food, three meals a day, to every man, woman and child in our country, we could solve the obesity and diabetes epidemic overnight,” he told Greg Gutfeld on Fox News before the election. He added that Ozempic’s manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, “expects to sell it to Americans because we are so stupid and so addicted to drugs,” and that Nordisk does not market the drug in its native Denmark. Instead, they “recommend dietary and behavioral changes,” he said.

However, Denmark uses Ozempic. In May, the Danish Medicines Agency said it would restrict access until people had tried cheaper drugs to treat diabetes.

In the same Fox News appearance, Kennedy said the European Union is currently “investigating Ozempic for suicidal thoughts,” but the European Medicines Agency had issued a declaration in April that there was no evidence that Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs cause suicidal thoughts or actions. The US Food and Drug Administration also found no association, but continues to investigate the potential risks of GLP-1 drugs.

Kennedy focused on America’s food and diet during the “Make America Healthy Again” campaign. His messages resonated with a large segment of the electorate, especially mothers who are concerned about what goes into their food.

Many of these mothers have long been vocal online and in person, banding together to advocate against food dyes, for example. Some say they feel hindered by government agencies, such as the Food and Drug Administration, when it comes to making healthy eating decisions for their children.

“We are betraying our children by letting the (food) industry poison them,” Kennedy said at a rally in November after he withdrew from the presidential race and endorsed Trump.

He hopes to eliminate food dyes, ultra-processed foods with added fat, starch and sugar and improve school lunches.

Can RFK Jr. reverse the approval of weight loss drugs under the Trump administration?

The FDA is part of the Health and Human Services Department, but the secretary does not directly approve drugs. This must be initiated by the FDA on the grounds that the drug is not safe or effective.

Why does Biden want to cover weight loss drugs?

“This is a hugely positive step by the White House and CMS to ensure that Medicaid and Medicare enrollees, who often disproportionately face the brunt of obesity, will receive coverage for obesity medications,” said Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford. an obesity medicine specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston.