Since President-elect Donald Trump tapped Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) last week, there has been a heightened focus on Kennedy’s initiative to "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA).
One of Kennedy’s widely reported goals has been to reduce kids’ consumption of ultraprocessed foods.
"We have a generation of kids who are swimming around in a toxic soup right now," Kennedy previously told Fox News. "We’re letting these industries corrupt our agencies and mass poison them."
ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD CONSUMPTION IN US POSES RISK FOR KIDS
Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News, joined "Fox & Friends" on Monday to discuss the HHS Secretary nominee’s plans to reduce ultraprocessed foods, which have been shown to make up 73% of the country’s food supply.
One of the biggest dangers associated with the current food supply is food dyes, Siegel said.
"Food coloring is a problem," he said. "Red Dye No. 3 has been banned in Europe. They're banning it in California. It's been associated with cancer in animals."
Food dyes have been associated with hyperactivity in children, Siegel warned.
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Democrats and Republicans alike have pushed for banning food dyes, the doctor noted, but the food industry and food lobbyists have fought back.
"There's a concern here that if this ends up with more regulations, that will drive prices up — and food grocery store prices are already a problem," Siegel added.
In terms of ultraprocessed foods, Siegel said he agrees with Kennedy’s claims that kids are "swimming in a toxic soup."
Some of the most harmful additives include MSG and high-fructose corn syrup, the latter of which "directly causes obesity," according to Siegel.
Nitrates are also a concern, as they have been shown to cause cancer in animals, the doctor said, as well as excess sugar and salt.
"People just get drawn in to eat and eat and eat, and they gain weight," Siegel said.
"When they gain weight, they get high blood pressure, they get diabetes, they get heart disease, and they have a risk for cancer."
Siegel pointed to some significant regulatory obstacles that Kennedy will need to overcome.
"There’s pressure being put on the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) by the food industry, by the pharmaceutical industry, by the lobby groups in Congress," he said.
"They have so much power, they pretty much dwarf the FDA."
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The goal isn’t to "squash big pharma," however, Siegel said, pointing out that pharmaceutical companies are "doing great things," such as coming up with "tremendous new treatments" and personalized solutions through artificial intelligence and other biotechnologies.
However, he noted, the health care system tends to operate like a "sick care system," making money from people’s illnesses.
"They should give tax incentives for going on the treadmill or taking a walk in the morning or eating farm-to-table food or having more produce," Siegel said.
"We've got to go back to a healthier lifestyle, and then we'll have less money spent on being ultra sick."
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Overall, Siegel said, Kennedy is "on the right track" with his plans to fight ultraprocessed foods.
"Whether he can accomplish it is a different story," he added.
