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On February 13, 2025, the US Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services in a 52–48 vote. Kennedy, one of President Donald J. Trump’s earliest cabinet picks, was a controversial choice, given his history of promoting scientific misinformation. His role now puts him at the helm of eighty thousand employees and over one hundred programs, overseeing agencies like the CDC, NIH, and FDA. Hours after his confirmation, Trump signed an executive order establishing the Make America Healthy Again Commission. With Kennedy as chair, he has influence over federal health initiatives and allows him to shape public health policies, regulatory frameworks, and research priorities.
Through days of confirmation hearings, the Senate questioned Kennedy about his views on various health-related topics, including vaccines, HIV/AIDS, and ultra-processed foods. When it came to ultra-processed foods, Kennedy did not mince his words. “Something is poisoning the American people, and we know that the primary culprits are our changing food supply—the switch to highly chemical-intensive processed foods,” he said, responding to Senator Roger Marshall of the Senate Finance Committee.
Kennedy linked processed foods to a slew of health issues in the US, including autoimmune diseases, neurological diseases, allergies, and obesity. While the connection between processed foods and rising obesity rates in the US may seem clear, Kennedy’s crusade against processed foods steps into an ongoing debate among nutrition experts: Are ultra-processed foods to blame for obesity?
As of now, the US government does not have a formal definition that distinguishes processed and unprocessed foods. Instead, agencies like the USDA make recommendations against foods high in saturated fats and added sugars, which tend to be more processed.
This issue becomes even more complex when considering so-called “ultra-processed” foods, which are commercially formulated products that often include artificial additives, preservatives, refined fats, or refined sugars. These ingredients have been linked to various health concerns, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic disorders, raising further nutritional and public health considerations. The difficulty is that nutrition experts still do not agree on what should be classified under the ultra-processed label.
Without a clear definition and consistent nutritional standards within different categories, establishing a causal relationship between processed foods and health outcomes is difficult.
Compounding the issue, some foods widely considered ultra-processed—such as yogurt and some cereals—are associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Processed foods may also be more nutrient-dense and come at a lower cost than alternatives. This paradox highlights the challenge of categorizing all processed foods as inherently unhealthy, as some may provide benefits that are difficult to account for with rigid categorizations.
While Kennedy singled out processed foods as the most important culprit behind the obesity epidemic, a 2024 report from the CDC recognizes the complex roles of genetics, stress, access to affordable food, and healthcare in driving rates of obesity. Due to the lack of conclusive evidence, the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which is overseen by the USDA and the US Department of Health and Human Services, declined to take a stance on ultra-processed foods. Their October 2024 report serves as a precursor to the official Dietary Guidelines for Americans, set to be released in late 2025—guidelines Kennedy may now attempt to influence.
Kennedy is not the only voice in the debate. The Guidelines Advisory Committee has faced scrutiny for its financial ties to food, pharmaceutical, and weight-loss companies, while food and beverage industry lobbyists have spent millions of dollars resisting restrictive guidelines.
If Kennedy moves forward with regulating processed foods, the classification system must be carefully considered, as it could affect the administration of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) also known as the Food Stamp Program.. Limits on food stamps based on a hasty definition of processed foods could keep nutrient-dense foods out of the hands of already vulnerable populations. A 2023 report from The Food Foundation found that healthy foods are twice as expensive as unhealthy foods. Without increased SNAP benefits, lower costs for whole foods, and improved access to healthy groceries, restrictions on ultra-processed foods could harm the very populations they aim to help.