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Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on Nov. 6 that new dietary guidelines have been delayed but will be released in December.
Kennedy made the remarks at a Washington press conference after the administration announced a deal with pharmaceutical companies to cut prices for weight loss drugs.
He said in May that the guidelines would likely be out before August, but he then pushed the timeline to later in the year, at one point saying they'd be ready at the end of September.
The ongoing government shutdown, which started on Oct. 1 and is the longest in U.S. history, has delayed work on the guidelines, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services told The Epoch Times in an email.
Dietary guidelines are issued by the U.S. government every five years. The version published in 2020 runs 164 pages, with advice that includes limiting sugary foods and drinks.
A 421-page draft provided to officials from an advisory committee in 2024 includes recommendations for eating less meat, avoiding full-fat dairy products, and consuming more lentils and other plant-based proteins.
What Kennedy Said on Nov. 6
Kennedy praised a new deal with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, which will reduce prices for a class of drugs known as GLP-1 medications.
He said obesity is the No. 1 driver of chronic diseases and leads to problems such as diabetes, and he said the new deal will cause a decline in the condition.
President Donald Trump has also tasked officials with addressing the root causes of chronic diseases, Kennedy said. The new dietary guidelines “are going to change the food culture” in the United States.
Kennedy also noted that officials are working to implement fitness programs in schools.
“But in the meantime, there’s nothing more important that we can do than lower this price [on GLP-1 drugs],” he said.
What’s Been Said Before
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said during a hearing in May that the updated guidelines would be simplified and keep recommendations for nutrient-dense staples such as milk.
Kennedy told lawmakers that month that the draft update from 2024 was “clearly written by industry.” Some members of the advisory committee that drafted the update were found to have links to food manufacturers.
“We are changing that. So we’re going to have four-page dietary guidelines that tell people essentially, ‘Eat whole food; eat the food that’s good for you,'” Kennedy said at the time.
During an event over the summer, Kennedy said the lengthy proposed guidelines “were incomprehensible” and that the updated version would contain “guidelines that are common sense, that stress the need to eat saturated fats, dairy, good meat, fresh meat, and vegetables.”
He said the guidelines will change food choices in schools, prisons, and other places.
The Make America Healthy Again Commission, which is chaired by Kennedy, said in its strategy report that the 2025–2030 guidelines would “align with science, data, and health recommendations in a concise, user-friendly format.” The commission also said officials will reform how the guidelines are developed, including by changing the structure of the advisory committee.
