I didn't realise my food addiction was a symptom of ADHD
'What's for dinner? How many calories are in that cookie? I've already blown the diet today so I may as well have ice cream…'
For as long as I can remember, I've always been consumed by thoughts about food.
As a child, we didn't have family meals around a table, so I would pick up chippy teas on my way home from school or sit in my bedroom with a McDonald's.
I did a lot of secret eating, hiding the wrappers of sweets, crisps and chocolate at the bottom of the rubbish bin.
Food became like a comfort. If I was sad, or lonely, or stressed, I ate. It was like euphoria and a rush of endorphins in the moment, but soon after it would turn to guilt.
I had no idea that this buzz was a giveaway for ADHD – it'd be more than a decade before I found out.
By the time I moved in with my partner Dan when I was 21, food had become an obsession.
Whenever I wasn't eating I was thinking of my next meal – but then as soon as I'd eaten, the guilt and regret would set in.
During my pregnancy with our daughter Esmae in 2021 I put on 6st, ordering deliveries of donuts from Greggs and KFC buckets.
On the day I gave birth, I weighed 22st – then instead of losing weight, I put on another three stone in the following months, using food as a distraction from the pressures of being a young first-time mum.
Whenever something stressful happened, I turned to food for comfort – but it made me feel so ashamed. At my heaviest, I tipped the scales at 25st.
I felt so ashamed of myself, and when I was out and about, I felt like other people were judging me. I especially hated eating in public because I felt like everyone was watching me.
I knew my weight wasn't healthy, but the constant food noise made dieting impossible.
One slip-up would send me straight back into a vicious cycle of bingeing because I told myself the diet was 'ruined' anyway.
I ate with my head, rather than my stomach, which meant I never felt full. I could munch my way through a large pizza, curly fries, then chase that with eight pancakes and chocolate sauce.
I knew I needed to do something drastic to take control over my obsessive thoughts about food, so in May 2023, I flew to Turkey for gastric sleeve surgery. I hoped it would create a physical barrier to stop me overeating, because my mind had no barrier.
On the day of my operation, I weighed 23st 6lbs and was a dress size 26-28.
The sleeve removed 85% of my stomach, so there just wasn't enough room to eat the volume of food I'd been used to.
I soon learned that if I overate, I was sick. Over the following year, I lost an incredible 12st.
Most people would have been over the moon to slide into a pair of size 10 jeans, but I realised I wasn't any happier.
Without the constant distraction of planning my next meal 24/7, other worries crowded in.
As I turned down the volume on food noise, all my other thoughts were amplified. I was flooded by anxieties and obsessions. I was thinking a thousand things at once, from my plans in the next few days to work, family, and chores.
Even the simplest household tasks, like hanging the washing out, became overwhelming. I had brain fog, was forgetful, and felt exhausted because my mind was never quiet. I struggled to pay attention to Dan, missed appointments, overslept, and found decision-making impossible.
I was constantly online shopping too; anything to occupy my thoughts.
I knew I needed help addressing this, so in November 2023, I saw my GP, and after an initial assessment, I was referred to a psychologist, who diagnosed me with ADHD in May 2024.
I discovered that in some cases, ADHD can be linked to dopamine deficiency, meaning that people with the condition can obsess over things that give them a short-term high.
For me, that had always been the buzz when I ate – until the gastric sleeve killed my appetite.
Receiving the diagnosis gave me a massive sense of relief. I stopped criticising myself because I finally had a reason for why I am the way I am.
I was started on a type of medication called Atomoxetine, which works by increasing a brain chemical called noradrenaline, which helps improve concentration and controls impulsive thoughts.
My erratic mind calmed within a few days, and I was able to be more present for Esmae and Dan.
I work night shifts as a healthcare support worker in an NHS hospital, and before my diagnosis, I couldn't get through a shift without 10 cups of coffee.
At home, a basketful of washing could literally send me into meltdown, hyperventilating and unable to start the task without Dan's help.
Now when I step out of my front door, I don't feel overwhelmed by all the thoughts crashing around inside my head. I feel like I'm seeing life through different eyes.
