RFK. Jr. pins America's obesity on ultraprocessed food, calls it "poison" | 60 Minutes
These notes were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
Increasing number of Americans across the political spectrum, from Make America Healthy Again activists to everyday shoppers, voicing concern about health impact of ultraprocessed foods—boxed and wrapped in plastic, ready-to-eat items lining grocery store shelves. Leading the charge: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former US Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. David Kessler.
The two men found common ground over a 67-year-old government classification for substances in food called GRAS (generally recognized as safe). Kennedy and Kessler say it allowed big food companies to use ingredients without full government safety review, flooding market with ultraprocessed foods that make up 50% of calories and 60% of children's diets.
Over last 40 years, US exposed to energy-dense, highly palatable, rapidly absorbable ultraprocessed foods that altered metabolism, resulting in greatest increase in chronic disease: type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes, hypertension, abnormal lipids, fatty liver, heart attacks, stroke, heart failure—from our food.
David Kessler was FDA commissioner in 1990s, helped expose tobacco companies manipulating nicotine levels to hook consumers.
I am here to provide you with actual instances of nicotine control and manipulation in the tobacco industry. If you raise your right hand.
Driving force in bringing tobacco executives before Congress, turning public attention to industry. Now aiming to do same with food industry public health crisis.
How does this compare with tobacco? >> It's as large if not larger. >> It's that significant.
Scale affects everybody—not everybody smoked, but nearly everyone consumes ultraprocessed food. 70% of Americans obese or overweight—not because indolent, lazy, or giant appetites, but food low in nutrition, high in calories, destroying health.
Met with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after he issued new dietary guidelines advising against highly processed foods for first time.
You have said that these ultraprocessed foods are poisoning us. Many Americans would be surprised to hear that. >> We're seeing people obscenely obese and at the same time malnourished.
Kennedy says largely because we don't know health consequences of what we're eating, thanks to GRAS exemption from 1958 allowing companies to self-verify safety with no government oversight if generally recognized by experts as safe.
Pending White House approval, intends to close loophole hijacked by industry to add thousands of new ingredients into food supply. Europe: only 400 legal ingredients. US agency does not know how many in American food—estimates 4,000 to 10,000. No idea what they are.
How do we know what is safe to eat? >> There is no way for any American to know if a product is safe if it is ultraprocessed.
David Kessler petitioning Kennedy to revoke GRAS status for dozens of processed refined carbohydrates, sweeteners, starches like corn syrup, maltodextrin unless companies prove safe and not fueling obesity.
They took starch—cheap, easy calories—converted into whole panoply of ingredients to reassemble. Products rapidly absorbed, cause metabolic havoc, target brain reward circuits to keep coming back, trigger overeating, deprive sense of fullness.
What we call empty calories—not just empty, ending up in liver; fat migrates to other organs, cause of cardiometabolic disease.
Kessler, pediatrician, filed petition after zeroing in on GRAS ingredients on packaged food labels.
Pick up any product. Ever look at ingredient label? A lot unpronounceable. Is that food? Corn syrup, corn solids, maltodextrin, dextrose, xylose, high fructose corn syrup. Subjected to industrial processing our system can't handle.
We will act on David Kessler's petition. Questions FDA should have asked long ago.
Kennedy will use gold standard science to review GRAS ingredients.
Kennedy's credibility questioned due to vaccine skepticism and agency's revision of childhood vaccine schedule.
Are you concerned your stance on vaccines might make people reluctant to support you on ultraprocessed foods? >> My stance on vaccines is the same: good science and choice.
Some doctors worry new schedule causes confusion, leads to not vaccinating children.
People who want vaccines can get them fully insured.
Secretary and I disagree strongly on vaccines. But if willing to act on ultraprocessed foods, I'll applaud.
If you don't trust him on vaccines, why trust on ultraprocessed foods? >> Not question of trust. Country is ill. I care about public health—let's make progress.
Impact on children alarming. In December, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu filed landmark lawsuit against 10 manufacturers of ultraprocessed foods, alleging they knowingly engineered, marketed addictive dangerous products like tobacco companies, hiding risks, causing public health crisis.
Consumer Brands Association statement: No agreed scientific definition of ultraprocessed foods; companies adhere to rigorous FDA safety standards, nutrition policy for safe, affordable, convenient products.
Met food author Michael Pollan, warning for decades about inexpensive factory-processed food.
Oreos. Granola bars look healthy. Nature Valley—argue ultraprocessed due to number of ingredients, lots of sugar, sold as health food.
Pollan commends Kennedy for shining light on ultraprocessed foods, ties ubiquity to federal farm subsidies.
Taxpayers subsidize least healthy calories via farm bill, mostly to corn and soybeans farmers.
What's wrong with corn and soybeans? >> Commodity corn not corn on cob—can't eat, all starch, big cobs, break teeth. Soy not edamame—raw ingredients for processed foods, animal feed.
Government subsidizing crops making us unhealthy. >> Supporting both sides of war on type 2 diabetes: subsidize high fructose corn syrup causing it, pay healthcare costs.
American Farm Bureau Federation statement: Healthy diet needs variety of nutrient-dense foods, balance of fats, carbs, protein, fiber—some from shelf-stable foods.
Why no subsidies for healthy foods? >> Cheap food goal of governments. Removing corn subsidies raises prices, problem for food industry lobby, consumers.
Taking on ultraprocessed foods means taking on powerful industries: Big Ag, Big Food. What makes you believe you'll prevail? >> President behind us.
President against regulations—why support regulating ultraprocessed foods? >> Not regulating. Job is informed public.
Americans in food deserts have little access to whole foods, can't afford.
Laser focused on making these foods affordable, accessible to every American.
Consumer Brands Association: GRAS enables innovation to meet demand; companies adhere to FDA science, risk-based evaluation before/after market.
Kessler: Changed view of tobacco—need to change view of ultraprocessed foods.
Would you like Big Food CEOs before Congress to raise hand like tobacco? >> Like them to understand consequences, do something.
Michael Pollan's food rules:
If you can't pronounce ingredients, it's not food.
At 60minutesovertime.com.
Keep 60 Minutes in your library
Save the videos and channels worth coming back to, and find them again in one place.
