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BumRushDaShow

(171,385 posts)
Fri May 1, 2026, 07:16 AM 9 hrs ago

RFK Jr threatens to withhold millions in funding for hospitals that serve Jell-O and other sugary treats

Source: The Independent

Thursday 30 April 2026 19:57 EDT


Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is leading a charge to stop hospitals from serving sugary drinks and foods, including Jell-O.

The Department of Health and Human Services sent a memo to hospitals on March 30 urging them to align with the Department of Agriculture’s new 2025-2030 dietary guidelines, which emphasize limiting sugary, ultra-processed foods.

The agency wants hospitals to “align their food purchases with the dietary guidelines in order to enjoy continued eligibility for Medicaid and Medicare payments,” Kennedy said at a press conference last month.

“We shouldn’t be giving … people who are sick Jell-O and Cheerios and rubber chicken and sugar drinks,” he added.

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/rfk-jr-hospital-funding-sugary-foods-b2968484.html



NEWSFLASH to the brainworm host - foods like jello are often part of the first "solid" foods that patients get in hospitals as part of the transition from liquid "clears", particularly after surgery. Most hospitals have "nutritionists" who come up with the various meal plans.

I don't think I have seen cereal like "Cheerios" for breakfast in a hospital and certainly no soda. Water (mostly), and maybe some kind of fruit juice (apple or orange).

