Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. warned Monday that America's reliance on heavily processed foods is harming children, describing efforts to reduce such foods as "spiritual warfare," the Washington Examiner reported.
Kennedy made the comments in a sit-down with Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts to mark one year of his Make America Healthy Again initiative. Kennedy argued that ultra-processed foods dominate the American diet and fuel chronic disease, particularly among children.
"It's spiritual warfare. It's a war at scale against cellular activity. It's an assault on children," Kennedy said, pointing to administration data showing that roughly 70% of what American children consume falls into the ultra-processed category.
Kennedy compared the health impact of ultra-processed foods to tobacco, saying they are "much worse than cigarettes" when it comes to long-term damage.
He said diet-related chronic illnesses now consume a significant share of federal healthcare spending, estimating that about 40 cents of every taxpayer dollar goes toward treating preventable metabolic disease.
While critics have accused Kennedy of favoring government overreach, he rejected the idea that his agenda amounts to a "nanny state."
Kennedy said Americans should retain the freedom to choose what they eat — including soda or desserts — but deserve transparency and honest guidance about the health consequences of those choices.
"I'm not going to take away anybody's donuts or Coca-Cola," Kennedy said, emphasizing that personal responsibility must be paired with accurate information.
Kennedy also criticized what he described as corporate influence over nutrition science and public health messaging, urging parents to approach food marketing and official guidance with "fierce skepticism."
He argued that government and industry have failed to adequately protect children from harmful dietary trends.
As part of his agenda, Kennedy has pushed for revisions to the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans, calling for a greater emphasis on protein, healthy fats, and whole foods over refined carbohydrates and processed products.
Kennedy's remarks underscore his broader effort to challenge long-standing public health orthodoxies and shift federal policy toward what he describes as a more honest and preventative approach to health.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.