Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and former daytime talk show star, has recently been emailing all federal workers in his agency weekly tips on “Crushing Cubicle Cravings” and how to avoid snacking in the office.
“We all love a fun cookie swap and potluck this time of year. With several teams across CMS hosting holiday gatherings this month, I am sharing some strategies to help you make healthier choices—while still indulging in festive treats,” Oz wrote in his latest missive, which appears as a recurring section in his weekly bulletin titled “From the Administrator’s Desk,” according to emails viewed by WIRED.
“Set your intentions,” writes Oz. “Decide in advance how many treats you’ll allow yourself to enjoy and try to stick to that number. You don’t have to try every cookie on the cookie table.”
His email continues with further guidance: “practice portion control,” “be mindful,” and “don’t double fist,” he tells the agency’s more than 6,000 employees. He advises subordinates to “eat off a small plate when you can and take small portions of treats so you can enjoy them without overeating,” to eat more slowly (“Savor each bite, put your fork down between bites, and pay attention to your body’s cues,” he counsels), and not to hold food and beverages in more than one hand so as to free up “the other for shaking hands with colleagues and friends during this festive period.”
This kind of advice has appeared in Oz’s emails since early November.
In the past, Oz has promoted a number of unproven medical tips surrounding weight loss. He at one time pushed weight-loss solutions that he subsequently admitted in a 2014 Senate subcommittee hearing “don’t have the scientific muster to present as fact.” (Oz had promoted one such product on his show as “magic,” claiming, “You may think magic is make-believe, but this little bean has scientists saying they’ve found the magic weight-loss cure for every body type—it’s green coffee extract.”)
Oz, who has also shared incorrect information about the use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine as a treatment for Covid, had not seemingly worked in health care policy before taking over as CMS administrator this year. CMS oversees the provision of health care coverage for more than 160 million people. Current CMS employees have described the agency to WIRED as “the most policy-dense organization in government,” where the CMS administrator makes decisions on where to spend billions of dollars in a high-stakes environment. As the administrator of CMS, Oz works under health care conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“Dr. Oz knows it’s not easy balancing a healthy lifestyle and a demanding job. That’s why he offers and welcomes tips and encouragement to help the hardworking CMS team stay healthy while they work hard to ensure millions of Americans access quality health care, which is entirely appropriate. So far, the feedback has been positive,” says CMS spokesperson Christopher Krepich.
