NewsNation host Chris Cuomo ripped social media content creators Friday on his show over allegedly pushing a new ‘anti-diet’ trend on the platforms.
Cuomo brought on Chief Medical Officer of Function Health Dr. Mark Hyman to break down the trends he says influencers are pushing, which include both anti-diets and a popular weight loss drug, Ozempic. The NewsNation host began by asking Hyman about his research on influencers and the allegations of the food industry paying them off to promote a specific message. (RELATED: Doctors Gave 4,000 Kids Weight-Loss Drugs In 2023: REPORT)
“Well, Chris we are in a national emergency around our health in this country. Seventy-five percent of us are overweight, 42% are obese, we’re in a metabolic health crisis that’s caused by the food we’re eating,” Hyman stated. “There’s an enormous effort by the food industry to confuse and confound the public. They’ve created this movement, this anti-diet movement, where they’re paying influencers, who are not transparent, to promote eating all kinds of junk online, saying it’s fine to do without any inhibition. They’re saying we shouldn’t shame anybody, there’s no bad foods, it’s bad to tell people to not eat junk because it shames them.”
Hyman called out the food industry, claiming that they not only pay off influencers, but fund studies designed to grow their business among Americans. The doctor went on to say Americans are not able to see “clear warning labels” because companies like General Mills and Pepsi have spent millions to prevent the knowledge from coming out.
“Well, shame on the food companies for what they’re doing,” he said. “They fund 12 times as much ‘research’ as the government on food. For example, the American Beverage Association funds studies that show artificial sweeteners are okay. Should we believe them? We see them funding professional associations, like the Academy of Nutrition Dietetic, 40% of their funding from the big food companies – like Pepsi, Coke, General Mills.”
“General Mills is now paying these influencers to say cereal should be your main staple in your diet and it shouldn’t be something that’s bad for you. They also are lobbying the government to oppose any regulations that inhibit any access to their food or any knowledge about their food. God forbid, we should label foods with the actual label of what’s in them,” Hyman continued.
“In Europe and in South America there are clear warning labels on the front of packages saying, ‘This is bad for you,’ just like cigarettes. In America, they’re preventing that. So they’re spending millions and millions of dollars trying to prevent us from doing the right thing, and I think it’s [a] shame on them,” he added.
Cuomo and Hyman then discussed the effects Ozempic is having on the American public, as many have used it as an easy way to lose weight although its original use was intended to be used as a diabetic drug. Hyman stated while Ozempic is also a problem, the issue that needs to be addressed is the “screwed up food system” within the U.S.
“Yeah, I mean look, these influences are FOS and people know that,” Cuomo said. “There’s a little bit of willful ignorance here. You know what I mean? Like you want it to be true, but you know this is probably a stupid suggestion. But hey! They’re telling me it, so now at least I have an excuse to do it.”
As Americans continue to struggle with obesity and their weight, in 2023 doctors reportedly prescribed 4,000 children weight-loss drugs due to the issue. Data obtained by PurpleLab, a healthcare analytics program, found that thousands of children between the ages of 12 to 17 were prescribed either Wegovy or Ozempic, according to NBC News.