Latest news with #ultraProcessedFoods
The Guardian
27 minutes ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Key RFK Jr advisers stand to profit from a new federal health initiative
Federal health officials are seeking to launch a 'bold, edgy' public service campaign to warn Americans of the dangers of ultra-processed foods in social media, transit ads, billboards and even text messages. And they potentially stand to profit off the results. Ultra-processed foods are a fixation for the US health and human services (HHS) secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, a vaccine skeptic who believes the US industrialized food supply is a 'primary culprit' behind many chronic diseases. 'We need to fix our food supply. And that's the number one thing,' Kennedy said at his confirmation hearing. Bringing healthier foods to Americans has proved to be one of the most resonant issues of Kennedy's 'Make America healthy again' (Maha) campaign – and arguably the only one that Democrats and Republicans agree on in principle. Kennedy has spent most of his tenure as health secretary dismantling key components of US vaccine infrastructure, instituting mass firings and defunding chronic disease prevention programs, such as for tobacco use. The secretary has been less successful in reigning in food makers. Food advocates have described voluntary changes between the government and manufacturers 'disappointing'. Kennedy was criticized by congressional Republicans for targeting agricultural pesticides in the 'Maha' report before it was even released – showing the limits of Republicans appetite for regulation, then the report itself was riddled with errors, likely generated by AI. 'The campaign's creative content will turn heads, create viral moments on social media, and – above all else – inspire Americans to take back their health through eating real food,' said a document published by the federal government that described the campaign. The campaign is expected to cost between $10m to $20m, according to documents. Anyone seeking to apply for the award will have a quick turnaround – the deadline is 26 June. 'The purpose of this requirement is to alert Americans to the role of processed foods in fueling the diabetes epidemic and other chronic diseases, inspire people to take personal responsibility for their diets, and drive measurable improvements in diabetes prevention and national health outcomes,' it continued. The new public relations campaign also highlights the Trump administration's unconventional approach to hiring – including its reliance on special government employees. A key adviser to Kennedy, Calley Means, could directly benefit from one of the campaign's stated aims: popularizing 'technology like wearables as cool, modern tools for measuring diet impact and taking control of your own health'. Calley Means is a senior Kennedy adviser, and was hired as a special government employee to focus on food policy, according to Bloomberg. He founded a company that helps Americans get such wearable devices reimbursed tax-free through health savings accounts. Casey Means is Calley's sister. She also runs a healthcare start-up, although hers sells wearable devices such as continuous glucose monitors. She is Kennedy's nominee for US surgeon general, and a healthcare entrepreneur whose business sells continuous glucose monitors – one such wearable device. Calley Means's company also works with Casey's company. Due to Calley Means's status as a special employee, he has not been forced to divest from his private business interests – a situation that has already resulted in an ethics complaint. Consumer advocates, such as the non-profit group Public Citizen, had warned such hiring practices could cause conflicts of interest. HHS did not respond to a request for comment about Calley Means's private business interests, or his role in crafting the publicity campaign. Although the publicity campaign focuses on the ultra-processed foods connection to diabetes, at least one high profile nutritionist was queasy about its focus. 'The ultra-processed foods – some of those include breakfast cereals that are ultra-processed because they are fortified with vitamins,' said Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. 'Those are good if they're whole grain breakfast cereals and whole grain breads,' he said. Ultra-processed foods are generally recognized as sodas, salty snacks and frozen meals engineered to be shelf-stable, convenient and inexpensive. Such foods are associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes – or insulin resistance. The mechanism by which such foods could increase risk of diabetes is unknown, a problem that extends in part from the 'heterogeneous category' of foods that the ultra-processed category encompasses. The publicity campaign proposal does not venture into defining the category, even as Kennedy has fixated on it 'poisoning the American people'. 'When you say processed foods you don't envision a Coke in your brain, and that's the biggest problem,' said Willett, who added that most public service campaigns are carefully crafted and tested for effectiveness.
