Can Trump Tackle US 'Chronic Disease Crisis'? Experts Weigh In

Newsweek

2 days ago

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Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vow to "Make America Healthy Again" could fall short when it comes to chronic disease, experts have warned.
When the MAHA Commission report on chronic disease came out in May, President Donald Trump made it clear his administration was committed to tackling the epidemic
"We will not stop until we defeat the chronic disease epidemic in America, we're going to get it done for the first time ever," said Trump during a MAHA event at the White House on May .
In a statement included in the press release accompanying the report, Kennedy Jr. said: "We will end the childhood chronic disease crisis by attacking its root causes head-on—not just managing its symptoms."
Nearly 130 million Americans are estimated to have at least one form of chronic disease, which could be heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity or hypertension, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Experts told Newsweek that, while the Trump administration's ambition to "defeat" the "epidemic" is clear, whether its policies will help or hinder chronic-disease patients remains to be seen.
On one hand, Kennedy Jr.'s recent MAHA report, which detailed what the administration believed to be the leading causes of chronic disease in children, indicated the aim was to reduce the prevalence of chronic conditions through public education and research.
On the other hand, the proposed cuts to Medicaid funding and work requirements for eligibility to the benefits, which are set to come as part of the broader GOP budget bill, could leave many with chronic disease without access to vital care.
As many as three in four adults enrolled in Medicaid report having one or more chronic conditions, and many are unable to work the hours needed to meet the new eligibility requirements, according to nonprofit health policy research and news organization, KFF.
So, while some may be medically exempt, others will lose their health coverage, meaning their conditions could worsen without access to care.
Newsweek has contacted the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) via email on Tuesday.
Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva
Tackling Chronic Disease
Since he became health secretary, Kennedy Jr. has promised to increase research in the root causes of illness and ensure the American diet is full of high-quality foods, while limiting access to ultra-processed food and certain chemicals, which he believes are contributors to chronic disease.
The report states that consumption of ultra-processed foods "has gone up at an exponential rate as share of the American diet." Earlier in the year, Kennedy, had described products from companies like Kellogg's and McDonald's as "mass poison to children."
Prioritizing research on the issue is crucial, Kenneth E. Thorpe, a professor of health policy at Emory University, Georgia, and honorary chair of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD), told Newsweek.
"Renewed focus on chronic disease and the impact that the U.S. diet has on it—focusing on artificial or chemical ingredients in food, particularly the impact of ultra processed foods—is important," he said.
He added that this was because of the fact diet has "a direct impact on the growing rates of chronic conditions like obesity and obesity-related comorbidities such diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancers and many more."
"I applaud the Trump administration's focus on addressing the number one cause of death and disability in the U.S.—chronic, non-communicable disease," said Thorpe, who has been an advocate of chronic disease prevention in the U.S. for over 30 years. "We have more people with more chronic diseases, with just 5 percent of the population accounting for 50 percent of the costs in health care."
He added that it is estimated that from 2016 to 2030 the cost of chronic disease will be in excess of $42 trillion.
"The time is now to focus on the prevention and better management of chronic disease," Thorpe added.
What Should the Trump Administration Do
While it's too early to tell if the Trump administration is heading down the right path to lower chronic disease prevalence, Dr. Adrian Hernandez, director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute at the Duke University School of Medicine, told Newsweek that "leading indicators appear to be going the wrong way."
He said this was partly because of the changes being proposed to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
A proposal for the HHS, most of which was reported on in April, reduces by almost 40 percent its budget for 2026 and reveals major funding cuts for the NIH, according to CNN.
Newsweek has contacted the NIH via email on Tuesday.
Hernandez added that changes, such as the proposed cuts in federal funding, to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) were also going down the wrong path.
Rather than cuts to these federal health agencies, Hernandez said tackling chronic disease will require "an investment" in science and health.
He said that the same was needed for health care delivery models like Medicaid and Medicare—rather than making cuts to the programs, the administration should "invest in preventative health."
The GOP budget bill, which is progressing through the legislative ranks, instructs the committee to reduce the Department of Health and Human Services budget by $880 billion over 10 years, which would include cuts to Medicaid alongside other measures such as implementing work requirements.
Ross Brownson, director of the Prevention Research Center at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, told Newsweek that Medicaid cuts would "likely have a detrimental effect on chronic disease risk among the most vulnerable populations," adding Medicaid-enrolled adults have significantly higher rates of chronic disease than individuals privately insured.
"The drive to defeat chronic disease stalls if Medicaid patients are placed in the backseat," Thorpe said.
"Today, the federal program is far from perfect, but it is a lifeline for those who need it," Thorpe added, saying it was "often the only pathway to care" for many with chronic disease.
'A Long-Term Challenge'
Experts insist that chronic disease is a deeply complex issue that requires long-term solutions and attention.
Brownson noted that there has been "sparse attention to physical inactivity and tobacco use," as major risk factors for chronic disease.
"This is a two-edged sword," Brownson told Newsweek. He said that while "on one hand, labeling this issue a crisis implies a sense of urgency and may mobilize action." Ultimately "the jury is still out on whether they will solve the chronic disease crisis."
"We often have a short attention span and with this crisis label, policy makers may think the problem can be solved quickly and then move on to a new issue. We need to think of this as a long-term challenge in need of attention," he added.