Measles Is a “Diet-Related” Disease?

Measles, photograph by Barbara Rice for CDC / Wikimedia Commons

It’s no secret. We have reservations about the expansive use of the label “diet-related” disease for a stunning array of conditions that have many different causes. Even for obesity, that label is problematic. But we’re used to it. We were not ready, though, for the news this week that the most senior health official in the U.S. thinks measles is a “diet-related” disease.

In a wide-ranging interview with Fox News, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said:

“It’s very, very difficult for measles to kill a healthy person.”

A bit later, he clarified his meaning, saying:

“We see a correlation between people who get hurt by measles and people who don’t have good nutrition or who don’t have a good exercise regimen.”

Vaccines: Ask Your Doctor

Kennedy has long been critical of vaccination for measles. Ever so slightly, he is backing away from that stance now that he is a public health official. Yet he stops short of giving a an actual recommendation to vaccinate, saying in an editorial posted on both the HHS website and Fox News:

“Parents play a pivotal role in safeguarding their children’s health. All parents should consult with their healthcare providers to understand their options to get the MMR vaccine. The decision to vaccinate is a personal one. Vaccines not only protect individual children from measles, but also contribute to community immunity, protecting those who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical reasons.”

Then he moves on to his nutrition theme. In his telling, it was nutrition and sanitation that did the most to eliminate deaths from measles – not vaccination. He says it is still what’s most important for dealing with this infectious diseases like measles:

“Good nutrition remains a best defense against most chronic and infectious illnesses. Vitamins A, C, and D, and foods rich in vitamins B12, C, and E should be part of a balanced diet.”

Grossly Misleading

Yes, good nutrition is important. But it will not cure everything that ails us. It is no substitute for childhood vaccinations. With an excellent record of safety, they are the best defense against infectious diseases that once wrecked the health of many, many children.

It’s bad enough to suggest that obesity is nothing but a “diet-related” disease. But even hinting at that for measles is grossly misleading.

Click here for more detailed reporting on this and here for a new commentary in Lancet about the perils for public health Kennedy is creating.

The Sick Child, painting by Gabriel Metsu / WikiArt

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March 12, 2025