Main content
This programme will be available shortly after broadcast

Can RFK Jnr ‘make America healthy again?’

Robert F Kennedy, President Trump's choice to be the next US Health Secretary says he'll tackle junk food - taking on big corporations to tackle obesity. Can he do it?

Robert F Kennedy Jr, nephew of America's 35th President, John F. Kennedy, has been nominated to be the next US health secretary by President-elect Donald Trump. The post oversees everything from medical research to food safety and public welfare programmes.

Kennedy has been the face of “Make America Healthy Again”, a movement dedicated to “public health, sustainable practices and a government that truly serves the people”.

This week of The Inquiry, we look at how MAHA wants to tackle chronic disease, in particular obesity. Will RFK carry these ideas into public office? How will food corporations and colleagues in the US Congress react? How feasible is it for the US Health Secretary to shift the dial on healthy eating?

Contributors:
Bill Dietz, Director of the Stop Obesity Alliance at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., US
Matthew Bartlett, a Republican strategist and former Trump State Department official, US
Professor Jerold Mande, CEO of Nourish Science, US
Professor Colleen Heflin, Professor of public administration and international affairs at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, US

Production Team:
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producers: Vicky Carter and Matt Toulson
Production Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey
Technical producer: Richard Hannaford
Editor: Tara McDermott

Photo Credit: Bloomberg via GettyImages

Release date:

23 minutes

On radio

Next Thursday 08:06GMT

Featured

  • .

Broadcasts

  • Next Thursday 08:06GMT
  • Next Thursday 15:06GMT
  • Next Thursday 18:06GMT
  • Next Thursday 23:06GMT
  • Sat 4 Jan 2025 19:06GMT
  • Sun 5 Jan 2025 01:06GMT
  • Sun 5 Jan 2025 12:06GMT

Podcast