RFK Jr.'s Bizarre 'Cake' For 72nd Birthday Highlights The Drawbacks Of His Extreme Diet

It's no secret that United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. adheres to a strict diet. "I am on a carnivore diet. I only eat meat or fermented foods," Kennedy said during an interview with USA Today. Alas, it appears that the protein aficionado affords himself very little wiggle room when it comes to eating clean — even on his birthday. On January 17, 2026, the federal agency took to their official Instagram and Twitter accounts to wish Kennedy a happy 72nd birthday, albeit with a notably bizarre choice of birthday dessert. "No cake, just steak," the post's caption read, along with a photo of the birthday boy grinning ear to ear while posing with a sizeable steak adorned with birthday candles.

It should be noted, however, that there are some major drawbacks when it comes to the health secretary's extreme diet. As the age-old saying goes, too much of a good thing is never a good thing. Suffice to say, there's actually a lot that can go wrong if you copy Kennedy's diet, starting with what what happens to your gut when you eat too much protein, not to mention the long-term effects of depriving yourself for extended periods of time that can ultimately give way to lesser-known eating disorders, including orthorexia, a disorder that stems from an obsession with eating only healthy food. 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made headlines on January 7 when he unveiled his all-new food pyramid, one that essentially turned the old model on its head, refocusing on protein, healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables. "Protein and healthy fats are essential and were wrongly discouraged in prior dietary guidelines. We are ending the war on saturated fats," he declared during the White House press briefing (via NPR). 

Ironically, the health secretary's new guidance bumps up against his own, much more extreme, carnivore diet, which traditionally excludes all vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts. "It's extremely restrictive and cuts out many, many nutritious foods that are proven by research to be health-promoting," registered dietitian Jamie Nadeau told USA Today about the carnivore diet in June 2024. "It's also a bad idea for long-term heart health as almost the entire diet is made up of high saturated fat foods," he added. 

For what it's worth, Kennedy has refuted the notion that he wants Americans to mimic his own lifestyle choices. "I don't want to make myself a role model for what people should do and shouldn't do," he said during an exclusive interview with USA Today. Still, he was quick to sing the diet's praises, noting that he had gotten "enormous benefit" from it and even claiming that he "lost 40% of [his] visceral fat," after only one month.