U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited the state Capitol on Wednesday to promote new federal nutrition guidelines that encourage Americans to eat more protein, whole-fat dairy products and vegetables.
The guidelines, released earlier this month, feature a revised take on the food pyramid, which has been defunct since 2011. They also advise people to avoid eating refined carbs and highly processed foods, like white bread.
Speaking in the Capitol’s Main Rotunda to a crowd of several hundred supporters, Kennedy said the guidelines will “drive a dramatic dietary culture” shift in the United States.
“It’s gonna change what the military eats,” Kennedy said, flanked by more than a dozen Republican state lawmakers. “It’s going to change what we feed patients in the VA hospitals. It’s gonna change what we feed children in the school lunch programs.”
Kennedy’s visit is the beginning of a cross-country “Take Back Your Health Tour.” It comes as the Trump administration looks to tout what it accomplished in its first year and help frame a political message ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Republican lawmakers who spoke before Kennedy said they expected the guidelines to benefit Pennsylvania’s vast dairy and meat industries. Treasurer Stacy Garrity, who has the state GOP’s endorsement in this year’s gubernatorial race, attended but did not speak at the rally.
Democratic state lawmakers who attended the speech criticized Kennedy’s message as being a simple solution to a complex issue.
State Sen. Maria Collett, D-Montgomery, has been a licensed nurse since 2009. She said it was “absolutely dangerous” for Kennedy to claim that changes to someone’s diet will drastically change their health outcomes.
“We know that there are proven health methods that are rooted in science and research, and those are the things we need to be relying on,” Collet said. “Diet is important, but it’s not the only thing that matters when it comes to health care and making sure that people are healthy.”
While Secretary Kennedy spent much of Wednesday touting dietary changes, the department he oversees says Americans can lead a healthy lifestyle by “staying physically active, and getting enough sleep,” and by instilling healthy habits in children, such as regular dental care routines and hand washing.
Vaccine skepticism
Kennedy has faced heavy pushback from many public health experts in response to his campaign against the medical community’s long-held belief about the efficacy and safety of vaccinations. Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — under Kennedy’s Health and Human Services Department — overhauled the childhood vaccine schedule to cut the recommended number of vaccinations from 18 to 11.
When asked about the change by a reporter following the rally, Kennedy said the schedule adjustments make the “best scientific judgment” on protecting health, while recognizing that “other people may have opinions” on vaccines.
“For the first time, we are looking at the science about the rise of vaccines,” Kennedy said.
Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, earlier this month issued an executive order stating that his administration would follow the previous vaccine schedule, which was developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
“The chaos and confusion RFK Jr. is creating for parents and doctors is dangerous and puts the health and well-being of Pennsylvanians at stake,” Shapiro said on social media at the time.
Responding to Shapiro’s order, Kennedy said, “Some states may choose a different pathway.”
The United States has seen a spike in measles and whooping cough since Kennedy took office last year, a trend public health researchers blame on declining vaccination rates. At the same time, polling has shown that public trust in the CDC and other public health agencies has dropped significantly.
State Rep. Arvind Venkat, D-Allegheny, is the only physician in Pennsylvania’s General Assembly. He blamed Kennedy for the public’s rising mistrust of medical science. To rebuild trust, Venkat suggested lawmakers combat “bad information with good information” through legislation promoting vaccinations.