The health of the American population is in crisis. Chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer are at unprecedented levels. Much of this can be traced back to failures in the current food system, an industrial model driven by profit that prioritizes cheap and processed foods over public health. To make America Healthy Again, we must reform this system by removing junk food from schools and public spaces, promoting natural diets, revising federal dietary guidelines, eliminating artificial additives, and confronting the corruption of powerful food and pharmaceutical corporations.
One of the first and most urgent reforms is removing ultra-processed foods from schools. Our children are growing up consuming food products loaded with sugar, salt, trans fats, and synthetic additives. These foods are linked to rising childhood obesity and metabolic disorders. As Robert F. Kennedy Jr. noted in a 2024 interview with Dr. Phil: “In the 1960s, only 3% of American children had chronic diseases. Today, that number is closer to 60%.” (Kennedy). Schools should be places of education and health, not distribution points for foods that undermine physical and cognitive development.
It is essential to promote a return to natural diets rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and minimally processed foods. Current federal dietary guidelines, influenced in part by industry lobbying, often confuse or mislead the public. According to Michael Pollan in his book In Defense of Food, the modern food environment encourages us to “eat more of what we don’t need (refined grains and sugars) and less of what we do: real food.” (Pollan 40). These guidelines should be rewritten by independent nutrition experts free from industry ties.
Color additives and other artificial ingredients, banned in Europe but widely used in the US, should also be eliminated. Organizations like the Center for Science in the Public Interest have long warned about the risks associated with synthetic food dyes, linking them to behavioral problems in children and potential carcinogenic effects (CSPI). However, regulatory bodies like the FDA continue to allow them, partly due to pressure from large food manufacturers.
Reforming the food system also requires addressing the influence of powerful corporations that have captured key federal agencies such as the FDA, USDA, CDC, and NIH. These agencies often act in ways that serve the interests of the industry rather than the public welfare. As Kennedy stated: “We need to eliminate corporate capture of our public health institutions if we are ever going to solve the epidemic of chronic diseases in this country.” (Kennedy).
This movement called Make America Healthy Again (MAHA), seeks to restore the physical and ethical health of the nation. MAHA calls for transparency in food labeling, support for local and organic agriculture, and an end to subsidies that encourage the production of junk food at the expense of nutritious crops.
Conclusion
The United States cannot regain its health without structural reform of its food system. This includes removing harmful products from schools, promoting real foods, purifying the regulatory environment, and restoring public trust in our health institutions. The stakes are too high to remain passive; the health of current and future generations depends on our willingness to act.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Luis Henry Contreras Del Aguila
Food Industries Engineer Universidad Nacional Agraria de la Selva- Tingo Maria- Peru
Master in Agribusiness Administration ESAN University – Lima-Peru
CEO, Country Agribusiness
REFERENCES
Centro para la Ciencia en el Interés Público. “Colorantes alimentarios: un arco iris de riesgos”. CSPI, 2010, https://www.cspinet.org/resource/food-dyes-rainbow-risks.
Kennedy Jr., Robert F. Entrevista realizada por el Dr. Phil McGraw. Dr. Phil Primetime, 2024, https://youtu.be/ZofNzZ8UoPk?si=t0C6LXCMG2OE7g51.
Pollan, Michael. En defensa de la alimentación: el manifiesto de un comensal. Penguin Press, 2008.