Critics Question RFK Jr.'s Changes to Food Guidance That Emphasize Red Meat

"On Wednesday, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. - who has long peddled disinformation on vaccines and autism - announced new national dietary guidelines that are being criticized by many dieticians and experts on obesity. The new guidelines, available to view at realfood.gov, emphasize red meats, dairy, healthy fats, and vegetables over grains and processed foods. The guidelines are presented as an upside-down pyramid, mimicking the classic food pyramid that federal health agencies promoted in the 1990s. HHS officials praised the changes as the "most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in history.""

"White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt similarly heralded the changes, claiming they would positively impact children, members of the military and veterans, and recipients of the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food program. She also claimed, without evidence, that Americans would save "thousands" on grocery store costs due to the new guidance."

""The Guidelines err in promoting meat and dairy products, which are principal drivers of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity," read a statement from Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine."

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long peddled disinformation on vaccines and autism, announced new national dietary guidelines. The guidelines, available at realfood.gov, emphasize red meats, dairy, healthy fats, and vegetables while de-emphasizing grains and processed foods. The guidance is presented as an upside-down pyramid modeled on the 1990s food pyramid and called the "most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in history" by HHS officials. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed benefits for children, military members, veterans, and WIC recipients and asserted savings on grocery costs. Nutrition and obesity experts criticized the guidance as promoting unhealthy levels of meat and saturated fat.

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