Trump launches the Make America Healthy Again Commission, and here’s what it will do

President Donald Trump issued an executive order establishing the Make America Healthy Again Commission only hours after the Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday.

The new group, which Kennedy will chair, will begin by advising Trump on how best to use his authority to address the children chronic disease epidemic.

Trump appears particularly interested in getting to the bottom of the high childhood rates of asthma, autism, fatty liver disease, and obesity, as well as the potential over-medication of children for attention deficit disorder and other apparently overdiagnosed conditions.

Revisiting a concern he raised in a December interview, Trump noted that the number of children affected by autism skyrocketed from a rate of 1-4 out of every 10,000 in the 1980s to 1 in 36 children as of 2024. He also pointed out that 30% of adolescents are prediabetic and more than 40% of adolescents are overweight or obese.

“These trends harm us, our economy, and our security,” said Trump.

‘I’ve gotten up every morning on my knees and prayed that God would put me in a position where I could end the childhood chronic disease epidemic.’

By May 24, 2025, at the very latest, the commission must submit a report to the president:

• identifying how childhood chronic disease in the U.S. compares with that suffered in other countries;
• assessing “the threat that potential over-utilization of medication, certain food ingredients, certain chemicals, and certain other exposures pose to children with respect to chronic inflammation or other established mechanisms of disease”;
• assessing the prevalence and impact of anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, mood stabilizers, and other pharmaceuticals;
• identifying best practices for preventing childhood health issues and optimizing opportunities for educational programs pertaining to child nutrition, physical activity, and mental health; and
• raising instances of “undue industry influence” where the relevant science is concerned.

By mid-August, the Kennedy-led group must present President Trump with a government health strategy based on its findings.

In addition to providing Trump with an evaluation of the most critical childhood health challenges confronting the country and a strategy for addressing them, the panel is tasked with restoring “trust in medical and scientific institutions” and holding hearings and other events to get insights from public health experts.

Trump’s identification of several difficulties impacting the general public, as well as his reference to the possibility of a mission update in the future, suggest that the commission may eventually broaden the scope of its investigations, possibly to cover what is afflicting the adult population as well.

In his order, Trump also indicated that moving forward, all federally funded health research should seek to avoid or eliminate conflicts of interest that “skew outcome and perpetuate distrust”; federal agencies will ensure the availability of expanded treatment options; and federally funded health research should prioritize flushing out the “root causes of why Americans are getting sick.”

After he was sworn in to office, Kennedy said, “For 20 years, I’ve gotten up every morning on my knees and prayed that God would put me in a position where I could end the childhood chronic disease epidemic in this country. On Aug. 23 of last year, God sent me President Trump.”

“I’m so grateful to you, Mr. President,” added Kennedy.

In addition to his work with the commission, Kennedy will have the ability to enhance Americans’ health as secretary of the HHS, with a nearly $2 trillion budget.