Doctor behind RFK Jr’s masterplan reveals how they’ll revolutionize health… and the cure will divide America

A doctor tapped for a top job in Robert F Kennedy Junior’s new overhauled health department has laid out the policy roadmap to Make America Healthy Again.

While much has been made about Kennedy’s vaccine skepticism, cracking down on the American food supply and people’s diets is at the top of the incoming MAHA team’s agenda, according to Dr Aseem Malhotra.

He told DailyMail.com that decoupling Big Pharma’s influence on health recommendations and drug and vaccine approvals was another top priority, describing ‘commercial influence as the single biggest issue in US healthcare.’

Kennedy and the MAHA movement believes many of America’s health woes – high rates of cancer, disease, obesity and mental health problems – can be traced back to unhealthy food and lifestyle choices and a healthcare system that puts profits over people. 

Dr Malhotra, a British cardiologist and former advisor to the UK government who is being eyed for a top advisory role alongside Kennedy, rejects the view from critics that their diagnosis of America’s health crisis is too simplistic. 

Dr Malhotra said that within months, Kennedy’s HHS could look to ban additives and food dyes already outlawed in Europe due to their links to cancer, infertility and other health problems.

The team will look to wean the population, especially children who are a big focus in the new health agenda, off junk food using more regulation, much like the US did with cigarettes. ‘We will focus on cutting sugar, ultra-processed foods and harmful ingredients from people’s diets.’

This could include a ‘sugar tax’ on the unhealthiest snacks, such as candy and ice cream. It could also see a ban on burgers, pizzas and other high calorie items from certain premises like schools and hospitals. ‘Ask any doctor—junk food shouldn’t be sold in these places,’ he said.

However, plans like these are likely to need congressional support, which could stall progress.

Dr Malhotra acknowledges some of the more ‘nannying’ ideas could go down badly with a Republican party that has traditionally been in favor of free market policies.

After Kennedy was confirmed as head of Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Thursday, President Donald Trump welcomed him to the White House where he signed an executive order establishing the President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission. 

The order lays out reversing high rates of chronic disease and being more transparent about the science informing government decisions – apparently a nod to the criticisms of lockdowns, social distancing and masks during the Covid pandemic.

FIX AMERICA’S ‘POISONOUS’ FOOD SUPPLY

Dr Malhotra insists that ‘tackling diet-related issues would deliver the biggest and quickest impact’ on the nation’s health.

‘We believe diet changes alone could dramatically improve people’s health within weeks,’ he said.

Recent figures suggest nearly three-quarters of the US food supply is ultra-processed, while 40 percent of Americans are now obese, up from 15 percent in 1980. 

And nine in 10 US adults suffer high blood pressure, poor cholesterol levels, and excess belly fat, which raise their risk of conditions like heart disease, the number one killer in the US. 

Dr Malhotra said: ‘Diet would be at the top of the hierarchy of causation.’ 

In fact, recent research from The Lancet found that dietary factors contribute to more chronic diseases across the globe than inactivity, smoking, and alcohol combined. 

Dr Malhotra said other policy ideas which don’t involve congressional input could include overhauling the US dietary guidelines.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans offer guidance on which foods are ideal for preventing chronic disease and promoting healthy growth and development. 

The current guidelines, which are set to be renewed this year, emphasize prioritizing fruits, vegetables, whole grains. 

They also suggest limiting foods high in saturated fats and cholesterol, including animal products like red meat and eggs. 

However, Dr Malhotra believes there is a lack of evidence on cholesterol- and fat-rich foods causing chronic diseases and obesity. 

He said: ‘We need to stop demonizing saturated fats, cholesterol, red meat, eggs, and dairy and start clamping down on sugar and processed foods.’

Another idea being floated is mandating doctors are educated about diet and nutrition as part of their continuing medical education.

Dr Malhotra said: ‘Doctors get almost no training in diet and nutrition. Ninety-nine percent of doctors can’t define metabolic health.’

He also suggested subsidizing farmers to lower the cost of vegetables and whole foods, a move which may require collaboration with the US Department of Agriculture. (USDA).

BRING DOWN BIG PHARMA

‘The single biggest issue in US healthcare is commercial influence,’ says Dr Malhotra, who believes taking down Big Pharma starts with the FDA. 

Currently, the FDA receives 65 percent of its funding from the pharmaceutical industry, such as money from companies applying for drug or medical device approval. 

Dr Malhotra proposes that the FDA should receive none of its budget from Big Pharma, as officials shouldn’t fear ‘biting the hand that feeds them.’ 

This could reduce the risk of drugs being approved that may still need further testing or could be considered unsafe, he says.

Dr Malhotra said: ‘You can’t fix healthcare without removing corporate interests.’

But this may not be easy — altering the agency’s funding would likely require Congressional approval. It would also mean the federal government would have to invest billions more dollars in the agency.

Dr Malhotra also wants all drug studies be evaluated independently without pharmaceutical influence, saying pharma companies ‘shouldn’t oversee their own testing.’

While clinical trials are conducted by pharmaceutical and medical device companies, they need to have the approval of the FDA which ensures they are designed, conducted, analyzed and reported according to federal law and good clinical practice (GCP) regulations. 

Higher taxes for pharmaceutical companies are also a priority for the new administration. This could cut down on ‘astronomical profits.’

VACCINES AND EARNING BACK AMERICA’S TRUST 

After Trump’s win last November, Kennedy said he wouldn’t ‘take away anybody’s vaccines’.

During his confirmation hearings, he insisted he ‘wasn’t antivax’.

But Dr Malhotra says the new MAHA team could look at removing the vaccine mandate for school attendance in the US. 

He said: ‘Americans don’t like being told what to do. The UK doesn’t have mandates either.’

Vaccines are not compulsory for school entry in the UK but parents are strongly recommended to get their children inoculated with routine shots. Uptake is about the same in the UK as it is in the US.

Dr Malhotra believes childhood vaccines are safe but he stresses the importance of winning back Americans’ trust in the medical establishment, which was eroded during the Covid pandemic.

According to a recent study in JAMA Network Open, trust in doctors fell from an all-time high of 72 percent in April 2020 to 40 percent in April 2024. 

Dr Malhotra believes this is due to poor communication about and mishandling of the pandemic in the US.

Dr Malhotra said: ‘We were well-intentioned but shouldn’t have claimed certainty about Covid vaccines, mandates, lockdowns and other measures that came with extreme downsides.’ 

RETHINKING MEDICARE AND MEDICAID 

Dr Malhotra did not provide any insight into Medicaid and Medicare, though the Trump administration has offered some insight into the future of the programs. 

Together, both programs insure around 140million Americans, more than one in three. 

As part of his presidential campaign, President Trump stated: ‘We will protect Medicare and ensure seniors receive the care they need without being burdened by excessive costs.’ 

However, the programs may be organized differently for the 12million Americans who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. 

During RFK Jr’s confirmation hearing, he stated that ‘dual eligibles are not right now served very well under the system’ and acknowledged a need for better integration. 

Republican lawmakers have also debated slashing Medicare and Medicaid coverage in order to cut government spending.  

And as of now, Medicare covers all adult vaccines recommended by the CDC, so a shift in vaccine policy could alter that coverage.