Who‘s Really Behind the MAHA Movement?
RFK Jr.’s recent removal of FDA warnings about dangerous autism therapies shows exactly who is funding the MAHA movement.
RFK Jr. rails endlessly against Big Pharm and Big Food. And, in many instances, for good reason. But there is one group that he never criticizes: Big Wellness. There’s a reason for that. No group benefits more from, or has closer ties to, the MAHA movement.
On March 24, 2021, the Center for Countering Digital Hate published, “The Disinformation Dozen,” which described the 12 people or groups that had provided the most disinformation about vaccines. Virtually all were funded by the wellness industry, which—with its array of vitamins, supplements, and other promised therapies—has for decades served as a counter to mainstream medicine and science. It shouldn’t be surprising, then, that when RFK Jr. became Secretary of Health and Human Services, he would resist any attempts to regulate this industry. “Supplements are a $70 billion industry,” wrote the Wall Street Journal, “and RFK Jr. is good for business.” Jonathan Emord, general counsel for the Alliance for Natural Health, saw the appointment of RFK Jr. to head Health and Human Services as a chance to move the wellness industry to the center of public health. “The greatest opportunity of our lifetimes is before us,” he said.
On June 6, 2025, RFK Jr. said that he will “end the war against alternative medicine at the FDA.” Specifically, he wanted to open the door for unregulated, often bogus, and potentially deadly treatments for a variety of chronic problems, focusing on chelation, stem cells, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). The FDA regulates vaccines, drugs, biologicals, and gene therapies among other treatments and preventives. If these products work and are safe, then companies receive a license to sell them. If they don’t work or are unsafe, then companies don’t receive a license. RFK Jr. now wants to limit the FDA’s ability to restrict therapies that are potentially dangerous. For example:
Stem cells. Stem cells divide to become a variety of different cell types that can support the function of many different organs. Usually, they are harvested from the bone marrow, manipulated in the lab, and implanted back into the patient. Stem cells have been used to successfully treat leukemia, lymphoma, neuroblastoma, and multiple myeloma. Sadly, wellness centers are offering stem cells that are drawn from the patient’s body and injected back without manipulation that are claimed to treat autism and Parkinson’s disease, all without evidence. In 2021, the FDA warned the public about these wellness communities.
Chelation. Chelation is the process by which certain chemicals are administered intravenously to remove heavy metals like mercury or lead from the body after massive exposure. The FDA has approved chelation therapy in these situations but only by prescription and only under the supervision of a doctor. But, again, the wellness community has stepped in with their false claims of chelation as a cure for autism, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, high blood pressure, and Parkinson’s disease, all without proof. The FDA has warned that chelation to treat non-approved indications “can lead to serious and life-threatening outcomes.” Indeed, on August 23, 2005, a 5-year-old boy named Tariq Nadama died from a heart attack following chelation therapy.
Hyperbaric oxygen. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), another favorite of the wellness community, is an FDA approved treatment for burns, radiation injury, certain wounds, and decompression sickness encountered by divers. The wellness industry also offers HBOT for variety of unapproved treatments, including autism, arguing that children just need more oxygen to the brain. Although HBOT has never been shown to treat autism, according to RFK Jr., that doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that people believe that it works. In January 2025, a 5-year-old boy was killed in an HBOT chamber in a wellness center in Michigan after static electricity sparked a flash fire inside the chamber. A few months later, in May 2025, RFK Jr. joined a wellness influencer and supplement seller named Gary Brecka for an HBOT treatment as well as some intravenous nutrient drips. When they finished, RFK Jr. joined Brecka for a podcast decrying the undue influence of Big Pharma.
On January 13, 2026, under pressure from RFK Jr., the FDA has now deleted its warnings about the harm of bogus autism therapies. The FDA webpage previously titled “Be Aware of Potentially Dangerous Products and Therapies that Claim to Treat Autism” is now defunct. Kaiser Family Foundation Health News recently reported that Kennedy and his allies have made millions promoting unproven wellness products—a $6.3 trillion worldwide industry. RFK Jr. is not about to let the FDA restrict the industry that supports him and his MAHA movement. He’s not going to bite the hand that feeds him.
Thanks for that insight Dr Offit.
I for one wasn’t aware of just how enormous the grift for wellness is. If only people were more critical in their thinking rather than being FOR or AGAINST big pharma. They re not beyond reproach but without them I would have died a long time ago
It grieves me when patients say they can’t afford their prescriptions but show me their many bottles of supplements. I ask, “how much is this one?” And they are often sheepish. Many are cheap (and I think helpful) in the right circumstance (vitamins C and D, fish oil, calcium, multivitamin) but I always urge them to buy from a big pharmacy such as CVS or Walgreens. There is no regulation on supplements so anyone can slap any label on sugar pills and legally sell them. You would have to prove harm to get them taken off the market, and sugar pills won’t be harmful. But a big pharmacy chain has the perception of providing medications, so if their vitamin C pills were shown to have zero vitamin C, it would look bad, and would make the news. So pills from big pharmacy chains are likely to have the ingredients listed on the label.