I only have four cups of coffee per shift at the hospital, and I can tackle my laundry without feeling overwhelmed.
I know there have been a lot of mixed opinions expressed on the number of adults receiving an ADHD diagnosis – but for me, it's been life-changing.
Weight loss surgery was just the beginning of my journey of self-discovery. Now my mental, physical, and emotional health have all changed for the better.
Looking back, I can see that a lifetime of undiagnosed ADHD led to my emotional eating spiral.
Once you can no longer self-medicate with food, you have to look at what's going on up in that brain. More Trending
Overweight people are often stigmatised 'for just being fat and lazy', but there are all kinds of different reasons why people develop negative relationships with food.
I feel like life would have been a lot brighter if I'd been diagnosed at a younger age. I would have been kinder to myself and more accepting.
Now I feel like I'm able to move forward to my next chapter at peace with myself.
View More »
As told to Jade Beecroft
Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk.
Share your views in the comments below.
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Scottish Sun
8 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
My ADHD diagnosis at 34 was ‘clear as hell' – here's how I've silenced the caffeinated squirrels rioting in my brain
UNILAD and LADBible founder Alex says it took his mum finding 23 empty bottles of wine under his bed and a brutal legal battle that pushed him to the brink to discover the truth NUT A PROBLEM My ADHD diagnosis at 34 was 'clear as hell' – here's how I've silenced the caffeinated squirrels rioting in my brain Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TO the outside world, he was the mega successful founder of two multi-million pound companies. But secretly, Alex Partridge was battling crippling anxiety, using alcohol to "press his brain's brake pedal", and pouring up to £14,000 down the drain every year. It wasn't until a shock diagnosis aged 34 that his life started to make sense and he turned things around. 6 Alex Partridge - the founder of UNILAD and LADbible - discovered he had ADHD in his mid-30s Credit: Alex Partridge 6 He was misdiagnosed with anxiety as a child Credit: Alex Partridge Here, he shares his story. I'VE always known, deep down, that I was different. This began during my school days, when I'd copy my classmates' mannerisms and tone of voice just to fit in. I altered who I was to appear likeable to others, because I didn't understand who I was. This carried on into secondary school where, as a fellow student so sensitively put it, I 'could have been one of the cool kids if I wasn't so weird'. I have vivid memories from this period of when teachers would ask me questions that I didn't know the answer to, and the stress would lead to full-blown anxiety attacks. My palms would get all sweaty, my face would go bright red and my heart rate would shoot right up. In a panic, I would rush out of the classroom. I remember one day I found someone in the corridor and told them to call an ambulance because I thought I was having a heart attack. At the time, aged 15, I was misdiagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder (excessive, uncontrollable worry about everyday situations). I now know this not to be the case, but I was put on beta blockers (to slow my heart by blocking hormones like adrenaline) and antidepressants. Do you or your child have ADHD- Here's the NHS test as Brits waiting two years for diagnosis They didn't help - in fact, they actually made me feel worse - so I stopped taking them after six weeks. Following a tumultuous young adulthood, which included founding the websites LADBible and UNILAD in quick succession – and a protracted legal battle over their ownership that turned my life upside down – I was finally diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) two years ago, aged 34. Like so many others across society, I had thought ADHD was just something hyperactive little boys had, so I never even considered that I might have it. But when I hired a director to help me set up a podcast, before losing interest in the project three days later, he asked me: 'When did you get your ADHD diagnosis?' This casual question changed my life forever. So much of my life up until that point – the anxiety attacks, the constant picking up and dropping of new hobbies, identities and business ideas – began to make sense. I had an assessment, and a psychiatrist told me that my ADHD was 'clear as hell' – and it's a day that I'll never forget. When I began to learn more about the condition and the different ways it can present, it was the first of many 'lightbulb moments'. The 'ADHD tax' cost me up to £14,000 a year at my worst Alex Partridge I'm not physically hyperactive like the naughty schoolboys I had previously imagined; my brain is a different story entirely. Describing how it feels to anybody who hasn't spent time inside it is tricky, but my ADHD means that all my energy can be concentrated in my head. The closest approximation I can give is that it's like 10 highly caffeinated squirrels running about at once! Hyperactivity associated with ADHD can be internalised and, after realising this, so many of