On Monday during an interview on Fox News Channel’s “The Ingraham Angle,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. unveiled an ambitious initiative by the Trump administration to overhaul school lunches by cutting out ultra-processed foods. Kennedy emphasized that such foods have been a significant factor in the alarming rise of childhood obesity.
Kennedy starkly described these ultra-processed foods as a form of “mass poisoning.”
“Back when my uncle was president, just 3% of American children were considered obese,” Kennedy remarked. “That figure was already causing concern because it was double the rate in Europe. This prompted the creation of the Presidential Council on Physical Fitness. Fast forward to today, 20% of our children fall into the obese category, with even more categorized as overweight. Alarmingly, 77% of American youth are unable to meet the requirements for military service. This isn’t a matter of laziness or a sudden change in lifestyle; it’s largely due to the continuous consumption of ultra-processed foods.”
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He explained further, “The upcoming regulations aim to eliminate ultra-processed foods, which currently account for 70% of the calories consumed by kids, driving the obesity epidemic. Our new school lunch program will phase out these foods, focusing instead on centering protein on the plate and replacing refined grains with whole grains. We’re also swapping out fruit juices for real fruit. Moreover, my department is earmarking $32 million in grants to support schools in revamping their kitchens and resuming scratch cooking, reminiscent of the healthier meals from our own school days.”
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