Kennedy's nutrition guidelines raise questions

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s long-awaited rewrite of federal dietary guidelines may have raised as many questions as it answered.The big picture: While the updated nutritional guidelines hit on many familiar "Make America Healthy Again" themes, they were prepared with the input of researchers with food industry ties and contained what nutritionists say were fundamental inconsistencies.The emphasis on a protein-heavy diet — seen in a new food pyramid — also comes at a time of soaring prices for beef and other foods and may be impractical for Americans on tight budgets.State of play: The 10-page document Kennedy's Department of Health and Human Services issued with the Department of Agriculture on Wednesday for the first time explicitly advised against consuming highly processed foods. It continues a push Kennedy has taken to states for new restrictions on what's covered by the the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.But it does not include a proposal that reportedly would have called out alcohol as a known cause of cancer and advised no more than one alcoholic drink per day. The administration told Reuters, which first reported the scrapped proposal, that the published guidelines were driven by evidence and "gold-standard science."Yes, but: Some questioned how Kennedy could assert the government is "ending the war" on saturated fats when the recommendations maintain advice to limit intake to 10% or less of total calories.Following the guidance would require eating less meat and fatty dairy, not more, said Marion Nestle, nutrition expert and professor emerita at New York University."You can't [eat more meat] without raising the saturated fat content," she said. "That's a contradiction." Nestle said recommending less highly processed food is a good idea. But she said the guidelines ignore decades of research showing the health benefits of plant-forward diets. Food manufacturers and some Democrats panned the recommendations for putting sound bites above science.The guidelines go beyond what's supported by evidence, Rocco Renaldi, secretary general of the International Food and Beverage Alliance, said in a statement."Terms like 'highly processed' lack a globally agreed, science-based definition," he said.The lack of specificity further risks students' well-being after the Republican budget law limited access to nutritious school meals, said Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.).What's inside: The guidelines emphasize prioritizing protein at every meal, limiting added sugars and eating vegetables and full-fat dairy.They say balanced diets should include a variety of protein, including red meat, eggs, and plant-based items like beans and soy.And they urge Americans to consume less alcohol without setting limits — a shift from earlier guidelines that advised two drinks or less in a day for men and one drink or less for women.Consumption of artificial flavorings, dyes and preservatives should be restricted."Today, our government declares war on added sugar," Kennedy said at a White House briefing.The guidelines are much sparser and include less detail than the last update, which was completed during President Trump's first term and came in at 164 pages.They also back away from other science-based recommendations made in a 2024 report from nutrition experts on guideline updates, including a suggestion to emphasize plant protein over red meat.The 2024 report also advocated for recommending low-fat and fat-free dairy and unsaturated fats, as has been the case for years.The intrigue: A number of academics on a panel that wrote a scientific review to accompany Wednesday's update have financial ties to the meat and dairy industries, according to disclosures included in the review.Kennedy has railed against corporate influences in previous dietary guidelines, but did not mention the disclosures on Wednesday. A group of physicians on Thursday filed a petition with federal oversight agencies calling for the guidelines to be withdrawn and rewritten due to inappropriate industry influence HHS and USDA violated a federal law that requires the dietary guidelines to reflect the best and most current scientific and medical knowledge, the petition states. The recommendations earned quick praise from Kennedy's base — and even some of this harshest critics in the medical establishment. The American Academy of Pediatrics said the new guidelines help explain to parents how to craft a healthy diet for their kids. "We put our full support in for Secretary Kennedy because he told the truth for the first time about the American food system ... and he is following through with his promise," MAHA influencer Vani Hari, who blogs as the "Food Babe," told Axios. Reality check: Food that's minimally processed is generally more expensive and less accessible than packaged goods.Beef and meat prices in particular reached record highs last year. "Healthy food costs more," Nestle said. "I want to see a push for policies that will reduce the price of healthy foods." Kennedy acknowledged that not all healthy foods are accessible, saying the administration is working on a webpage to help people locate low-cost healthier foods. "The idea that a ... meal made of processed food is cheap is an illusion, because you're paying for it on the back end ... with diabetes, with obesity, with illness."The bottom line: While Kennedy's nutrition agenda is much less controversial than his stands on vaccines, it's not clear whether the new guidance is specific or practical enough to make an impact.