Slogans Won’t Make America Healthier, but Consumer Education Can

By Jared Whitley

When HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says that sugar is poison, you need to listen to what comes next. He’s challenging us to become better informed about the foods we eat and the impact diet has on our long-term health.

Sugar is not a poison, and neither are the many FDA-approved additives that are being targeted by popular influencers at the moment. The discussion is being driven by catchy slogans that side-step, rather than engage, science. After all, the landscape of social media isn’t built for nuanced science communication. Rather, it seems to be built for influencers selling products with their pseudo-science talking points.

Celebrity influencers and deep-pocketed activists have taken center stage in recent MAHA “reforms.” They claim that American companies are “poisoning us” while they peddle their own pricey health-food lines. These voices profit from the fear and confusion they fabricate.

Kennedy has welcomed many of these activists into his MAHA movement and is using their megaphones to help promote his vision. But he needs to be careful that the tail doesn’t start wagging the dog. Politico notes how a new poll shows cracks emerging within Trump supporters on this issue, that “the MAHA faction isn’t always in lockstep with Trump’s MAGA base.” Many Trump supporters worry that national health is being steered by influencers rather than by the president’s agenda.

Several red states have taken up the “reform” baton by crafting bills that ban food additives or create onerous labelling regulations. But these efforts disregard FDA findings that these ingredients are safe to eat. The piecemeal public health regulations also present significant consequences, especially to consumers by limiting choice, and creating financial burdens on small businesses that may be passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prices at the register.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Reaffirms MAHA Goals, Targets Additives He Will Remove From the Food Supply

Policy change needs to be driven collaboratively with the food industry and consumers. Food companies have always pivoted to meet the changing preferences of their customers. The success of MAHA won’t be measured by nanny-state regulations pushed by celebrity activists and signed by Republican governors, but in how Kennedy moves the discussion with the public.

Those Republican state legislators who have voted for new regulations on food additives and restrictions should also understand – based on recent polling – that following MAHA at the expense of Trump’s priorities will have consequences. A majority (55 percent) noted that they would be less likely to support candidates who supported Kennedy over President Trump and his agenda, and they also worry that new food regulations will handcuff Trump’s ability to win the trade war with China.

Kennedy’s support of states usurping the role of the federal government on food safety is confusing. While these solo runs amplify his MAHA message, these state regulations stand to raise costs for everyone. People are already struggling to put food on the table and worrying about persistent inflation. There has even been a sharp uptick in the number of people using “buy now, pay later” services for the weekly grocery shop. Trump’s election promise to the MAGA faithful was to lower food prices, not raise them.

However, with the viral slogans in the background, the fissures between core Trump supporters and the MAHA movement can be easily mended. In a recent announcement, Kennedy and the FDA emphasized that they will work with the food industry to transition to natural food colorings. Imposing a ban before affordable alternatives are more widely available, especially since the FDA acknowledges there is no health risk, would only increase food prices.

The surveys of Republicans also find that 90 percent want transparency regarding ingredients, so they can make informed decisions, rather than having the federal government institute ingredient bans. In a Fox News interview, Kennedy emphasized that informed choice needs to be at the heart of any change. “You should know what that product is, what’s in your food, and what the health impacts are, and that’s all we’re going to do.” Knowing that the market continues to adapt, the FDA doesn’t anticipate the need for any statutory or regulatory changes.

It's time to ignore the slogans, the background influencer noise, and the self-congratulatory headlines and take a breath.

It’s time for an informed discussion that understands that consumer choice should guide change.

Jared Whitley is a longtime politico who has worked in the US Senate, White House, and defense industry. He has an MBA from Hult business school in Dubai, and in 2024, he won the Top of the Rockies award for best columnist.

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