my previous life experiences suddenly made sense. For me, ADHD means that: I possess the creativity and hyperfocus to create two global social media brands, but if a task doesn't interest me, it simply will not get done. I've always been entrepreneurial, but I had poor financial skills and often lost interest in projects once the novelty waned. I own an impressive list of domains, and enjoy buying things, but this often results in overspending and financial difficulties. I love meeting new people, but I've always struggled to maintain friendships. One way it presents is impulse purchasing, which I've always struggled with. It would cost me hundreds – sometimes thousands – of pounds a year. I estimate about £14,000 annually at my worst. I now know this to be a little-known (and costly) consequence of ADHD known as the 'ADHD tax', referring to the higher living expenses that so many of us with ADHD (and other neurodivergences) can incur due to challenges with impulse control and executive functioning. The ADHD tax might show up in the expensive hobbies we've signed up for (and then lost interest in), the impulse purchases we buy and forget about, or the dreaded monthly subscriptions that we sign up for, never use but never cancel – a classic example of how knowing how my brain worked would have been extremely helpful earlier in my life. 6 Alex would buy food he'd then forget to eat Credit: Alex Partridge 6 Alex developed an alcohol addiction Credit: Tanya Grace I used to buy so much food that I would then forget to eat. I impulsively signed up for an online sewing course on a Monday, then had lost all interest in it the following day. My electricity bills increased as I was having to wash my clothes multiple times because I'd forgotten to empty the washing machine. When I thought I'd found my new calling in life as a master candle maker, I bought a 2kg box of paraffin wax from Hobbycraft, only for it to sit there unused for months. I bought a trumpet thinking I'd learn to play, but again, it stayed firmly in its box. I even bought new socks when all of mine were dirty, and decided to buy a new rug when my dog went to the toilet on the original as the thought of cleaning it was too overwhelming. Hundreds of pounds splashed on unused gym memberships, vitamins, app subscriptions… the list goes on. The 9 'hidden' signs of ADHD in adults ADHD has long been associated with naughty schoolkids who cannot sit still in class. And that is part of it. Fidgeting, daydreaming and getting easily distracted are all symptoms of the behavioural condition, which is why it is often spotted in children. However, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is far more complex than simply having trouble focusing. Henry Shelford, CEO and co-founder of ADHD UK, says: 'If it isn't debilitating, it isn't ADHD.' In recent years, social media has given rise to trends which conflate specific personality traits or single behaviours with ADHD. You might be thinking, 'I'm always losing my keys, forgetting birthdays and I can never concentrate at work — I must have ADHD'. But it's not as simple as that. Though these may all point to the condition, Dr Elena Touroni, a consultant psychologist and co-founder of The Chelsea Psychology Clinic, says: 'The key distinction lies in how much a behaviour impacts a person's daily life. 'Genuine ADHD symptoms affect multiple areas of life - work, relationships and emotional wellbeing - whereas personality traits are typically context-dependent and less disruptive.' ADHD UK's Henry, who has the condition himself, adds: 'Having ADHD is hard. One in ten men with ADHD and one in four women with ADHD will at some point try to take their own lives.' So how can ADHD manifest in someone's life? While hyperactivity is a common indicator, here are nine other subtle signs: Time blindness - losing track of time, underestimating how long tasks will take, regularly being late or excessively early Lack of organisation - a messy home, frequently misplacing items, forgetting deadlines Hyperfocus - becoming deeply engrossed in activities for hours Procrastination - feeling overwhelmed by to-do lists and struggling to determine what needs your attention first so focusing on less important tasks Heightened emotions - emotional struggles can manifest in angry outbursts, feeling flooded with joy or shutting down because you feel too much at once Being a 'yes man' - agreeing to new projects at work or dinner dates with friends when you're already busy (a desire to please) Impatience - interrupting people mid-conversation, finding it painful to stand in a queue, being overly-chatty Restlessness - tapping, pacing, fidgeting or feeling restless on the inside Easily distracted - by external things, like noises, or internal things like thoughts Among the most challenging periods of my life, however, came in 2017, before my diagnosis, during a long-running legal battle that pushed me to the brink. 