CNN
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The federal government may have partial answers on the causes of autism by fall this year, but the big picture is not the big picture, as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., made a promise in April.
Kennedy sat down with CNN’s Cate Lancolins on Thursday shortly after the White House event and claimed that Ultaprocessed’s food, environmental toxins and overdose was driving an increase in chronic childhood illnesses.
Kennedy said the committee’s next report will present strategies for combating chronic disease across health, agriculture and environmental agencies.
However, as Kennedy announced at the Cabinet meeting in April, the deadline for his self-declaration distilling autistic drivers by September has fallen.
“We have some of the information (by September) and it will probably take another six months to get the most robust information,” Kennedy said Thursday. By the end of those another six months, or roughly marching, “I think we know the answer to the etiology of autism,” he said.
Autism researchers and scientists have questioned the possibility of coming definitive conclusions for drivers with autism in such a short time frame, considering the research often conducted in this field.
The study has already identified factors that can lead to autism, such as genetics and prenatal exposure.
However, Kennedy said Thursday that the HHS “will have some studies completed by September” and is primarily a replica of previous studies. “We’re also rolling out a new team of scientists, a group of 15 scientists. We’ll send those grants to bid within three weeks,” he said.
Dr. Jay Bhatacharya, director of the National Institute of Health, suggests that results can take time. “Science happens at its own pace,” he told reporters in April, adding that he would like to see “preliminary results” within a year.
The ability to replicate research and reach the same results through repeated research is a central priority for Bhattacharya and is highlighted in the MAHA report. Kennedy appeared to suggest Thursday that scientists could draw conclusions from the study that were different to those working on previous research.
Kennedy also addressed his brief interaction at a Senate hearing this month with Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Democrat who questioned his reaction to the ongoing lead crisis at Milwaukee Public Schools.
Kennedy told the Senators at this week’s budget hearing that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have teams supported by Milwaukee’s ground-based teams. The city said that wasn’t true.
In an interview with CNN, Kennedy revealed on Thursday that the CDC is offering Milwaukee support “with their lab, analysis and advice,” but he said he doesn’t know how many CDC staff members are on the scene in Milwaukee.
CNN’s Collins said there was one engineer on the ground before Kennedy could refer to those hearings.
“I was able to hear my other interactions with Tammy Baldwin,” he said. “And anyway, I don’t necessarily believe what Senator Baldwin is saying.”
Kennedy also worked on a pushback from major agricultural groups on Thursday, including a study in the MAHA report suggesting toxic exposures from commonly used herbicides.
Organizations, including the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Corn Growers Association, have issued statements that hints about the risks of pesticides could undermine confidence in America’s food supply.
Asked about their criticism, Kennedy emphasized the need for farmers and the agricultural industry to participate in the Maha agenda.
“If we lose a farmer, the Maha agenda will go bankrupt,” he said. “We don’t want to go out of business with a single farmer. What we want to do is create incentives and innovations that allow them to innovate themselves, and use less chemical intensive (methods), but we’re not in a nanny state.”
Collins also asked Kennedy about the affordable prices of whole food compared to cheaper ultra-processing options.
“It’s an illusion to think that processed foods are inexpensive. You end up paying for it with diabetes, you end up paying for it with autoimmune dysfunction with mitochondrial dysfunction, and you end up paying for it in the long run,” he said.
Kennedy also doubled his comments during the budget hearing last week. He said that Americans should not take medical advice from him.
“They should probably not take medical advice from the HHS secretary,” he said Thursday. “I’m not a doctor. But they also have to be skeptical of medical advice. They need to do their own research.”
Kennedy pointed to his frustration with healthcare professionals during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I would say I’m skeptical of authority. My father said when I was a young man, people in authority were lying,” the Health Secretary said.