How ironic! As an ardent progressive who has led the public interest science center for healthier diets for decades, I am disappointed that the next administration did not fight for effective policies. did.
But now, anti-regulatory, pro-industry forces have emerged, devour junk food President-elect Donald Trump swears in Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.go wild with food. “
somehowin his unfoundedness (“nutty” Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg raised concerns about vaccine safety, raw (and sometimes contaminated) milk and unsubstantiated treatments for COVID-19, Kennedy said. shouted The spread of chronic diseases andmass poisoningAmerican food evaluation.
Perhaps this is an exaggeration, but in reality, as many as 500,000 people are to blame for poor eating habits. Deaths (number) Year by year.
'Healthy food' should not be a 'partisan' issue, Kennedy saidhe promised:
- Eliminate ultra-processed foods from school lunches.
- Crack down on food coloring that can cause ADHD and possibly cancer.
- Bans the use of food stamps to purchase sugary drinks.
Below is my simple wish list of what President Kennedy, and others in the Trump administration, should focus on if they truly want to significantly improve the nation's health if confirmed by the Senate.
First, sugary drinks, which are pure calories, are a major cause of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The administration should ask Congress to tax soda to reduce consumption. The UK's three-tier tax system almost immediately reduced the average sugar content of soft drinks by 44% and reduced obesity among girls. mexican tax isSales decreased by 10% A sugary drink.
In the United States, Berkeley, Seattle, Philadelphia and other jurisdictions impose taxes of 1 to 2 cents per ounce on sugary drinks. As a result, consumption declined rapidly.
According to recent research, obesity The number of children in taxing jurisdictions decreased or did not increase compared to the increases seen in tax-exempt cities. Some jurisdictions, such as Berkeley and Seattle (King County), are using tax revenue to expand public health programs. A national tax would raise billions of dollars that could be used to fund health care programs or simply reduce the budget deficit.
Then, as President Kennedy is proposing, a separate department, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, would be required to provide food stamps (currently the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) to purchase these sugary beverages that are currently covered by the program. (known as SNAP) should be banned. single-most purchased items.
Judging from 2011 estimatesSNAP recipients spend about $10 billion every year Sales of sugar-sweetened beverages (direct subsidies to bottlers). Indeed, limiting SNAP benefits may be somewhat paternalistic, as some have charged, but taxpayer-funded “supplemental nutrition” programs are It is nonsense to subsidize something that makes people sick.
Another big problem is excess salt in the diet. Americans are consuming even half the amount of sodium recommended in the government's own Dietary Guidelines for Americans, raising blood pressure and increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says cut your sodium intake by one-third. I was able to save money 100,000 lives per year.
After decades of delays, in 2016 the Food and Drug Administration issued a series of Recommended sodium level In over 150 food categories. After four years of inaction by the Trump administration, the Biden administration completed these recommendations in 2021. However, those recommendations are entirely voluntary and are likely to have had only a small impact on sodium consumption.
The next Secretary of Health and Human Services (and FDA Commissioner) will encourage shoppers to read labels and choose low-salt products, promote salted processed and restaurant foods, and privately pressure companies to Use your bullish pulpit to convert the FDA's views. Raising voluntary targets for maximum sodium concentrations to mandatory limits. That would save thousands of lives every year.
Additionally, smart labeling policies can promote health. Chile was a pioneer in mandating nutrition labeling, which is much easier to understand than what we have today.
Chili requires you to consume foods that contain excess calories, saturated fat, sodium, or sugar. Icon that looks like a stop sign It is written on the front label. Two or more violations will result in two or more stop signs. Mexico, Canada And other countries followed Chile's lead. (Israel also allows “”delicious foodFoods that meet certain standards are marked with a ” ” mark. )
that labelwhich is easy for even young children to understand, has led many companies to reduce calories and unhealthy nutrient levels below labeling standards. For example, before the law came into effect, 74 percent of sausages were high in sodium, but immediately after it went into effect, only 27 percent were high in sodium. Sugar-rich milk and milk-based beverages decreased from 32% to 2%.
Chile has expanded labeling requirements, banned stop signs on food products in public schools, and placed child-friendly images on packaging and advertising aimed at children.
The FDA is currently studying a front-of-pack labeling scheme. I haven't even considered it Stop sign symbol.
Another life-saving measure would require labels on processed meats such as hot dogs and ham to warn consumers that these products are proven to be the cause. colon cancer. They should declare: “USDA Warning: Frequent consumption of processed meat products may increase your risk of developing colon and rectal cancer. To protect your health, limit your intake of such products.”
USDA rejected the 2016 application petition The Center for Science in the Public Interest (an organization I co-founded) has requested this notification, and the new administration should immediately reconsider this issue.
Finally, there is alcohol abuse and alcoholism. Liquor, wine, and beer account for 9% Drinkers (alcoholics even more) consume and account for 178,000 of the calories Deaths (number) Year by year. Add to that spousal abuse, career destruction, birth defects, and other alcohol-related harms.
The warning labels, which have been mandatory since 1989, include: little impact. And the failure to raise the federal alcohol tax since 1991 has had a downward impact on prices and an upward effect on consumption. There is a dire need for bolder warnings on labels and advertising and higher tax rates, with revenue ideally directed toward strengthening alcoholism treatment programs.
Ending vaccination mandates clearly won't make America healthier; quite the opposite. If the president and appointees like RFK Jr. truly cared about the health of the American people, they would do everything they could, over the massive objections of the processed food, soft drink, meat, and alcoholic beverage industries and their friends in Congress. policies should be implemented. My recommendation.
Michael F. Jacobson is the founder of the National Food Museum and co-founder and former executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
