NewsNation host Chris Cuomo on his show on Friday accused social media content creators of pushing new “anti-diet” trends on their platforms.
Mr. Cuomo brought in Dr. Mark Hyman, chief medical officer of Functional Health, to analyze trends he claims are being pushed by influencers, including anti-diet and popular weight-loss drug Ozempic. . The NewsNation host began by asking Hyman about his research on influencers and allegations that the food industry pays them to promote certain messages. (Related: Doctors Will Give Weight Loss Drugs to 4,000 Children in 2023: Report)
“Well, Chris, we are in a national health emergency in this country. 75% of us are overweight, 42% are obese, and we have poor metabolic health due to the food we eat. We are in crisis,” Hyman said. “The food industry goes to great lengths to confuse and confuse the public. They paid asexual influencers and told them it was okay to do it without any inhibitions. They said that no one should be shamed, that there is no such thing as bad food, that they would be shamed. I’m saying it’s wrong to tell people not to eat junk food.”
Hyman blamed the food industry, claiming that it not only pays influencers, but also funds research to grow business among Americans. The doctor went on to say that Americans can’t see “clear warning labels” because companies like General Mills and Pepsi have spent millions of dollars trying to prevent knowledge leaks.
“Well, what the food companies are doing is shameful,” he said. “They fund 12 times more ‘research’ on food than the government. For example, the American Beverage Association funds research showing that artificial sweeteners are okay. We Should we believe them? They fund professional organizations like the Academy of Dietitians, and 40% of that funding comes from big food companies like Pepsi, Coke, and General Mills.”
“General Mills is currently paying influencers to argue that cereal should be a staple in your diet and shouldn’t be bad for you. We also lobby governments to oppose regulations that interfere with our access to and knowledge about our food. We need to actually show that,” Hyman continued.
“In Europe and South America, they put a clear warning label on the front of the package that says, ‘This is bad for you,’ just like with cigarettes. In America, they discourage that. I think they are spending millions of dollars trying to prevent us from doing the right thing. [a] They should be ashamed,” he added.
Mr. Cuomo and Mr. Hyman then discussed the impact Ozempic is having on the American people. Although Ozempic’s original use was intended to be used as a diabetes treatment, many people have used Ozempic as an easy way to lose weight. Hyman said that while Ozempic is a problem, the problem that needs to be addressed is the “messed up food system” in the United States.
“Yeah, I mean, these effects are FOS and people know that,” Cuomo said. “There’s a bit of willful ignorance here. You know what I’m saying, right? You want it to be true, but you know this is probably a stupid suggestion. But hey! They’re telling me so, so at least now I have an excuse to do it.”
Americans continue to struggle with obesity and their weight, with doctors reportedly prescribing weight-loss drugs to 4,000 children in 2023 because of the problem. According to NBC News, data obtained by the healthcare analytics program Purple Labs found that thousands of children between the ages of 12 and 17 were prescribed either Wigovy or Ozempic.
