NEWSDr. Mehmet Oz Bashed for Telling Employees to Eat Less and Skip Holiday Cookies: 'Last Doctor I Would Take Advice From'
Critics said Dr. Mehmet Oz is the 'last' person they would 'take advice' from.
Dec. 9 2025, Published 5:08 p.m. ET
Dr. Mehmet Oz is facing backlash after recommending federal employees resist indulging themselves in too many treats this holiday season.
Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), offered some tips for avoiding weight gain in an email entitled "Crushing Cubicle Cravings" on Monday, December 8.
The memo urged agency employees to "practice portion control" and "be mindful" of what they're consuming.
Dr. Mehmet Oz Sent Email Advising Employees to Eat Less
Dr. Mehmet Oz recommended federal employees 'practice portion control' this holiday season.
Dr. Oz — who rose to fame appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show throughout the early 2000s — suggested employees set "intentions" and "decide in advance how many treats" to have, telling them to "try to stick to that number."
"You don’t have to try every cookie on the cookie table," the former daytime talk show host, 65, wrote.
He proposed using smaller plates and eating more slowly.
"Savor each bite, put your fork down between bites, and pay attention to your body’s cues," he said.
CMS spokesperson Christopher Krepich said in a statement that Oz was offering "encouragement to help the hardworking CMS team stay healthy while they work hard to ensure millions of Americans access quality health care."
Social Media Reactions to Dr. Mehmet Oz's Memo
Dr. Mehmet Oz told employees, 'You don’t have to try every cookie on the cookie table.'
The internet has since been reacting to Oz's email, with many slamming his "strategies" for making "healthier choices."
One person wrote, "Oz is the last Dr. I would take advice from."
Another brought up President Donald Trump, 79, quipping, "Has he given his orange lover this advice too?"
A third wrote, "America is burning and Dr. Oz wants to take your Christmas cookies away- F that," as a fourth added: "Imagine your boss telling you how to eat. Wow.😳."
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Dr. Mehmet Oz has been telling people how to lose weight for decades.
Prior to Trump nominating him to run Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. Oz made a name for himself offering dieting advice on television.
After making a number of appearances as a "health expert" on Oprah Winfrey's show, he went on to get his own program, which ran from 2009 to 2022.
Trump and Oz faced an onslaught of criticism after the latter's appointment.
"America is facing a Healthcare Crisis, and there may be no Physician more qualified and capable than Dr. Oz to Make America Healthy Again," Trump wrote in a statement on Truth Social on Tuesday, November 19, 2024.
Dr. Mehmet Oz has been called an 'absolute clown' and a 'grifter' who peddles 'shady diet pills.'
One X user wrote, "Putting TV Dr. Oz in charge of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is like putting Tom Hanks in charge of NASA because he played an astronaut in Apollo 13."
A second person said, "Dr. Oz is an absolute clown who was sued for peddling obviously fake weight loss supplements."
Another user added, "This guy paved the way by selling so much pseudo-science BS, crappy supplements, and shady diet pills as an entertainer."
