Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson appeared alongside federal health officials Wednesday to lend his support to the Trump administration’s efforts to combat the nation’s obesity epidemic, sharing a deeply personal story about the toll poor nutrition has taken on American families.
Speaking at the Department of Health and Human Services headquarters, Tyson stood with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to announce his partnership with the administration’s nutritional reform initiative. The boxing legend revealed that his own sister died at age 25 from complications related to obesity, a tragedy that has motivated his involvement in this public health campaign.
“Where I come from, Brownsville, Brooklyn, is the most violent, poverty-stricken neighborhood in the city of New York, and ultra-processed food was just the norm,” Tyson explained to those gathered. He described a childhood environment where economic hardship intersected with poor nutritional options, creating conditions that led to widespread health problems in his community.
The former champion pointed to systemic issues within federal assistance programs that he believes have contributed to the obesity crisis. Tyson noted that food stamp benefits, while providing necessary support to low-income families, can be used to purchase products high in sugar and other ingredients that medical professionals have linked to obesity and related health conditions.
“We didn’t have much money, but we had food stamps, and food stamps can buy you the candy, the sugar and all that soda and all that rotten stuff,” Tyson said, highlighting what he sees as a fundamental flaw in how nutritional assistance programs operate.
The event marked another step in the Trump administration’s broader effort to reform American dietary guidelines and food assistance programs. Secretary Kennedy has made nutrition policy a central focus of his tenure at HHS, arguing that decades of federal dietary recommendations have failed to address the growing obesity crisis affecting millions of Americans.
The administration has recently implemented changes to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, reversing certain nutritional recommendations that had been in place for years. These revisions have sparked debate among nutritionists and public health officials about the proper role of government in shaping American eating habits.
Tyson’s involvement brings significant public attention to the initiative. The boxer, known for his dominance in the ring during the 1980s and 1990s, has transformed himself in recent years into an advocate for various health and wellness causes. His willingness to discuss his family’s struggles with obesity adds a human dimension to what might otherwise remain an abstract policy discussion.
The partnership between a sports icon and federal officials represents an attempt to reach Americans who may be skeptical of government health initiatives or unaware of the dangers posed by ultra-processed foods. Whether this approach will succeed in changing eating habits across the country remains to be seen, but the administration has made clear that addressing obesity will remain a priority.
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