'Two members of the public found you staggering in an alleyway. It was 2am. You were alone and clutching a bottle of vodka. As they approached you, you slipped and hit your head on the wall. They called an ambulance.' These were the first words spoken to me by the nurse next to my hospital bed when I woke up. Upon hearing them, I was hit by an overwhelming wave of shame and anxiety, and the immediate need to self-medicate. Unfortunately, it was alcohol - my medication of choice at the time - that had landed me here in the first place. So how did this all come about? I was 18 when I discovered booze, and quickly figured out it turned down the volume in my head. As I've often been a pleasure-seeker with low impulse control, it wasn't a shock when I discovered the strong link between ADHD and addiction. And alcohol became an addiction that would temporarily run my life. 'It was like I'd pressed my brain's brake pedal' It was being effectively ousted from UNILAD, the business I founded alongside two others, that really kick-started my alcoholism in 2013. I still remember staring at my computer screen, suddenly unable to access the site because they had changed the password, paralysed with overwhelm and crippled by anxiety. I stood up, went and bought a bottle of wine, drove home and drank the whole thing in five minutes. Suddenly, it was like I had pressed my brain's brake pedal. My thoughts instantly slowed down, and the caffeinated squirrels stopped running around. My anxiety had, temporarily, disappeared. 6 Alex describes his ADHD as like having '10 highly-caffeinated squirrels running about' in his brain Credit: Andrew Mason 6 He is the host of the podcast ADHD Chatter and author of the book Now It All Makes Sense Credit: Luke Hamlin For various reasons, such as rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) – an extreme emotional reaction I feel to real or perceived rejection - that accompanies my ADHD, I've always been terrified of confrontation. So much so, that my coping mechanism for effectively having my life's work snatched from me was not to confront those responsible, but rather to bury my head in the sand and drink myself to sleep every night. After my mum found 23 empty bottles of wine concealed under my bed, we finally arranged to speak to a lawyer, who told me: 'You will win this case over ownership of the company if you choose to fight it in court. You will, however, have to give evidence in the witness box.' My mind immediately flashed to the opposing lawyer saying: 'Alex, do you know the answer to this question?' And I panicked, remembering the little version of me sitting in the classroom all those years ago. I abruptly stood up and left the lawyer's office, bought a bottle of vodka, and woke up in hospital 12 hours later with a nurse looking over me, saying the sobering words you see above. Much of the next year was characterised by the court battle, which was an unbelievably stressful time. During the trial, I was cross-examined in the witness box for five days, during which I had to excuse myself several times to 'use the loo' – when in reality, I was doing breathing exercises to divert a panic attack. A further three months passed before my lawyer phoned me. He said: 'Alex, are you on your own?' 'Yes,' I said. There was a pause. 'You've won everything.' I broke down crying – one of the biggest legal, and mental health, or battles of my life, and I'd come through it. I won my 33 per cent stake in the company back. How to get help UNFORTUNATELY, a GP cannot formally diagnose ADHD but they can refer you for a specialist assessment. Be warned, the wait can be long. Data suggests there are at least 196,000 adults on waiting lists across the UK. And a BBC investigation found in many areas it would take at least eight years to clear the backlog. For an adult to be diagnosed with ADHD, the NHS says their symptoms should have a moderate effect on different areas of their life, such as underachieving at work or having difficulties in relationships, and the person has been displaying symptoms continuously for at least six months. There must also be evidence symptoms have been present since childhood - it's thought that the condition cannot develop for the first time in adults. After a diagnosis, treatment can include psychological therapies, psychotherapy, social skills training and medication. For many, a diagnosis can be a relief, but also unravel mixed emotions and feelings of 'being different'. ADHD UK has information on considering diagnostic pathways and can offer support. UNILAD went into administration in 2018, then was bought by the same company that had earlier bought LADBible for an undisclosed amount. Reports suggest the brand was valued at up to £40million. My celebrations included a trip to Las Vegas, a new tattoo (that I had no memory of getting in the first place) becoming infected, and another hospital visit. But in 2018, I managed to kick the alcohol habit for good. I attended my first Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting where I said the most important sentence I'd ever uttered. 'My name is Alex and I'm an alcoholic.' I've been sober ever since, which is among the best decisions I've ever made. I'm now 36, living in Brighton, and I can confidently say that quitting booze has enabled me to take back control of my ADHD, suffocate the negatives - and allow the positives to thrive. Alex Partridge is the founder of LADbible and UNILAD and the host of the ADHD Chatter podcast. His book Now It All Makes Sense: How An ADHD Diagnosis Brought Clarity To My Life (Sheldon Press, £16.99) is out now.
