() Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination as secretary of Health and Human Services has been controversial, but one area where he has seen broad support is his effort to make American food healthier.

Nourish Science CEO Jerold Mande told ‘s Elizabeth Vargas that the food in America is making people sick.

“Food’s basic purpose is for us to thrive, and yet we’ve ended up with a food industry producing products that, if eaten as intended, will make you sick,” he said.

Kennedy isn’t the first to champion healthier food. Nutrition was one of first lady Michelle Obama’s causes during the Obama presidency, and she pushed efforts to make school lunches healthier.

Still, Americans have the shortest lifespans among the wealthiest 20 countries. Children in the U.S. have high rates of obesity, diabetes and fatty liver disease, which used to be rare in children.

Today, artificial food is synonymous with food that makes people sick, Mande said. The power of food companies to influence politics has made it difficult to invest in nutrition science.

Highly processed foods make up 73% of the American food supply.

Mande told the FDA should regulate the design of ultraprocessed food, which is engineered to be irresistible.

“They need to tell companies yes, taste, cost and convenience should be three of your four North Stars, but the fourth is you have to do the research and prove to us that the food you’re designing can be eaten as intended and not make people sick,” he said.