FDA Faces Criticism From Senate Over Inaction on Diabetes and Obesity Crisis
Key takeaways:
- U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders reprimanded the FDA for failing to address the rising diabetes and obesity crisis with urgency and action.
- All parties agreed on the need to combat diabetes and obesity as critical public health issues.
- U.S. FDA Commissioner, Dr. Robert Califf, cited some of the FDA's efforts but pointed to limited resources and industry opposition as significant obstacles.
“An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.”
This is how U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), opened a hearing on December 5, 2024, which addressed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s efforts to combat the diabetes and obesity epidemics in the U.S.
Sanders criticized the FDA for its failure to act with urgency, despite the long-standing nature of the diabetes and obesity crisis. He cited the American Diabetes Association (ADA), emphasizing that the total cost of diabetes in the U.S. was nearly $413 billion in 2023, an “extraordinary and unsustainable amount of money.”
The scope of the problem
While Sanders mentioned that Congress and the FDA had the courage to take on the tobacco industry 30 years ago, which resulted in a significant drop in smoking rates, he underscored that the FDA has failed to hold food manufacturers accountable in the same way. Sanders reinforced that childhood obesity has more than tripled since the 1970s in the U.S.
“What has the FDA done to address these epidemics, which have impacted the health of millions of Americans and cost us hundreds of billions of dollars every year?” Sanders said. “We cannot continue to allow large corporations to put their profits ahead of the health of our children.”
His opening remarks concluded with three key ideas for improvement:
- Requiring strong warning labels on unhealthy food and beverages, so that all consumers can easily understand which products are harmful to their health.
- Banning junk food ads that are targeted to kids.
- Substantially reducing the prices of diabetes and weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy.
Sanders included examples of many other countries that have implemented these changes already.
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who will take over as chair of the Senate HELP Committee in 2025, followed Sanders’ opening statement with the reminder that this is a bipartisan issue – legislators on both sides of the aisle recognize the importance of combating the type 2 diabetes and obesity epidemics.
The FDA’s response
Dr. Robert Califf, a cardiologist and current commissioner of the FDA, concurred with the senators that this is a pressing issue that requires serious action.
“The food we eat is exacerbating America’s tragic title for the lowest life expectancy among large, high-income countries,” Califf said.
There is no question about the seriousness of the issue at hand. At the ADA’s annual conference this year, Califf identified the rising epidemic of type 2 diabetes as a major public health failure.
During the Senate hearing, Califf mentioned that when the FDA undertook the largest reorganization in its recent history, a new Nutrition Center of Excellence (NCE) was established to help reduce the burden of diet-related chronic diseases and ensure that food is a vehicle for wellness. The NCE aims to expand collaborations, both within and outside the federal government, to empower FDA action on nutrition science, policy, and initiatives.
While Califf recognized that the FDA shoulders an enormous responsibility, he stated that they have limited resources to deal with these issues despite repeated requests for funding for much-needed additional experts. Outside of funding concerns, Califf also mentioned that limitations in the existing science, legal hurdles, and direct opposition from powerful industry forces pose additional challenges.
The bottom line
As Sanders pointed out, if you are living with diabetes, obesity, or both the important takeaway from these discussions is that you are not to blame. The food industry, healthcare system, and federal lawmakers all contribute to a system that has failed its people for decades. And there is increasing frustration with this lack of action, even at the highest levels of government. Reform will take time and the path forward will have its challenges, but there is hope that meaningful steps will be taken to address these public health epidemics.
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