Metro
11 hours ago
- Metro
I didn't realise my food addiction was a symptom of ADHD
'What's for dinner? How many calories are in that cookie? I've already blown the diet today so I may as well have ice cream…' For as long as I can remember, I've always been consumed by thoughts about food. As a child, we didn't have family meals around a table, so I would pick up chippy teas on my way home from school or sit in my bedroom with a McDonald's. I did a lot of secret eating, hiding the wrappers of sweets, crisps and chocolate at the bottom of the rubbish bin. Food became like a comfort. If I was sad, or lonely, or stressed, I ate. It was like euphoria and a rush of endorphins in the moment, but soon after it would turn to guilt. I had no idea that this buzz was a giveaway for ADHD – it'd be more than a decade before I found out. By the time I moved in with my partner Dan when I was 21, food had become an obsession. Whenever I wasn't eating I was thinking of my next meal – but then as soon as I'd eaten, the guilt and regret would set in. During my pregnancy with our daughter Esmae in 2021 I put on 6st, ordering deliveries of donuts from Greggs and KFC buckets. On the day I gave birth, I weighed 22st – then instead of losing weight, I put on another three stone in the following months, using food as a distraction from the pressures of being a young first-time mum. Whenever something stressful happened, I turned to food for comfort – but it made me feel so ashamed. At my heaviest, I tipped the scales at 25st. I felt so ashamed of myself, and when I was out and about, I felt like other people were judging me. I especially hated eating in public because I felt like everyone was watching me. I knew my weight wasn't healthy, but the constant food noise made dieting impossible. One slip-up would send me straight back into a vicious cycle of bingeing because I told myself the diet was 'ruined' anyway. I ate with my head, rather than my stomach, which meant I never felt full. I could munch my way through a large pizza, curly fries, then chase that with eight pancakes and chocolate sauce. I knew I needed to do something drastic to take control over my obsessive thoughts about food, so in May 2023, I flew to Turkey for gastric sleeve surgery. I hoped it would create a physical barrier to stop me overeating, because my mind had no barrier. On the day of my operation, I weighed 23st 6lbs and was a dress size 26-28. The sleeve removed 85% of my stomach, so there just wasn't enough room to eat the volume of food I'd been used to. I soon learned that if I overate, I was sick. Over the following year, I lost an incredible 12st. Most people would have been over the moon to slide into a pair of size 10 jeans, but I realised I wasn't any happier. Without the constant distraction of planning my next meal 24/7, other worries crowded in. As I turned down the volume on food noise, all my other thoughts were amplified. I was flooded by anxieties and obsessions. I was thinking a thousand things at once, from my plans in the next few days to work, family, and chores. Even the simplest household tasks, like hanging the washing out, became overwhelming. I had brain fog, was forgetful, and felt exhausted because my mind was never quiet. I struggled to pay attention to Dan, missed appointments, overslept, and found decision-making impossible. I was constantly online shopping too; anything to occupy my thoughts. I knew I needed help addressing this, so in November 2023, I saw my GP, and after an initial assessment, I was referred to a psychologist, who diagnosed me with ADHD in May 2024. I discovered that in some cases, ADHD can be linked to dopamine deficiency, meaning that people with the condition can obsess over things that give them a short-term high. For me, that had always been the buzz when I ate – until the gastric sleeve killed my appetite. Receiving the diagnosis gave me a massive sense of relief. I stopped criticising myself because I finally had a reason for why I am the way I am. I was started on a type of medication called Atomoxetine, which works by increasing a brain chemical called noradrenaline, which helps improve concentration and controls impulsive thoughts. My erratic mind calmed within a few days, and I was able to be more present for Esmae and Dan. I work night shifts as a healthcare support worker in an NHS hospital, and before my diagnosis, I couldn't get through a shift without 10 cups of coffee. At home, a basketful of washing could literally send me into meltdown, hyperventilating and unable to start the task without Dan's help. Now when I step out of my front door, I don't feel overwhelmed by all the thoughts crashing around inside my head. I feel like I'm seeing life