RFK slams processed foods, pesticides, vaccines as harmful to kids in sweeping MAHA report

USA Today

22-05-2025

RFK slams processed foods, pesticides, vaccines as harmful to kids in sweeping MAHA report
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RFK Jr.'s impact on HHS so far has some worried
RFK Jr. reluctance to endorse the measles vaccine amid a deadly outbreak raised red flags.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. blames ultra-processed foods, environmental chemicals, lack of physical activity, chronic stress and 'overmedicalization' for driving chronic diseases in U.S. children, according to his Make America Healthy Again commission report published May 22.
The 69-page report, titled 'Making Our Children Healthy Again,' also says these drivers are partly propelled by corporate influence and government lobbying.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to establish a commission to "Make America Healthy Again" during Kennedy's swearing in ceremony Feb. 13, and tasked it with investigating chronic illness and delivering an action plan to fight childhood diseases, starting with a report due within 100 days – hitting that just in time.
The MAHA commission members responsible for the report include Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Martin Makary and National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya.
In a call with reporters, Kennedy said the commission will work over the next 80 days to issue policy recommendations based on the report's findings for the White House.
"This report is really… a diagnosis, the prescription comes in 100 days,' he said.
RFK MAHA report targets ultra-processed foods, food dyes, sweeteners
The report takes a closer look at the American diet and flags ultra-processed grains, sugars and fats, and food additives as problems fueling chronic diseases.
Authors say ultra-processed foods, or UPFs, replace nutrient-dense foods and encourage people to eat more, leading to a rise in childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
UPFs include foods like ice cream, chips, cheeseburgers, French fries, soda, cake, candy and cookies. Research shows they're also linked to a number of health issues like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and depression in women. They've also been linked to cognitive decline and cancer.
The report also targets food additives such as artificial dyes, titanium dioxide, propylparaben, butylated hydroxytoluene and artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, sucralose and saccharin.
The World Health Organization concluded in a 2023 report that the 'occasional consumption' of aspartame − typically found in sugar-free drinks like Diet Coke − is generally safe.
Kennedy has already begun his campaign against food dyes, announcing in a April 22 news conference that the administration plans to eliminate eight dyes from medications and food by the end of 2026.
The dyes that will be phased out in less than two years are FD&C Blue Nos. 1 and 2, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow Nos 5 and 6. In the coming months, the process will begin to revoke authorization of Orange B and Citrus Red No. 2, according to the HHS.
What RFK report details about ingesting pesticides, environmental chemicals
Report authors also flag environmental toxins and call for more research to study the health effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, microplastics, fluoride, electromagnetic radiation, phthalates, bisphenols and pesticides.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or 'forever chemicals,' consist of more than 12,000 man-made chemical compounds used in consumer products such as non-stick, greaseproof and waterproof coatings and surfaces.
PFAS don't easily decompose in nature and because of this, they build up in human bodies and can lead to certain cancers and other serious health complications.
Kennedy's push against fluoride – a naturally occurring mineral found in water, soil, air and various foods – has led to health regulators to remove ingestible fluoride supplements from the market. Fluoride has been added to the public water supplies for decades and dental products, such as toothpaste, as a dental cavities prevention measure.
What are PFAS? 'Forever chemicals' are common and dangerous.
So far, Utah and Florida are the only states that have banned fluoride from drinking water. Several other states like Kentucky, Louisiana and South Carolina have anti-fluoride bills on the table.
The report calls out two herbicides – glyphosate and atrazine – and says an updated assessment on these common substances will be coming out in 2026. The primary exposure to glyphosate, which is used in weed killers like Roundup, occurs through food.
Ahead of the report's publication, American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall expressed concern the report's findings could erode the public's trust in the U.S. food supply, 'limit farming practices based on unproven theories,' and risk 'reducing access to affordable and nutritious foods,' according to a statement published May 20.
Agency heads assured on a call about the commission report that the nation's food supply is safe.
"Farmers need the tools in the toolbox to continue to feed the world, but it doesn't mean we can't do better," Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said.
Kids are on 'too much medicine', MAHA report says
In the report, authors argue that 'American children are on too much medicine' and criticize the childhood immunization schedule for encompassing more vaccines than Europe.
The commission encourages larger clinical trials to look into the safety of childhood vaccines and potential links to chronic diseases. However, experts have said decades of evidence demonstrate the safety and benefits of these shots.
Babies are supposed to receive vaccines that protect against about 15 different infectious diseases. Most require more than one dose, which amounts to nearly 30 jabs by age 2.
Vaccine spreading: Babies get a lot of vaccines before they turn 2. Is it safe to spread them out instead?
Report authors also said that less time spent outside in nature, and more time spent on screens and social media is contributing to the rise of negative physical and mental health outcomes in U.S. children. The commission said these outcomes are exacerbated by "overmedicalization," calling out medications that treat anxiety, depression and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are commonly used medications that were called out in the report. SSRIs are approved by the FDA to treat a range of conditions such as anxiety, depression, bulimia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and are used off-label to treat several others.
On a call with reporters, NIH Director Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya criticized the medical literature supporting certain treatments and how to use them in children, calling it a "replication crisis."
"We have a crisis that requires rethinking almost every aspect of how we think about disease and the prevention of disease," he said.
Contributing: Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA TODAY; Reuters.
Adrianna Rodriguez can be reached at [e-mail].