Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is on a mission to make America healthy again, and he’s tackling the country’s most obese state — and its governor.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey, R, and Kennedy held a joint event on Friday to announce a ban on certain food dyes. The governor also took the opportunity to announce that his state has submitted a waiver that would prohibit Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants from using the benefits to purchase soda.
Morrisey celebrated the move, saying his state was “putting ‘nutrition’ back into the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.”
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“I urge every governor to follow West Virginia’s lead and submit a waiver to the USDA to remove soda from SNAP. If there’s one thing we can agree on, it should be eliminating taxpayer-funded soda subsidies for lower-income kids,” Kennedy said in a statement ahead of the event.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey, left, holds a letter of intent to request changes to the state’s SNAP and food dye legislation next to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. right, on Friday, March 28, 2025, in Martinsburg, W. Va. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Kennedy, however, isn’t just looking to make the state’s residents healthier, he’s trying to shrink Morrisey’s waistline as well.
He recalled getting to know the governor during the transition period as the Trump administration prepared for the president’s return to the White House. According to Kennedy, he didn’t sugarcoat his thoughts on Morrisey’s weight.
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“The first time I saw him, I said, ‘You look like you ate Governor Morrisey,’” Kennedy said during his joint appearance with the West Virginia governor. “I am going to put him on a really rigorous regimen, and we’re gonna put him on a carnivore diet.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, speaks during an event announcing proposed changes to SNAP and food dye legislation with West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey, right, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Martinsburg, W. Va. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Additionally, Kennedy suggested that the governor do a public weigh-in every month and encouraged those in the audience who wanted Morrisey to participate to raise their hands.
The HHS chief also vowed to return to West Virginia when Morrisey loses 30lbs to do a celebration and a public weigh-in.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey speaks during an event announcing proposed changes to SNAP and food dye legislation, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Martinsburg, W. Va. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Morrisey’s policies could make a big change for West Virginia, which currently has a higher rate of obesity than any other state.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of 2023, West Virginia was one of only three states to have an obesity prevalence of 40% or greater.
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Arkansas’ obesity prevalence was 40%, Mississippi’s was 40.1%, while West Virginia’s was 41.2%.
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As of 2022, the World Obesity Foundation ranked the U.S. as the 19th most obese country in the world with 43.29% of adults being obese. Meanwhile, American Samoa was ranked number one with over 75% of adults suffering from obesity.