Encore: Food: The Root Causes of Our Healthcare, Economic and Social Crises with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Mark Hyman

Jan 15, 2025

Episode description

You’ve probably heard a lot about Robert F. Kennedy Jr., but beyond social media sound bites, do you really know where he stands on the issues shaping America’s health? Recorded last year when Kennedy was a presidential candidate, this episode of The Dr. Hyman Show provides a deep dive into his vision for improving the well-being of Americans. A vision Kennedy could put into action if confirmed as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Kennedy is the founder of the Waterkeeper Alliance, the world’s largest clean water advocacy group, and served as its longtime chairman and attorney. He also founded the Children’s Health Defense and led efforts to address chronic disease and toxic exposures. As a litigator, he was part of the team that successfully prosecuted Monsanto for glyphosate’s link to cancer.

Tune in to explore Kennedy’s stance on tackling chronic disease, promoting regenerative farming, and improving the quality of the water we drink and the air we breathe.

In this episode, we discuss (audio version / Apple Subscriber version):

The state of health in America (5:41 / 4:01)
One of the main reasons RFK Jr. decided to run for president (8:39 / 6:59)
The beginning of the autism epidemic (12:38 / 10:58)
Addressing harms caused by ultra-processed food (15:03 / 13:23)
Eliminating corporate culture in government agencies (33:05 / 28:41)
America’s disproportionate deaths from COVID-19 (42:10 / 37:46)
How America’s health status is affecting our national security (44:34 / 40:10)
Solving the mental health crisis (47:41 / 43:17)
Food and drug TV marketing (56:14 / 51:49)
RFK’s thinking about fitness for himself and America (1:03:39 / 59:14)

View Show Notes From This Episode

Get Free Weekly Health Tips from Dr. Hyman

This episode is brought to you by Big Bold Health, Paleovalley, Fatty15, AirDoctor, and Seed.

Receive 30% off Big Bold Health's Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat sprouted powder. Head to BigBoldHealth.Com and use code DRMARK30 at checkout.

Get nutrient-dense, whole foods. Head to Paleovalley.com/Hyman for 15% off your first purchase.

Head to Fatty15.com/HYMAN and use code HYMAN for 15% off your 90-day subscription Starter Kit.

Get cleaner air. Right now, you can get up to $300 off at AirDoctorPro.com/DRHYMAN.

Seed is offering my community 25% off to try DS-01® for themselves. V

Episode description

Tune in to explore Kennedy’s stance on tackling chronic disease, promoting regenerative farming, and improving the quality of the water we drink and the air we breathe.

In this episode, we discuss (audio version / Apple Subscriber version):

The state of health in America (5:41 / 4:01)
One of the main reasons RFK Jr. decided to run for president (8:39 / 6:59)
The beginning of the autism epidemic (12:38 / 10:58)
Addressing harms caused by ultra-processed food (15:03 / 13:23)
Eliminating corporate culture in government agencies (33:05 / 28:41)
America’s disproportionate deaths from COVID-19 (42:10 / 37:46)
How America’s health status is affecting our national security (44:34 / 40:10)
Solving the mental health crisis (47:41 / 43:17)
Food and drug TV marketing (56:14 / 51:49)
RFK’s thinking about fitness for himself and America (1:03:39 / 59:14)

View Show Notes From This Episode

Get Free Weekly Health Tips from Dr. Hyman

This episode is brought to you by Big Bold Health, Paleovalley, Fatty15, AirDoctor, and Seed.

Receive 30% off Big Bold Health's Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat sprouted powder. Head to BigBoldHealth.Com and use code DRMARK30 at checkout.

Get nutrient-dense, whole foods. Head to Paleovalley.com/Hyman for 15% off your first purchase.

Head to Fatty15.com/HYMAN and use code HYMAN for 15% off your 90-day subscription Starter Kit.

Get cleaner air. Right now, you can get up to $300 off at AirDoctorPro.com/DRHYMAN.

Seed is offering my community 25% off to try DS-01® for themselves. V

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Discover C15, a groundbreaking essential fatty acid for health improvement

A fat called C15, found in the supplement Fatty15, is the first essential fatty acid to be discovered in over 90 years and is clinically proven to improve various health markers.

#C15

#supplement

Understand evolutionary cravings to combat junk food addiction

Our evolutionary craving for sugar and fat, a survival mechanism for storing energy in times of scarcity, has become a liability with the constant availability of ultra-processed foods.

#craving

#nutrition

Leverage NIH funding to support science for public health litigation

The NIH should be used to fund studies that create a sufficient body of science to enable successful lawsuits against companies causing public health harm.

#research

Hold scientific journals accountable for publishing fake research

Scientific journals that publish fake, industry-funded science should be held responsible and litigated against under racketeering laws for the damage they cause to public health.

#research

#risk

Address conflict of interest at NIH due to Bayh-Dole Act

The 1980 Bayh-Dole Act allows NIH scientists to collect royalties on drugs they help develop, creating a massive conflict of interest that subsumes their regulatory function.

#risk

Reduce ultra-processed food to lower mortality risk

For every 10% of your diet that consists of ultra-processed food, your risk of death increases by 14%.

#mortality

#processed-food

Address environmental toxins to combat chronic disease epidemics

Genes can provide a vulnerability, but epidemics of chronic disease are caused by ubiquitous environmental toxins introduced into the population.

#chronic-disease

#toxin

Address widening death gap between rich and poor Americans

While the wealth gap has increased 39% since 1980, the 'death gap' between rich and poor Americans has increased by a staggering 570%.

#mortality

#wealth

Address chronic diseases to reduce COVID death rates

The average American who died from COVID had 3.8 chronic diseases, indicating the underlying poor health of the population was the primary driver of the high death rate.