Target: Robert Kennedy, Jr.
Goal: Do not dismiss role of scientists and researchers in diminishing destructive dietary influences.
President-elect Donald Trump recently tapped a controversial choice for his Secretary of Health and Human Services. Robert Kennedy, Jr. – noted for his skepticism about vaccines and about fluoride in drinking water – will lead America’s top health department. One of Kennedy’s top priorities for his new job could face opposition from his own allies.
Kennedy has frequently expressed his belief that ultra-processed foods (comprised mostly of additives and other industrial ingredients) are a serious threat to public health. In this instance, researchers seem to concur, as these foods have been linked to over 30 chronic health conditions. Unfortunately, they comprise well over two-thirds of Americans’ diet. Kennedy wants to seriously roll back on ultra-processed foods in school lunchrooms and across the nation.
Kennedy’s goals will likely run un against the massive deregulation effort that the new administration plans to impose, however. Those plans reportedly include a potential elimination of the dietary guidelines that agencies use to inform Americans about the food they consume. And Kennedy himself has vowed to restructure the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is already working to crack down on ultra-processed foods.
Sign the petition below to urge America’s potential newest health secretary to work with scientists to realize his goals in combatting America’s obesity epidemic.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Mr. Kennedy,
You pledged that in your new role as Secretary of Health and Human Services, you would focus on “empirically based, evidence-based science and medicine.” You have also waged a war against chronic disease and against ultra-processed foods. Yet some of your announced goals run counter to these aims.
For one, the dietary guidelines advisory committee and the FDA are crucial components in lessening the strangle-hold of ultra-processed foods on the food supply. Recommendations specifically related to ultra-processed foods are forthcoming. But some of your political allies have reportedly targeted U.S. dietary guidelines, and you have personally vowed to reform the FDA with hand-picked candidates.
Please honor your pledge and keep the focus on science when making selections. And do not bow to pressure from politicians who may want to deregulate the processed food industry at the expense of public health. Make America healthy again with the help of science.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Wallace Chuck
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