These nutritionists have DEGREES and are TRAINED IN THEIR FIELD unlike you, THE MOST UNQUALIFIED Secretary of Health and Human Services EVER (and I served under 9 of them before retiring), and your illicit drug-addled self.
82 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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RFK Jr threatens to withhold millions in funding for hospitals that serve Jell-O and other sugary treats (Original Post) BumRushDaShow 9 hrs ago OP
After all, Dr. Kennedy knows best. oasis 9 hrs ago #1
When does that start? Ray Bruns 8 hrs ago #19
I was expecting Jr. to ban Jello because gelatin used to come from horses. no_hypocrisy 9 hrs ago #2
I looked it up because I thought it came from horses too. ratchiweenie 5 hrs ago #55
Sometimes jello is all you can keep down. And you need the calories and hydration. Irish_Dem 9 hrs ago #3
Common food before colonoscopy question everything 7 hrs ago #39
Exactly. And when people have the flu. Irish_Dem 6 hrs ago #43
And after oral surgery. (Usually outpatient, but not when other conditions involved) nt eppur_se_muova 6 hrs ago #51
Our mothers always kept jello stocked in their cupboards. Irish_Dem 5 hrs ago #53
Hello! I have my boxes of LIME GREEN ready for this month! ColoringFool 1 hr ago #72
+1. People need extra protein and calories after surgery dalton99a 5 hrs ago #56
Exactly. Irish_Dem 5 hrs ago #58
+1. It is common sense, and hospitals have been doing it for 100 years dalton99a 5 hrs ago #59
There needs to be a law that says the director has to have a medical license. yourout 9 hrs ago #4
Yes plain Cheerios are served in many hospitals. Hugin 9 hrs ago #5
Full of glysophate samplegirl 9 hrs ago #10
The same can be said of lots of "healthy" foods. ShazzieB 8 hrs ago #21
But he's not horrified by germs... as in snorting cocaine off toilet seats! deurbano 3 hrs ago #66
It (the plain kind) as an example, has been something recommended for toddlers as an early "solid finger food" for years BumRushDaShow 7 hrs ago #31
Having had too many hospital stays... Hugin 7 hrs ago #41
Oh I know BumRushDaShow 6 hrs ago #50
"Let them eat roadkill." rzemanfl 9 hrs ago #6
Fix the disgusting mess we're feeding the soldiers none of you care about first ms liberty 9 hrs ago #7
With only a few excrptions, hospital food is fine, Ilsa 8 hrs ago #22
What might Wormboy recommend for a post-op meal? Pureed roadkill? Vinca 9 hrs ago #8
Raw sewage durablend 9 hrs ago #14
Uhhhhhhhhhhh, I thought they were the party of "personal accountability". Ferrets are Cool 9 hrs ago #9
Why don't he samplegirl 9 hrs ago #11
Note to self: lastlib 9 hrs ago #12
Out with Jello squares and IN with raccoon penis! Bengus81 9 hrs ago #13
Knowledge of a subject has never stopped that jack wagon from speaking about that subject. Botany 9 hrs ago #15
I eat sugar free jello and it's good. BigmanPigman 8 hrs ago #16
Possibly because some people are allergic to artificial sweeteners? niyad 8 hrs ago #30
Jello is considered a clear liquid. People on clear liquid diets need sugar. LeftInTX 7 hrs ago #36
Me and my sisters laugh about the "clears" BumRushDaShow 7 hrs ago #38
I was on a "clear" for three weeks back in the day... Hugin 6 hrs ago #47
When I was little, recovering, measles + pneumonia, I remember the fat droplet floating on top. Zackzzzz 3 hrs ago #68
What he doesn't know is harmful Historic NY 8 hrs ago #17
Yep, sometimes something dissolvable, safe, and Ilsa 8 hrs ago #24
He really is one dumb SOB Bristlecone 8 hrs ago #18
Kick that hornet's nest, you miserable brain-dead incompetent... hlthe2b 8 hrs ago #20
Jello helps with digestion issues Racygrandma 8 hrs ago #23
When my mom had cancer jfz9580m 7 hrs ago #33
The new desserts will include stewed roadkill Wicked Blue 8 hrs ago #25
When my husband was in ICU vankuria 8 hrs ago #26
This message was self-deleted by its author vankuria 8 hrs ago #27
Bill Cosby was not available for comment. twodogsbarking 8 hrs ago #28
A little help -misanthroptimist 8 hrs ago #29
Maybe trump university 💩 IcyPeas 1 hr ago #74
Is this from "The Onion? It's got to be a joke. Ritabert 7 hrs ago #32
shithole, administration, cabinet, republican party are all bat-shit crazy.................. Lovie777 7 hrs ago #34
RFK, Jr. is mandating liberalgunwilltravel 7 hrs ago #35
Brain Worm speaks again. Joinfortmill 7 hrs ago #37
No, that's the host speaking,... El Mimbreno 5 hrs ago #61
This kind of coercive governing is bullshit SpankMe 7 hrs ago #40
Why worry about Jello? We don't even NEED hospitals! 70sEraVet 7 hrs ago #42
Why are we taking medical advice from someone with a law degree, not a medical degree. Irish_Dem 6 hrs ago #44
If he really wants to make hospital food healthier... bluescribbler 6 hrs ago #45
RFK Jr knows all about Jell-O, generalbetrayus 6 hrs ago #46
That is every hospital in the country. idahoblue 6 hrs ago #48
This dip fuck should ban sugar. Or anything else he doesn't like Autumn 6 hrs ago #49
This creature is demented. travelingthrulife 6 hrs ago #52
I'm not a fan of jello -I don't eat the stuff myself - but it certainly has a place in hospitals for people in recovery Martin68 5 hrs ago #54
Democrats must impeach this utterly unqualified, incompetent, dangerous ghoul. dalton99a 5 hrs ago #57
Is he anti-Ensure too? Jilly_in_VA 5 hrs ago #60
JFC! People are in the hospital temporarily and the nutritionists know what they're doing. chowder66 4 hrs ago #62
You wanna help MF'er. Buddyzbuddy 4 hrs ago #63
More possum penis. Or was that raccoon? Buddyzbuddy 4 hrs ago #64
RFK Jr. is the same as all others popsdenver 3 hrs ago #65
Is Jello still served in schools? Now they will get whale heads and racoon penis*s twodogsbarking 3 hrs ago #67
I'm so old that I remember when you could smoke in hospitals. OMGWTF 2 hrs ago #69
Next, he'll ban glucose in IV's! LeftInTX 2 hrs ago #70
+1 dalton99a 1 hr ago #73
THAT'S ALL THESE DJT THUGS DO: THREATEN. DEPRIVE. DESTROY. ColoringFool 1 hr ago #71
Oh no, this is real. You got me; I was sure this was TheOnion. Grokenstein 1 hr ago #75
See: Mayor Bloomberg and Michelle Obama .... IcyPeas 1 hr ago #76
Bloomberg's "sugary drinks" thing eventually morphed into a tax on "sugary drinks" here in Philly BumRushDaShow 1 hr ago #78
Someone needs to warn kegsbreath mercuryblues 1 hr ago #77
And they come in so many pretty colors too! BumRushDaShow 58 min ago #79
;-{) The Jell-O Ultimatum Goonch 49 min ago #80
Next he'll demand thay don't provide sugar for the coffee they serve to the patients. patphil 9 min ago #81
Any excuse to withhold healthcare funding. Doodley 2 min ago #82

