The debate over how to tackle America's obesity epidemic that affects 40% of adults and nearly 20% of children, has sparked contrasting views from two influential voices in President-elect Donald J. Trump's orbit. The side that wins could have a lasting impact on public health in the U.S.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump's pick for secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), says lifestyle changes need to be a big part of the solution.

Elon Musk, billionaire tech entrepreneur and seemingly one of Trump's closest advisers, is calling for easier access to weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy, produced by Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO). Musk, who has used Wegovy, said on X that "nothing else is even close" when considering how to address obesity, noted the New York Times. "Nothing would do more to improve the health, lifespan, and quality of life for Americans than making GLP inhibitors super low cost to the public."

Kennedy, meanwhile, says if approved to lead the HHS, he'll roll out an anti-obesity plan that will focus on healthier nutrition and encouraging Americans to make time for daily exercise. Kennedy told Fox News' Greg Gutfeld before the election that the makers of obesity drugs are "counting on selling it to Americans because we're so stupid and so addicted to drugs."

Suicide and Ozempic?

Kennedy said in the same Fox News appearance that the European Union "is right now investigating Ozempic for suicidal ideation," although the EU regulator concluded in April that available evidence does not suggest Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs cause suicidal thoughts or actions.

Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota says such confident although false or misleading assertions are Kennedy's trademark. And they can be dangerous, Osterholm warned, when applied to public health bedrocks like vaccines.

"He acts like he knows what he's talking about when he doesn't, and he says things with a definition that makes people convinced he has the data to support his statement," Osterholm told CNN two weeks after the November election. "Trying to follow him and understand what he's talking about is often like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall."

Kennedy and Musk's competing perspectives underscore the difficult path toward dealing with the U.S.'s severe obesity epidemic: lifestyle changes vs. pharmaceuticals.

Cannabis a Solution?

Some people may look to cannabis for a natural solution. Recent studies have suggested "cannabis and subproducts could be considered adjuncts in obesity treatment by helping to reduce relevant anthropometric measurements."

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