through different eyes. I only have four cups of coffee per shift at the hospital, and I can tackle my laundry without feeling overwhelmed. I know there have been a lot of mixed opinions expressed on the number of adults receiving an ADHD diagnosis – but for me, it's been life-changing. Weight loss surgery was just the beginning of my journey of self-discovery. Now my mental, physical, and emotional health have all changed for the better. Looking back, I can see that a lifetime of undiagnosed ADHD led to my emotional eating spiral. Once you can no longer self-medicate with food, you have to look at what's going on up in that brain. More Trending Overweight people are often stigmatised 'for just being fat and lazy', but there are all kinds of different reasons why people develop negative relationships with food. I feel like life would have been a lot brighter if I'd been diagnosed at a younger age. I would have been kinder to myself and more accepting. Now I feel like I'm able to move forward to my next chapter at peace with myself. View More » As told to Jade Beecroft Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. MORE: I wrote 'I'm terrified' on my back to stop drivers intimidating me MORE: My date was a terrible kisser – but that wasn't the worst part MORE: I discovered my parents' secret aged 8 – I kept it until 16 Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.
NBC News
a day ago
- NBC News
How RFK Jr. is quickly changing U.S. health agencies
WASHINGTON — In just a few short months, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has begun to transform U.S. health policy: shrinking staff at health agencies, restructuring the focus of some regulators and researchers, changing Covid vaccine regulations and reshaping the mission of his department to focus more on alternative medicine. The directives are all part of the same issue set that drove a slice of health-conscious, left-leaning Americans to eventually vote for a Republican president whose favorite meal is from McDonald's, Trump and Kennedy catered to a type of voter who has grown distrustful of America's health care establishment — but possibly fomented a new type of distrust in federal health policy along the way. Bernadine Francis, a lifelong Democrat who backed Joe Biden for president in 2020 before supporting Donald Trump in 2024, told NBC News in an interview that she approves of Kennedy's efforts so far, despite his 'hands being tied' by entrenched forces in the administration and in Congress. 'From what I have seen so far with what RFK has been trying to do,' she said, 'I am really, really proud of what he's doing.' Francis is among the voters who left the Democratic Party and voted for Trump because 'nothing else mattered' apart from public health, which they — like Kennedy — felt was going in the wrong direction. Concerns about chemicals in food and toxins in the environment, long championed by Democrats, has become a galvanizing issue to a key portion of Trump's Republican Party, complete with an oversaturation of information that in some cases hasn't been proven. It's wrapped up, as well, in concerns about the Covid vaccine, which was accelerated under Trump, administered under Biden and weaponized by anti-vaccine activists like Kennedy amid lockdowns and firings in the wake of the devastating pandemic. 'We knew in order to get RFK in there so he can help with the situation that we have in the health industry, we knew we had to do this,' said Francis, a retired Washington, D.C., public school administrator, who said she left her 'beloved' career because she had refused the vaccine. 'It seemed to me, as soon as [Biden] became president, the vaccine was mandated, and that was when I lost all hope in the Democrats,' Francis told NBC News, referring to vaccination mandates put in place by the Biden administration for a large portion of the federal workforce during the height of the pandemic. There are not currently any federal Covid vaccine mandates. There have been 1,228,393 confirmed Covid deaths in the United States since the start of the pandemic, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How RFK Jr.'s picks are changing public health agencies Dr. Marty Makary, Kennedy's hand-picked commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and a John Hopkins scientist and researcher, told NBC News in an interview that he wants to transform the agency, which he said faced 'corruption' over influence from the pharmaceutical and food industries. 