ratchiweenie

(8,229 posts)
55. I looked it up because I thought it came from horses too.
Fri May 1, 2026, 11:22 AM
5 hrs ago

Jell-O's gelatin is derived from the collagen found in the bones, skin, and connective tissues of animals, mainly pigs and cows.

It's still kinda icky and I don't like jello but my husband, son, and grandkids still love it. And yes, sometimes it is the only thing a person can keep down when they are sick. The man is a total idiot.

Irish_Dem

(82,006 posts)
3. Sometimes jello is all you can keep down. And you need the calories and hydration.
Fri May 1, 2026, 07:22 AM
9 hrs ago

Your body needs calories to heal.

Irish_Dem

(82,006 posts)
53. Our mothers always kept jello stocked in their cupboards.
Fri May 1, 2026, 11:03 AM
5 hrs ago

For all the reasons we are mentioning.

They had to keep liquids and calories in their kids when they could not eat for one reason or another.

Dental work, flu, sugary, stomach problems.

Irish_Dem

(82,006 posts)
58. Exactly.
Fri May 1, 2026, 11:33 AM
5 hrs ago

Some years ago I had a serious fall and broke three vertebra in my back.

I had to have surgery to repair all of it.

After the surgery, the pain meds made me sick to my stomach and I could not hold anything down. I could not eat.

The nurses kept telling me that if I did not eat, the bones in my back would not heal.
So it was mostly jello for me. I could keep that down and get some calories in my system.
It kept me going until I could get some food down.

yourout

(8,857 posts)
4. There needs to be a law that says the director has to have a medical license.
Fri May 1, 2026, 07:24 AM
9 hrs ago

This is just nuts.

Hugin

(37,943 posts)
5. Yes plain Cheerios are served in many hospitals.
Fri May 1, 2026, 07:26 AM
9 hrs ago

They are high in fiber and being oats have many benefits including lower starch and carbohydrates.

Rubber chickens on the other hand.

He’s just talking to hear himself prattle.

ShazzieB

(22,787 posts)
21. The same can be said of lots of "healthy" foods.
Fri May 1, 2026, 08:26 AM
8 hrs ago

Including fruits and vegetables, unless you buy only organically grown produce and other plant based foods (which are more expensive, if you can even find the stuff).

I've been alive for over 76 years now, eating stuff RFK Jr would be horrified by the whole time. If the stuff was going to kill me, it's had plenty of time to do so by now. I refuse to worry about what a man who thinks raw milk is a super food says I should or shouldn't eat, lol.

deurbano

(3,003 posts)
66. But he's not horrified by germs... as in snorting cocaine off toilet seats!
Fri May 1, 2026, 01:18 PM
3 hrs ago

It was never the germs... but apparently, always the jello.

Plus, does he actually believe in fruits and vegetables, organic or not? His carnivore diet seems to avoid them as much as sugar and grain.

I'm his age, and we are not far behind you in age... and given all his other lifestyle choices, I doubt healthy eating was ever a priority. And apparently, he still goes to tanning salons to achieve a face that looks like an old catcher's mitt! But it's not enough to be so wildly reckless with his own health; he wants others to have the same chance to give themselves skin cancer:
https://www.npr.org/2026/03/19/nx-s1-5752430/fda-tanning-beds

BumRushDaShow

(171,385 posts)
31. It (the plain kind) as an example, has been something recommended for toddlers as an early "solid finger food" for years
Fri May 1, 2026, 09:09 AM
7 hrs ago

(since it will more easily dissolve). But he must be fixating on their flavored versions -



Hugin

(37,943 posts)
41. Having had too many hospital stays...
Fri May 1, 2026, 09:55 AM
7 hrs ago

I can vouch that fiber is your friend.

