Robert F. Kennedy Jr. addressed an important problem when he dropped out of the 2024 presidential election and endorsed former President Donald Trump .
Kennedy spoke about the country's poor physical health, including how it is a problem that 74% of people in the United States are overweight and 43% are obese. He also said obesity was exceptionally rare at the start of the 20th century, and obese people were in the circus.
Circuses aside, Kennedy is right. Obesity is an oft-ignored thing that contributes to many other problems in society. If Trump wins again, his administration should address obesity, even though he's no health nut .
Obesity contributes to many physical and mental health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, reduced life expectancy, stillbirths and miscarriages, depression, and anxiety. It costs our healthcare system $173 billion annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control , and it reduces our country's economic output by about $425 billion annually, according to GlobalData .
Additionally, obesity negatively affects military readiness. One-third of young adults under 25 years old are too overweight to join the military, according to the CDC . Plus, nearly one-fifth of active duty soldiers are obese, enhancing their risk of musculoskeletal injuries.
Heavier people also make motor vehicles less fuel efficient , and they are less likely to walk and bike to locations. Plus, overconsumption adds to the country's carbon footprint, meaning obesity contributes to climate change.
Fixing the obesity problem requires personal responsibility, but the federal government can take action to help.
It can encourage healthy lifestyles for youth in the U.S. by restricting junk food advertising on children's television, banning certain toxic food dyes that make junk food more visually appealing, and supporting healthy guidelines for school lunches and snacks. No more pizza, popcorn chicken, and peanut butter and fluff sandwiches available daily.
The federal government could also encourage healthier eating by excluding junk food from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the food stamp program used by over 40 million people in the U.S. Poorer people are more likely to have weight problems, so why not ensure taxpayer money goes toward healthy eating?
Discouraging alcohol consumption is another way to reduce obesity because many people who either take a break from drinking or quit entirely lose weight. Drinking provides people with empty calories, and hangovers discourage physical exercise. Whether it's increasing the liquor excise tax, restricting alcohol advertising to minors , or increasing public awareness campaigns by partnering with the Ad Council, the federal government could help improve public health by cutting alcoholism and many people's waistlines.
Also, the federal government could make gym memberships and other forms of fitness classes tax-deductible, perhaps capping the deduction to ensure it's not subsidizing the wealthy paying thousands for Equinox classes. It could also initiate public awareness campaigns about the immense benefits of youth and adult athletic participation.
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Furthermore, the federal government could stop subsidizing unhealthy foods while putting up protectionist barriers, including tariffs , that limit our access to healthy and affordable options. We should want cheaper fruits and vegetables so people can afford to eat right.
A second Trump administration could also contrast the effort to cut obesity with the liberal fat acceptance movement and blue state lawmakers who want to make being fat a protected class . That type of political correctness kills people . Thankfully, Kennedy now aligns himself with politicians who oppose political correctness because they may be more likely to address this problem.
Tom Joyce ( @TomJoyceSports ) is a political reporter for the New Boston Post in Massachusetts.
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