Earlier this month, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gave a controversial speech at the Tennessee State Capitol.
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He claimed that a Harvard doctor “cured schizophrenia with the keto diet” and that “people change their diets to escape bipolar disorder diagnoses.”
You can watch the clip here:
Tennessee State Capitol/Via Twitter: @allenanalysis
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Medical experts immediately spoke out against the Surgeon General’s comments, including Harvard physician Christopher M. Palmer Jr. He told the Harvard Crimson, “‘Cure’ means you can take treatment for a short period of time, stop treatment, and your disease never comes back. That’s not at all what I see in patients with severe mental illness.”
So we asked self-identified healthcare professionals in the BuzzFeed Community to share their thoughts on the matter:
1. “While there is some evidence that the ketogenic diet can improve symptoms of schizophrenia, a ‘cure’ is far-fetched and unsupported by the evidence. I always encourage my patients to address psychiatric issues in a variety of ways: behavioral, nutritional, etc., as well as medications. But directly calling it a cure can be dangerous and may encourage patients currently taking medications for schizophrenia to discontinue treatment.”
——Psychiatrist
2. “I mean, it’s a crazy tune. It would be hilarious if it weren’t so harmful to people who are facing real mental health challenges and looking for real solutions.”
—Obstetrics and Gynecology
3. Advertisement
—Registered nurse
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4. “I specialize in nutrition and weight. There is a huge connection between the gastrointestinal system and the brain, but it is not fully understood. We have some research to support the relationship between psychiatric and neurological disorders and different gastrointestinal diseases and pathologies. That being said, in my expertise, I am not aware at this time that diet can cure mental illness. We know that diet and exercise can improve depression and anxiety Concern, but that’s not the whole story. Mental illness is real, just as the heart or lungs can become ill, and diet can improve heart disease, but it doesn’t cure it. I think his point lacks any education or nuance, and overall, I worry that these statements essentially undermine the reality of mental health and fall back on “it’s your choice to get sick; it’s all in your head.”
——Physician
5. “He is a clown. His misinformation is embarrassing at best and dangerous at worst. I don’t know of any educated health care professional who thinks differently.”
—Registered nurse
6. “Ridiculous. Even the scientists who conducted this study said, ‘Put the brakes on, my friend. No one is saying there is a cure.'” The ketogenic diet can alleviate many symptoms of various diseases, but we should be smart enough to know that alleviating symptoms and curing the disease are not the same thing. Leave it to this idiot to grab the first promising thing and claim it is a complete cure. These things take time and a lot of research, and Republicans are openly opposed to funding them. “
—Registered nurse
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7. “As a person with a serious mental illness (SMI) “
“About RFK Jr., my concern is less about political ideology (although I don’t agree with that either) and more about the impact of sweeping health claims without a strong basis in scientific consensus that can create confusion and erode trust in actual evidence-based care when influential figures make clear statements about complex medical and mental health conditions without evidence. SMI), the risks and potential consequences are substantial. We absolutely need to continue research that emphasizes a multifaceted approach to mental health care, and we need to address valid criticisms of our health care system, but unless there is rigorous evidence that schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are serious brain disorders that require comprehensive, multidisciplinary treatment, this is not only inaccurate but harmful.”
——Social worker
8. “He is dangerous and has no idea what he is talking about!”
—Registered nurse
9. “If it were that simple, I’d be happy to be unemployed. Severe mental illness, especially schizophrenia, can be debilitating. I’m ashamed of him for suggesting that dietary changes can ‘cure’ the disease. He should stop spreading unsubstantiated information (see previous example: Tylenol = autism).”
——Psychiatric nurse for 23 years
10. “While diet, exercise, and a healthy lifestyle are important for good mental health, they by themselves do not stabilize the symptoms of mental illness. Note that I did not say cure. We don’t have all the solutions yet, but study after study shows that counseling combined with medication has an effect Helps individuals take control of their condition. I often wonder why people think it’s okay to take medications to treat diseases that affect the body, like diabetes or heart disease, while assuming that we can cure brain diseases through willpower and healthy living alone. This is clearly aberration and delusion.”
——Psychiatric nurse practitioner
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11. “Remember when Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the public shouldn’t take his medical advice? Yes, that’s it!”
—Occupational therapist
12. “RFK Jr. is a lunatic.”
—primary care physician
13. Finally, “Would you listen to how a landscaper fixes a car engine? Stay in your lane! Nursing (and many healthcare professions) rely on evidence-based research. RFK Jr. clearly does not understand what this is or means.”
—acute care nurse
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What do you think of all this? LMK in the comments below.
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