In the hospitals defense, I have only ever seen the plain variety.

They take the diets very seriously. Like a strict cardiac diet cuts out cheddar cheese. Too much salt. No grilled cheese for you!

BumRushDaShow

(171,385 posts)
50. Oh I know
Fri May 1, 2026, 10:51 AM
6 hrs ago

Been there done that myself (along with family having the ordeal). Have never had any problems with the food.

Back when I was in high school, I used to do 4 hour shifts as a Candy Striper. Had my pink and white-striped jumper, crisply starched hat, and cushiony white "nurse" shoes. Could do my whole hospital round in that slot time frame. Now that hospital has quadrupled in size (I had done the "old original building" back then) and there is no way!

ms liberty

(11,315 posts)
7. Fix the disgusting mess we're feeding the soldiers none of you care about first
Fri May 1, 2026, 07:40 AM
9 hrs ago

Hospital food is fine. Every one I've eaten in for the last, oh my whole lifetime, has been pretty damn good for the most part.


Ilsa

(64,493 posts)
22. With only a few excrptions, hospital food is fine,
Fri May 1, 2026, 08:31 AM
8 hrs ago

usually low fat. I think I'd take a shaker of pepper and some cayenne next time I'm overnight.

samplegirl

(14,078 posts)
11. Why don't he
Fri May 1, 2026, 07:47 AM
9 hrs ago

Worry about the poison being sprayed on our fruits and vegetables instead????

Glysophate!

Bengus81

(10,298 posts)
13. Out with Jello squares and IN with raccoon penis!
Fri May 1, 2026, 07:56 AM
9 hrs ago

And to think how much I admired that guy decades ago.

Botany

(77,688 posts)
15. Knowledge of a subject has never stopped that jack wagon from speaking about that subject.
Fri May 1, 2026, 07:58 AM
9 hrs ago

Hospitals have dietitians with college degrees in that subject. They had to take chemistry, biology,
biochemistry, physiology, and lots of classes in food science too. My mother taught human nutrition
@ nursing schools, colleges, as well as working in hospitals, the Ohio Department of Corrections … the inmates got a balanced diet …. and she wrote a textbook that was used all over too.

Btw a lot of people in hospitals are facing life ending diseases and if some chocolates, soda pop,
and cheese burgers make them have a little enjoyment so be it.

RFK Jr. is bereft of any real knowledge. Besides if you snort coke from toilet seats, shot heroin,
and spread disinformation about medicine then you shouldn’t be talking about it.

RFK Jr. is like Trump in that he is burning America to the ground.

BigmanPigman

(55,450 posts)
16. I eat sugar free jello and it's good.
Fri May 1, 2026, 08:12 AM
8 hrs ago

Why can't they serve that instead?

I mix it into non fat plain yogurt for a treat.

LeftInTX

(34,728 posts)
36. Jello is considered a clear liquid. People on clear liquid diets need sugar.
Fri May 1, 2026, 09:32 AM
7 hrs ago

It's temporary for surgery prep and recovery.
Because it's their only source of calories.
Can't have yogurt on clear liquid diets.

I personally hate the stuff, but had to eat lemon jello for colonscopy prep.

It's that or clear/lemon gatorade or 7UP, which is also high in sugar.

Sugar is the most basic and simplest form of calories.

Post-op clear liquids are also the diet.

BumRushDaShow

(171,385 posts)
38. Me and my sisters laugh about the "clears"
Fri May 1, 2026, 09:45 AM
7 hrs ago

E.g , something like a low sodium chicken broth from a bullion cube, and FINALLY transitioning to a broth with one fat droplet floating on top, where we could get excited knowing we were on our way to solid food soon.