Fox News
3 days ago
- Health
- Fox News
YouTube star Doctor Mike has warning for RFK Jr.'s MAHA movement
Social media star Doctor Mike shared his thoughts in a new interview on the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement and how he believes the movement can be improved. Board-certified physician and YouTuber Dr. Mikhail Varshavski has been outspoken about his criticisms of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. However, he told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that he would "without a doubt" be open to sitting with Kennedy if given the opportunity. The Make America Healthy Again commission chaired by Kennedy has been "tasked with investigating and addressing the root causes of America's escalating health crisis, with an initial focus on childhood chronic diseases," the White House explained to Fox News Digital at the beginning of the second Trump administration. Doctor Mike said of the MAHA movement, "I think the movement has ignited a good conversation in that we're talking about health. So I like it for that." But the physician is skeptical of the movement's methods. Doctor Mike applauded the desire to limit the amount of ultra-processed foods consumed by children, but believes the problems with these foods go beyond the ingredient list. "The reason why ultra-processed food has been so harmful to us as a society is not because there's one specific chemical found in each of these foods. It's because the foods have been engineered in a way where they make you feel hungry very soon upon eating them, so they don't satiate you," he said. "Two, they're usually empty calories, meaning that there are not good micronutrients in them." He believes the overconsumption of these foods is partially responsible for the obesity epidemic facing America today, and therefore argues that the problem is with overconsumption rather than simply what is in these foods. "I want to be as useful and practical as possible," he said. "That's what family medicine does. We find practical solutions for complex problems with our patients. And focusing and nitpicking on specific chemicals won't get us there." A board-certified family medicine physician with 14 million YouTube subscribers, he makes videos focused on providing entertainment, information and answering questions on a variety of health-related topics. Doctor Mike immigrated to the United States from Russia with his family at the age of 6. Doctor Mike doesn't believe focusing on ingredients will result in "drastic changes." "These manufacturers are still trying to get kids to consume ultra-processed foods. That's their fiduciary responsibility. They want to make money for their shareholders. But what we have to do is shift that incentivization away and actually put laws on the books, guidelines on the book, where it's not just a handshake agreement and saying, please phase out these ingredients, but make sure what we're phasing out will actually help," he said. Doctor Mike uses his YouTube channel to provide health information to millions of his subscribers, but also believes government agencies need to take a role in education to help Americans make better dietary decisions. "We need to bring back education surrounding nutrition labels. And this needs to happen on a massive scale. Like I can do it on my social media all day long. But if the government agencies are now participating in this research, if it's not making its way to middle schools, junior high schools, high schools colleges, we're doing a disservice to our children," he said. Doctor Mike wrote a Fox News op-ed in May about his opinions of RFK Jr. and the direction of the HHS, stating "our nation's health system is in shambles, and the leadership of HHS plays a pivotal role in fixing this disaster." Doctor Mike alleges that Kennedy, known for his vaccine skepticism, shares medical "misinformation," and doesn't believe he is the right person to lead the department. "Today, I say that Kennedy is the wrong person to lead HHS. The integrity of our nation's health agencies demands leadership grounded in facts, research, and transparency — not misinformation," Doctor Mike said. However, he is open to talking with him. "I think no matter how much you disagree with someone, the first step is to find common ground," Doctor Mike said. "And if there's truly an appetite for wanting to make people healthier, wanting people to make better decisions for themselves, I'm all for it." The MAHA commission is focusing on four policy directives to reverse chronic disease, including providing Americans transparency on health data to "avoid conflicts of interest in all federally funded health research;" prioritizing "gold-standard research on why Americans are getting sick" in all federally-funded health research; working with farmers to ensure food is healthy, as well as affordable; and expanding health coverage and treatment options "for beneficial lifestyle changes and disease prevention." Reached for comment, an HHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "Targeting harmful additives isn't 'nitpicking,' it is a necessary first step in confronting a broken food system that's fueling America's chronic disease epidemic. As highlighted in the MAHA report, our nation's children are increasingly neglecting the whole foods essential for their health as the consumption of ultra-processed foods has surged. More than 1 in 5 U.S. children over age 6 are obese—a 270% increase since the 1970s. "Meaningful, systemic change requires more than general advice; it demands bold action and accountability. That is exactly what Secretary Kennedy is delivering."
