A Deeper Dive Into the Making America Healthy Again Commission’s Executive Order and Its Implications

At a Glance

• A presidential commission to address the nation’s chronic disease burden, particularly that of our pediatric population, brings energy and attention to a topic that many child health advocates have long sought.
• While some goals and objectives lie very much within the mainstream, other elements — such as language critical of medication use and the use of politically loaded language and the casting of doubts on much of the nation’s public health and scientific processes — are cause for concern, points only exacerbated by recent actions to limit the Department of Health and Human Services’ communications, reduce the National Institutes of Health’s funding and cut health agency staff.
• Stakeholders should consider ways to engage constructively, including through any public hearings, meetings or roundtables the order contemplates as well as any other mechanisms that may be established to obtain input.

On February 13, 2025, shortly after Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as secretary of Health and Human Services, President Donald Trump issued an executive order establishing the Make America Healthy Again Commission, which will have an initial focus on addressing childhood chronic diseases.

The resolution builds upon a mantra Trump and Kennedy have been using to tee up a health policy agenda that has been highly critical of the nation’s food supply, rates of prescription drug use and chronic disease burden and that has set its sights on major changes to policies pertaining to the food supply and the processes for approving prescription drugs and recommending immunizations.

The MAHA agenda has created a conundrum for many health care stakeholders. On one hand, they have been highly critical of Kennedy’s hostility and skepticism around vaccinations and the ramifications they will have, as well as comments criticizing diagnosis rates of certain conditions and the use of behavioral health medications. But on the flip side, there is a welcomed response to the focus on the chronic disease burden and its impact on the nation.

That discordance comes through in the content of the executive order, which speaks to myriad topics spanning autoimmune conditions and pre-diabetes, to autism and the diagnosis and medication rates for attention deficit disorder. It also notes that more than 75% of young adults are unable to qualify for military service because of their health status, a point that aligns with national security concerns.

A core component of the order is the establishment of the president’s Make America Healthy Again Commission, which will be chaired by Secretary Kennedy and driven by Domestic Policy Advisor Vince Haley and focused initially on addressing childhood chronic illnesses.

The commission itself will consist of senior government leaders including the directors of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The order does not include public representatives but does call for a process to receive input from outside experts.

To address the childhood chronic disease burden, the order directs the commission to study potential contributing causes that include “the American diet, absorption of toxic material, medical treatments, lifestyle, environmental factors, Government policies, food production techniques, electromagnetic radiation, and corporate influence or cronyism.” This wording aligns with much of Kennedy’s public views on this topic.

The order calls for an initial “Make Our Children Healthy Again” assessment within 100 days — or late May — which will look at several specific topics including:

• The impact that certain food ingredients, chemicals and “potential over-utilization of medications” may have on chronic inflammation or other mechanisms of disease
• The impact of certain prescription medications including antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, weight-loss drugs and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
• Existing educational programs focused on nutrition, physical activity and mental health
• Current federal health data metrics and sources and their effectiveness

The initiative also calls for transparency in data, including unpublished analyses pertaining to childhood chronic disease as well as an assessment of the effectiveness of existing federal funds and programs focused on childhood health issues and a restoration of “the integrity of science, including by eliminating undue industry influence.”

Ultimately, the order calls for submission of a “Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy” within six months, which will be informed by the assessment. This strategy would include “restructuring the Federal Government’s response to the childhood chronic disease crisis, including by ending Federal practices that exacerbate the health crisis or unsuccessfully attempt to address it.”

Analysis & Implications

On one hand, a presidential commission to address the nation’s chronic disease burden, particularly that of our pediatric population, brings energy and attention to a topic that many child health advocates have long sought. But while some goals and objectives lie very much within the mainstream, other elements — such as language critical of medication use and the use of politically loaded language and the casting of doubts on much of the nation’s public health and scientific processes — are cause for concern, points only exacerbated by recent actions to limit the Department of Health and Human Services’ communications, reduce NIH’s funding and cut health agency staff.

Stakeholders should consider ways to engage constructively, including through any public hearings, meetings or roundtables the order contemplates as well as any other mechanisms that may be established to obtain input. This could include through engaging specific participants on the MAHA Commission.

Another route of engagement could include Congress. Republican lawmakers who are leaders on health policy have established MAHA caucuses in both the House and Senate, providing a legislative vehicle to explore and advance related policies.