Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently shared that he lost 20 pounds in 20 days on an all-vegetarian and fermented foods diet.
We asked Theresa Gentile, MS, RDN, CDN, a Brooklyn-based registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, if the RFK diet is really possible for weight loss and overall health.
* This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Q: RFK Jr. recently said that he follows a vegetarian diet but also eats fermented foods, and that it has helped him lose weight and gain mental clarity. What do you think about this diet?
honor: A carnivore’s diet consists mainly of meat and animal protein. It is rich in complete proteins, which contain all the essential amino acids that help build muscle mass. These foods help keep you full longer, support metabolism, and stabilize blood sugar. It is often high in heme iron, zinc, and B12, creatinine, and omega-3 fats.
But it’s high in saturated fat and cholesterol, and may increase LDL cholesterol, especially for people who already have high cholesterol.
It is also Totally devoid of fiber, so it’s good that RFK Jr. Have some fermented foods. Fiber affects our gut microbiome, bowel regularity, gut health, cholesterol control and blood sugar control.
Although his If the diet includes fermented foods, you will be missing out on some of the nutrients you would get from eating a whole-foods diet. You can’t “eat the rain” with fermented foods. There aren’t many vegetables that are usually fermented, so you won’t get all the soluble fiber, insoluble fiber, vitamin C, folate, potassium, magnesium, polyphenols, and antioxidants that you would from eating a range of colorful fruits and vegetables.
The “RFK Diet” is not a good long-term strategy. It is not a varied diet and many nutrients are lost.
It is healthy to have protein foods and fermented foods, but in moderation. Diversity is key. You want to keep eating healthy forever, not just for next week.
Q: RFK Jr. said he lost 20 pounds in 20 days and 40% of his visceral fat in a month. Is it real or sustainable?
honor: Depending on what your dietary pattern looks like in the past, you may lose weight, in part, because you’re eating less.
Some people on GLP-1s can lose weight quickly. But we generally recommend slow weight loss—one to two pounds per week—so the body gets used to it. The body likes to maintain homeostasis, and losing weight too quickly can cause your body to store any excess fat.
Losing too fast encourages your body to stop losing weight all at once. If you’re losing weight quickly, you’re actually cutting a lot of calories. Unless you are very judicious about your nutrition, there is a risk of micronutrient deficiencies, low energy, decreased bowel function and hair loss.
Q: Can you really target visceral fat loss?
honor: Visceral fat is the fat that is deep inside, not the subcutaneous fat under our skin. Visceral fat is not as healthy as it is deep belly fat and fat around our organs such as the heart, liver or pancreas.
It is not possible to target any particular type of fat with any particular diet. If there was, we would have done it earlier. We used to have a fat loss diet. RFK Jr. may have lost a lot of weight, and when you lose a lot of weight, you probably lose visceral fat as well.
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