Hugin

(37,943 posts)
47. I was on a "clear" for three weeks back in the day...
Fri May 1, 2026, 10:16 AM
6 hrs ago

Salivation over hot cloudy beige water is something to behold. I don’t remember any jell-o. Only “bullion”, “tea”, and sometimes “ice” for dessert.

I could hear the food cart rolling off of the elevator at the way far end of the hall and ever so slowly creeping up my way.

Zackzzzz

(385 posts)
68. When I was little, recovering, measles + pneumonia, I remember the fat droplet floating on top.
Fri May 1, 2026, 01:52 PM
3 hrs ago

My Grandmother was a nurse in 1900 and when I got better she made me this concoction.
It might have a name, I just don't remember.
In your oatmeal bowl, you put a peeled, soft boiled egg.
Chop it up.
Then add a slice of torn, warm bread.
Give a good mix and then add a little milk.
Yummy

Historic NY

(40,112 posts)
17. What he doesn't know is harmful
Fri May 1, 2026, 08:15 AM
8 hrs ago

clear liquid diet, no solid foods..... On my long term hospitalization I was on a feeding tube for 54 days the switch to food took time. They used to mix up a ginger ale slurry with ice to give me some thing to activate swallowing.

Ilsa

(64,493 posts)
24. Yep, sometimes something dissolvable, safe, and
Fri May 1, 2026, 08:36 AM
8 hrs ago

soft is needed to activate the entirety of the digestive system from lips to anus.

hlthe2b

(114,387 posts)
20. Kick that hornet's nest, you miserable brain-dead incompetent...
Fri May 1, 2026, 08:25 AM
8 hrs ago
The blowback is going to be delicious! (far better than the jello, but still)

Racygrandma

(199 posts)
23. Jello helps with digestion issues
Fri May 1, 2026, 08:33 AM
8 hrs ago

My husband has to go to the bathroom a lot. He was told jello helps to resolve that issue. So he buys the little jello cups at the store. Yeah brainworm guy.

jfz9580m

(17,600 posts)
33. When my mom had cancer
Fri May 1, 2026, 09:16 AM
7 hrs ago

And was undergoing chemo, finding anything she could keep down was hard.
We just needed to get some calories into her she could keep down. Jello might have worked come to think of it.
Kennedy is an ass.

Response to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Lovie777

(23,422 posts)
34. shithole, administration, cabinet, republican party are all bat-shit crazy..................
Fri May 1, 2026, 09:20 AM
7 hrs ago

RW 6 jerks is right up with them..................

winning the November elections this year hopefully will be the beginning to end this total nightmare.

The above mentioned people are terrorists and enjoy terrorizing the American people.

SpankMe

(3,741 posts)
40. This kind of coercive governing is bullshit
Fri May 1, 2026, 09:52 AM
7 hrs ago

When the federal gov't withheld highway funds from states that didn't implement a 55 mph speed limit on highways, conservatives characterized it as government opression. Any federal gov't monetery incentives used to implement (i.e., 'force') a government policy has been labeled 'overreach'.

Now, suddenly, we're blackmailing hospitals into banning Cheerios and Jello by threatening Medicare and Medicaid money?

The word 'hypocrisy' doesn't begin to cover this.

Also, things like Jello, Cheerios, saltine crackers and such are mild foods that provide a soft touch to the system when recovering from surgery and general anesthesia. You don't eat steak and broccoli as your first meal after waking up. That'll put you into gastric violence.

Further, small children undergoing hospitalization need to consume food - any food - so they don't fall into malnutrition. You can't feed them liver and onions.

70sEraVet

(5,569 posts)
42. Why worry about Jello? We don't even NEED hospitals!
Fri May 1, 2026, 09:57 AM
7 hrs ago

We got President Jesus who can heal people with his radioactive hands!

bluescribbler

(2,544 posts)
45. If he really wants to make hospital food healthier...
Fri May 1, 2026, 10:11 AM
6 hrs ago

He should tell them to stop serving overcooked vegetables.

