Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledges to make America healthy again

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants America to be healthy again. Under the slogan “Make America Healthy Again (MAHA),” Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has made it clear that he intends to promote healthier eating in the country.

Although Kennedy has been criticized by progressives for his position on vaccines, that changes when he talks about ultra-processed foods, additives and the influence of large corporations on production. On this issue, he has managed to get the support of much of the political class.

But, where Kennedy seems to have been most successful is in winning the support of President-elect Donald Trump. The Republican has advocated that, as leader of HHS, Kennedy could take more moderate positions on some issues.

Even after his election victory, Trump joked about Kennedy's position on processed foods and shared on Instagram a photo of the two on his plane, enjoying food from McDonald's, a habit Kennedy had criticized during the campaign:

"Make America Healthy Again starts TOMORROW," Trump wrote in an Instagram post.

There is no doubt that Kennedy will make it a priority to improve the way Americans eat. Kennedy has spoken lit against the food coloring in Fruit Loops cereal to the seed oils in chicken nuggets. In his opinion, this affects the health of Americans.

"We are betraying our children by letting [food] industries poison them," Kennedy said at a November rally, reported by BBC, after he ended his independent presidential bid and endorsed Donald Trump in the presidential race.

The reality is that if confirmed, Kennedy’s position that will allow him to directly influence policies related to food regulation, nutritional standards and federal dietary guidelines.

"As HHS Secretary, Kennedy would oversee the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has the authority to regulate food safety and nutrition labels," said TIME magazine.

In that regard, Jerold Mande, a former senior adviser to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and deputy assistant secretary for food safety at the Department of Agriculture, explained that one of the most important tools Kennedy would have at his disposal is the agency's involvement in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This is a document that shapes federal nutritional advice.

"For Kennedy, overseeing the Dietary Guidelines process could provide a platform to push for stronger recommendations against ultra-processed foods—particularly those laden with sugar, fat, and harmful additives," TIME reported.

Beyond the tools he may use, Kennedy released in September a summary of his proposals for President Trump to push for a healthy country again. Kennedy stressed that the GOP can unite the country on this issue.

"He has become the voice of countless Americans who have been let down by our elites. He could unite the country by making it his priority to make America healthy again," Kennedy said in an article published in the Wall Street Journal.

In that same article, Kennedy said that six out of every 10 adults in the country suffer from a chronic disease. He further explained that at least 74% of adults are overweight or obese and that rates of kidney disease, autoimmune diseases and cancer are on the rise.

"This is despite Americans spending more and more to treat many of these conditions. U.S. life expectancy is markedly lower than in every other developed country, with wide disparities between income classes," Kennedy said.

Kennedy is particularly focused on improving the well-being of children. One of his more than 10 proposals, for example, is to restrict Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients from using their food stamps to buy soda or processed foods.

"Nine percent of all SNAP funding goes to sweetened drinks, according to 2011 data. It’s nonsensical for U.S. taxpayers to spend tens of billions of dollars subsidizing junk that harms the health of low-income Americans," Kennedy said.

He also proposed revising regulations on the use of pesticides and other chemicals. He stated that in 2019, the United States allowed the use of 72 pesticides which are banned in the European Union.

"Some of these chemicals are quite common to our daily lives. Though glyphosate isn’t currently banned EU-wide due to disagreement between member states, it’s approved for use only through the end of 2033, when the issue will be revisited. Meanwhile in the U.S. the University of California, San Francisco, in 2015 found the chemical in 93% of the urine samples it studied,” he said.

He also believes that federally funded medical schools should include mandatory classes in nutrition and functional medicine.

In his opinion, 7 of the 10 leading causes of death among Americans are chronic diseases that, in many cases, could be prevented by improving eating habits. "However, approximately 80% of medical schools do not require a nutrition course," he said.

Similarly, within his action plan he also detailed that federal regulations should be modified so that NIH funds cannot go to researchers with conflicts of interest.

"A 2019 ProPublica analysis of disclosures going back to 2012 found that over 8,000 federally funded health researchers reported significant financial conflicts of interest.”

Finally, Kennedy believes that President Donald Trump can help Americans live healthy lives.

"His political courage and moral clarity about the danger of our compromised institutions give us the best opportunity in our lifetimes to revive America’s health,” he said.