Trump administration declares 'war on sugar' in overhaul of food guidelines

"The Trump administration announced a major overhaul of American nutrition guidelines Wednesday, replacing the old, carbohydrate-heavy food pyramid with one that prioritizes protein, healthy fats and whole grains. "Our government declares war on added sugar," Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a White House press conference announcing the changes. "We are ending the war on saturated fats.""

""If a foreign adversary sought to destroy the health of our children, to cripple our economy, to weaken our national security, there would be no better strategy than to addict us to ultra-processed foods," Kennedy said. Improving U.S. eating habits and the availability of nutritious foods 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 acknowledged both the American Medical Association and the American Assn. of Pediatrics for partnering on the new guidelines - two organizations that this week the administration's decision to slash the number of diseases that U.S. children are vaccinated against. "The American Medical Association applauds the administration's new Dietary Guidelines for spotlighting the highly processed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, and excess sodium that fuel heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and other chronic illnesses," AMA president Bobby Mukkamala said in a statement."

U.S. nutrition guidelines were overhauled to replace the carbohydrate-heavy food pyramid with guidance prioritizing protein, healthy fats, and whole grains. A campaign against added sugar was declared and guidance ending restrictions on saturated fats was introduced. Ultra-processed foods were framed as addictive threats that can harm children's health, damage the economy, and weaken national security. Improving eating habits and access to nutritious foods received bipartisan support and aligns with the Make America Healthy Again movement. Both the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics were acknowledged as partners, and the AMA praised the guidelines for targeting processed foods, sugary drinks, and excess sodium.

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