Forbes
4 days ago
- Health
- Forbes
5 Harmful Foods To Avoid For Better Health & Weight Loss
When people decide it's time to eat healthier to lose weight or manage a health condition, they ask the same question: What should I eat? Answers typically come in the form of which diet to follow: keto, paleo, plant-based, Mediterranean or something else. But here's a better question and one that may lead to bigger, longer-lasting change: What harmful foods should I not eat? We've lost sight of a deceptively simple truth. Most health improvements from dietary change don't come from adding so-called superfoods. They come from removing the foods that are actively hurting our health. There may be individual reasons to follow a specific diet — food sensitivities, religious or cultural preferences or a physician's guidance. But for most, focusing on what not to eat may be the most impactful and sustainable diet of all. The modern American diet is dominated by ultra-processed, calorie-dense nutrient-poor foods. More than 60% of the average American's calories come from ultra-processed products. Think packaged snacks, sugary drinks, frozen meals, fast food and refined carbohydrates. These foods are actively harmful to health. Study after study links diets high in ultra-processed foods to obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and early death. In one randomized trial, just two weeks on an ultra-processed diet led to significant weight gain and increases in hunger hormones — even when calories and macronutrients (e.g. proteins, carbohydrates and fats) were matched. Ultra-processed foods don't just make us sick, they're designed to override satiety signals, encouraging us to eat way more than we need. People often begin a diet by trying to add in healthier foods: a protein shake, oatmeal with blueberries or a salad at lunch. That's great — unless it's followed by a soda and a bag of chips later. Here's what works better: subtraction first. Cutting out refined sugar, white flour, ultra-processed snacks and heavily refined seed oils creates space for healthier choices to naturally take their place. People often report feeling better, craving less and even losing weight without counting calories. Just by cutting out the junk food. Think of it as nutritional minimalism: instead of obsessing over what to eat, ask what you can do without. This gives you flexibility. You can eat Mediterranean on Monday, Asian on Tuesday and plant-based on Wednesday. As long as the foods are whole and minimally processed, you're moving in the right direction. Yes, calories matter. But where they come from matters more. Two-hundred calories from salmon and broccoli is not the same as 200 calories from soda and cookies. The former fuels satiety, muscle repair and leads to stable blood sugar levels. The latter triggers glucose spikes, inflammation and rebound hunger. The real issue isn't just overeating — it's over-consuming 'bad' calories. When you remove the foods that spike insulin, disrupt hormones and hijack appetite regulation, you naturally eat fewer total calories because your body self-regulates more effectively. No matter the diet philosophy, there's surprising consensus among experts about what to avoid. Here are the top offenders: Removing these — even partially — can improve energy, sleep, mood and hunger. Unlike restrictive diets, this lets you eat in any style that works for you — as long as you're cutting out the worst offenders. Most diets fail not because people don't know what to eat, but because they're too complicated or rigid. A subtraction-first approach is simpler and more sustainable. You don't have to adopt a 'perfect' diet overnight. Start with a single rule: no sugary drinks. Or avoid any product with more than five ingredients. These changes add up —gradually shifting habits often without requiring calorie tracking, apps or special meal plans. This is also empowering. You're not relying on a meal delivery service or overpriced powders. You're simply removing low value and harmful foods. There's a hidden psychological advantage too. When you focus on what not to eat, you reduce decision fatigue. Saying 'I don't drink soda' or 'I don't eat fast food' provides a mental shortcut. These are called identity-based habits — and research shows they're more durable than external rules, according to Atomic Habits author James Clear. Yet taken to an extreme, this mindset can be problematic. It's not about cutting everything. It's about avoiding the foods most linked to fatigue, cravings and disease—not creating anxieties. Importantly, it's not about perfection. A diet that's 90% clean is dramatically better than one that's 50%. Even halving your (or your kids') intake of ultra-processed food can yield meaningful results. This 'cut the junk' strategy is increasingly backed by science. A 2024 BMJ study linked high ultra-processed food intake to higher risk of death from all causes. Yet many diet plans still push complex and unsustainable approaches: 'Eat these 12 superfoods" or 'Only eat high-fat, high-protein, low carbohydrate foods.' Sometimes the best advice is the simples: Eat real food; cut out the harmful foods; and let your body do the rest.
The Independent
04-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Ultra-processed food may pave the way for Parkinson's
A new study suggests that regular consumption of ultra-processed foods may increase the risk of developing early signs of Parkinson's disease. Ultra-processed foods include mass-produced bread, crisps, cereals, and fizzy drinks, which contain preservatives, artificial colours and flavours, and additives like emulsifiers. The study, published in the journal Neurology, tracked 43,000 people over 26 years, monitoring their health status and dietary habits through questionnaires and medical exams. Participants who consumed 11 or more servings of ultra-processed food per day had a 2.5-fold higher chance of showing early signs of Parkinson's disease compared to those consuming fewer than three servings. An author of the study, Xiang Gao from Fudan University in China, said reducing the intake of processed foods and increasing the consumption of whole, nutritious foods could be beneficial for maintaining brain health.
Wall Street Journal
03-06-2025
- Health
- Wall Street Journal
Why Some Ultra-Processed Foods Go Down So Easily, So Fast
New research is helping to answer an important question about ultra-processed foods: Which ones may be healthier? One reason many ultra–processed foods often lead us to eat big meals and heavy snacks is because of their texture, which makes them go down easily and quickly, according to a new study presented this week at a conference of the American Society for Nutrition in Orlando, Fla.
