Trump establishes Make America Healthy Again Commission. Here's what it will do.

Within hours of the Senate confirming Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday to head the Department of Health and Human Services, President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing the Make America Healthy Again Commission.

The new commission, which Kennedy will chair, will initially focus on helping Trump determine how best to exercise his authority to tackle the childhood chronic disease crisis.

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 commission must provide Trump with a federal health strategy based on its findings.

In addition to furnishing Trump with an assessment of the most pressing childhood health issues facing the country and a strategy on how to correct them, the commission 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 numerous issues affecting the broader public and allusion to the potential for a mission update down the road together indicate that the commission may later widen the scope of its investigations, possibly to include what's ailing 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 an opportunity as secretary of the HHS — which has a nearly $2 trillion budget — to improve the health of Americans.

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