Martin68

(27,977 posts)
54. I'm not a fan of jello -I don't eat the stuff myself - but it certainly has a place in hospitals for people in recovery
Fri May 1, 2026, 11:20 AM
5 hrs ago

or suffering from conditions that impair their ability chew , swallow, or comfortably eat solid food.

Jilly_in_VA

(14,528 posts)
60. Is he anti-Ensure too?
Fri May 1, 2026, 11:49 AM
5 hrs ago

Because sometimes that's the only thing we could get down our elderly patientents. Or really sick ones whe were on a liquid diet (not dlear).Or milkshakes. Or, God forbid, ICE CREAM for kiddies or adults? Get rid of this idiot by whatever means.

Buddyzbuddy

(2,785 posts)
63. You wanna help MF'er.
Fri May 1, 2026, 12:49 PM
4 hrs ago

Help to get corn syrup in any form of ingredients out of "sugar free" food.
You can't recommend that though because that would piss off the corn growers, and the pharmaceutical industry which pays bribe money to politicians.

Truth in labeling is tantamount to people's health.

popsdenver

(2,487 posts)
65. RFK Jr. is the same as all others
Fri May 1, 2026, 01:14 PM
3 hrs ago

In the Trump/Republican's administration..........

If for every position in their entire CABAL they had a candidate list of descending qualifications of 1000 people made for each job.............they would/have picked # 1000 at the bottom of the list.......SERIOUSLY

AND, it isn't by accident..........

In Hill Billy jargon, all are "suck egg dogs"........

OMGWTF

(5,193 posts)
69. I'm so old that I remember when you could smoke in hospitals.
Fri May 1, 2026, 02:21 PM
2 hrs ago

In high school (class of '74), I was a volunteer Candy Striper at the local hospital. A patient with a broken leg gave me a note and some money to buy him a pack of cigarettes from the gift shop in the lobby. I brought the smokes to him and watched him puff-puff away in front of his doctors. Hell, our high school had a special smoking section for students who weren't old enough to buy cigarettes.

Grokenstein

(6,394 posts)
75. Oh no, this is real. You got me; I was sure this was TheOnion.
Fri May 1, 2026, 03:35 PM
1 hr ago

THEY. WANT. YOU. TO. DIE.
and they want you to suffer while dying.

IcyPeas

(25,675 posts)
76. See: Mayor Bloomberg and Michelle Obama ....
Fri May 1, 2026, 03:44 PM
1 hr ago
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s ban on large-sized sodas at certain establishments, colloquially known as the soda ban, is a lesson in how to make your cause look ridiculous.

Bloomberg hoped the ban would spark a nationwide crackdown on sugary beverages. Instead, it became the subject of widespread mockery, inspired an instant-classic New York Post headline (“Soda Jerk”) and got struck down by a New York judge this week as “arbitrary and capricious.”

https://www.politico.com/story/2013/03/bloombergs-soda-folly-088841

Before Trump’s efforts to make kids healthier, there was Michelle Obama
The first lady’s “Let’s Move!” initiative to improve school nutrition and exercise drew some criticism from the right — which has been much more muted as the Trump administration promotes MAHA messaging.

But the first lady drew widespread partisan backlash for her efforts, as right-wing media personalities and Republicans vehemently criticized related regulation as government overreach. They have been more muted as the Trump administration, led in part by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now adopts similar messaging about children’s health.

https://19thnews.org/2025/08/michelle-obama-trump-maha-healthy-children/


BumRushDaShow

(171,385 posts)
78. Bloomberg's "sugary drinks" thing eventually morphed into a tax on "sugary drinks" here in Philly
Fri May 1, 2026, 03:59 PM
1 hr ago

But in the OP's case, brainworm host is looking for a solution to an almost non-existent problem by targeting HOSPITALS, that are already set up for providing specific dietary needs based on a patient's health/condition. But in reality, this is being done to continue to GUT Medicaid by withholding funds.

mercuryblues

(16,492 posts)
77. Someone needs to warn kegsbreath
Fri May 1, 2026, 03:58 PM
1 hr ago

Lime Jell-o is fantastic made with Tequilla. Coconut Jello with rum...

Jell-o is the gateway drug to blue raspberry and vodka shots.

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