RFK Jr. releases new dietary guidelines
Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced new dietary guidelines and said his message was clear: “Eat real food.”
Earlier this month, Americans were given a new food pyramid by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and a slim 10-page booklet urging them to “eat real food.”
This clearly echoes the sage advice of food author and activist Michael Pollan. Pollan correctly followed that sentence with “mainly plants,” while the USDA is now telling us to eat more meat.
The new food pyramid makes several important points. We should avoid ultra-processed foods in general, as studies have linked them to increased rates of colon cancer, especially among young people. But when summarizing the national nutritional message of “eat real food,” the guidelines oversimplify the complexity of metabolism and ignore the importance of how food is broken down and ultimately stored in the body.
Let’s take protein as an example. The new Pyramid website carries the bold statement: “We are ending the protein wars.” To be clear, protein is part of a healthy diet and is essential for cell function and muscle mass. However, if you eat too much, excess protein will be converted to fat and stored. Americans consume about 20% more protein than they need. Lean proteins (such as fish, beans, and chicken) are routinely shown to be superior to fatty meats that are rich in saturated fat (such as steak and pork). Red meat is “real,” but so is the research that shows it increases your risk of colon cancer.
Kennedy correctly argues that healthy fats are essential. He also said, “We are ending the war on saturated fat.” But saturated fats like butter and beef aren’t necessarily good for you. Saturated fats are fine in small amounts, but they are difficult to break down and are more likely to accumulate as fat in and around organs. Conversely, unsaturated fats like olive oil are easily broken down and are essential to a healthy diet. What’s even more confusing is that the new guidelines don’t even change the long-recommended daily limit for saturated fat. So what does this posture mean?
The answer ultimately lies in the inverted pyramid layout, with bright red steak and giant sticks of butter prominently placed atop a handful of whole grains. Eating meat has become a politicized act, with prominent right-wing figures like Jordan Peterson and Joe Rogan endorsing a “carnivore diet,” while plant-based diets are denounced as “woke” left-wing politics. This is further reflected in President Kennedy’s criticism of seed oils in favor of beef tallow, an old-fashioned fat that is making a comeback. Kennedy’s committee, which has railed against the corporate influence behind previous food recommendations, includes several people with ties to the beef and dairy industries.
And while the new pyramid is said to be aimed at combating chronic disease, what is its ultimate purpose? In the new guidelines’ own words: “Chronic diseases caused by diet are now disqualifying millions of young Americans from military service, undermining the nation’s readiness and cutting off historic paths to opportunity and upward mobility.” The goal, then, is to create manly soldiers across the country who eat beefsteaks and drink whole milk and make America great again.
There is one important kernel of truth in all of this. That is, America is sick and our diets are partially to blame. The new food pyramid is reigniting important debates about which foods are best for our long-term health, as well as the affordability and structural issues that influence these choices.
As a researcher studying how colon cancer is affected by fat and fiber, I’m well aware of how deeply people have desires. of The answer to health. Dietary recommendations have become confusing over time. The public health message of the 1960s was “fat is bad.” Well, it turns out it’s more complicated. Carbohydrates were good (because they’re not fat), but then they became bad. There’s something to be said for simplified guidelines.
Canada’s Food Guide provides an easy-to-understand and thorough explanation of a balanced diet, developed based on real scientific evidence. Choose fish or poultry instead of red meat. Drink more water and less milk and juice. Choose olive oil or canola oil instead of butter. These are scientific guidelines based on overwhelmingly shared human physiology, not political preferences.
Lawmakers have a duty to make healthy choices more accessible to average Americans. New York City mayor Zoran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, is leading by example with his plan to create affordable city-run grocery stores that will be accessible to New Yorkers, many of whom live in food deserts. More cities need to enact similar policies to provide people with access to healthy food.
A ban on ultra-processed foods would be meaningless without an accompanying reduction in the price of healthier foods. Additionally, certain processed foods, such as frozen vegetables, canned beans, and Greek yogurt, are actually very good for you and can make healthy eating more convenient. Watch out for added salt and sugar.
I’m not saying any of this is easy. Ultra-processed and sugar-laden foods are designed to be delicious and addictive. The beef and butter are really delicious. Right after I finished this piece, I guiltily drank my third glass of apple juice that day and ate an astonishing number of cookies in one sitting. The goal is not to create shame about specific choices, but to be open and informed We have a dialogue about what choices are best for our health and how to make them. Creating an environment where everyone can make healthier choices every day will ultimately make America healthier than ever before.
Master’s student Tania Fabo is an MD candidate in Genetics at Stanford University, and a Rhodes Scholar, Knight Hennessy Scholar, Paul and Daisy Soros Scholar, and Public Voices Fellow for the OpEd Project. Her doctoral research focuses on the interaction of genetics and diet in colorectal cancer risk.
