Trump administration declares ‘war on added sugar’
The Trump administration announced Wednesday a major overhaul of American dietary guidelines; replaced the old, carbohydrate-heavy food pyramid with one that prioritizes protein, healthy fats and whole grains.
“Our government is declaring war on added sugar,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said at the White House press conference announcing the changes. “We are ending the war on saturated fats.”
“If a foreign enemy were trying to destroy the health of our children, cripple our economy, undermine our national security, there would be no better strategy than to make us dependent on ultra-processed foods,” Kennedy said.
Improving eating habits and availability of nutritious foods in the United States is an issue with broad bipartisan support and has been a long-standing goal of Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again movement.
During the press conference, he thanked both the American Medical Assn. and the American Academy of Pediatrics for partnering on the new guidelines. earlier this week condemned administration’s decision reduce the number of diseases US children are being vaccinated against.
“The American Medical Association applauds new Dietary Guidelines that highlight highly processed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages and excess sodium, which fuel heart disease, diabetes, obesity and other chronic diseases,” AMA President Bobby Mukkamala said in a statement.