'I mean, you look at the food pyramid, it was not based on what's best for you, it was based on what companies wanted you to buy,' he said, referring to the 1992 and later iterations of official government nutritional guidance. He said there would be 'entirely new nutrition guidance' released later this year, as soon as this summer. He praised the FDA's mission of research and regulation, saying the agency is 'incredibly well-oiled, and we've got the trains running on time.' He also highlighted the 75-page 'Make America Healthy Again' commission report — which focused on ultraprocessed foods and toxins in the environment — as having set 'the agenda for research' at the FDA, HHS and agencies overseeing social safety net programs such as Medicare and food stamps moving forward. (The MAHA report initially cited some studies that didn't exist, a mistake that Kennedy adviser Calley Means said was a 'great disservice' to their mission.) 'I think there's a lot we're going to learn. For example, the microbiome, which gets attention in the MAHA report, needs to be on the map. We don't even talk about it in our medical circles,' Makary said. 'The microbiome, food is medicine, the immune response that happens when chemicals that don't appear in nature go down our GI tract.' Pressed on other areas of the administration, like the Environmental Protection Agency, making decisions that run counter to the pro-regulatory ideas presented in the MAHA report, Makary said he can 'only comment on the FDA' where they are 'committed to Secretary Kennedy's vision.' But Kennedy's public health agenda goes beyond looking at the food supply and chemicals. Recently, Kennedy said in a video posted on X last month that the Covid vaccine is no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women, a change in CDC guidance that skipped the normal public review period. Days later, after critics questioned the decision and raised concerns over a lack of public data behind the move, the administration updated its guidance again, urging parents to consult with their doctors instead. Pressed about the confusion and whether Americans are now trading one side of public distrust in the health system for another, Makary defended Kennedy, who has been criticized for spreading misinformation. 'My experience with Secretary Robert F. Kennedy is that he listens. He listens to myself, he listens to Jay Bhattacharya, listens to Dr. Mehmet Oz, he listens to a host of scientists that are giving him guidance,' Makary argued, referring to the director of the National Institutes of Health and the administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, respectively. 'So he may have big questions, but the questions he's asking are the questions most Americans are asking.' The intersection of medicine and healthy lifestyle choices Dr. Dawn Mussallem, a breast cancer oncologist and integrative medicine doctor — a physician who combines conventional treatments with research-based alternative therapies — has tried to help her patients wade through medical misinformation they encounter online and in their social circles. Mussallem has an incredible story of personal survival: While in medical school, she was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer and, after conventional therapies like chemo saved her life, was diagnosed with heart failure. After undergoing a heart transplant, Mussallem ran a 26-mile marathon just one year later. 'I learned a lot in medical school, but nothing compared to what I learned being a patient,' said Mussallem, who dedicates, on average, 90 minutes each in one-on-one sessions with her patients. 'This is not about any one political choice. But we know lifestyle matters.' For example, a new study from the American Society of Clinical Oncology that finds eating food that lowers inflammation in the body may help people with advanced colon cancer survive longer. Mussallem's mission, along with her colleagues, is to elevate the modern medicine that saved her life, as well as encouraging her patients to live healthy lifestyles, including regular exercise, minimally processed foods, less screen time, more social connection and better sleep. But politics do get in the way for millions of Americans who are inundated daily with social media influencers and 'nonmedical experts,' as Mussallem puts it, who stoke fear in her patients. 'Patients come in with all these questions, fears,' she said. 'I've heard this many times from patients, that their nervous system is affected by what they're seeing happening in government.' Mussallem acknowledges that 'a lot of individuals out there' have questioned traditional medicine. For her, it isn't one or the other — it's both. 'We have to trust the conventional medicine,' she said. 'With the conventional care that marches right alongside more of an integrative modality to look at the root causes of disease, as well as to help to optimize with lifestyle, is where we need to be.'
