Fluoride, vaccines and food dye are part of RFK Jr.’s plan. of ‘Make America Healthy Again.’ What do the experts say?

President-elect Donald Trump said Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would have a “larger role in health care” in his administration and that he would let Kennedy “walk” in his position. elected and “do exactly what he wants.” And on Wednesday, Kennedy said he would cut “all departments” of the Food and Drug Administration. But what does that mean for the American people? Here’s what you need to know. knows about the views of the former candidate of president on health, and what experts are doing about it.

After decades of anti-vaccination activism, Kennedy is taking a lighter stance

Kennedy told MSNBC on Wednesday that he has “never been anti-vaccination,” but his track record suggests otherwise. He took a position in 2015 as the chairman of an organization called Children’s Health Defense, which puts vaccines as the first issue on its website. The organization questions the health, safety and effectiveness of childhood vaccines and has filed lawsuits alleging child injury. Kennedy has also highlighted false claims that vaccines cause autism, and has been cited as one of the “Disinformation Dozen” responsible for spreading 65% of false claims about the shooting on the Internet by the Center of Counting Digital Hate.

He now insists that he will not “vaccinate anyone” and wants to “make sure that scientific safety studies and efficacy studies are in place and that people can do individual tests to see if that product will benefit them.”

This optional method may sound useless, but it is not very effective when applied to infectious diseases. When people decide whether to get their children vaccinated against an unknown, eradicated disease like measles or polio, “it’s a catch-22,” Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, tells Yahoo Life. . “The reason why you don’t see that death is because [people are being] vaccination and there is sufficient protection of the herds around you so that if someone catches the disease, it will not spread.”

Childhood vaccination rates have fallen below recommended levels for herd immunity against diseases such as measles and pertussis (also known as whooping cough) in many states as a proportion of parents choose to Their children should not be vaccinated by being released up. And when children were already vaccinated, epidemics increased. “While it’s important for people to get the right safety information and make the right decisions, … Trump’s first term, tells Yahoo Life. Currently, each state sets its own vaccination requirements school, but they are based on recommendations made by government health authorities.

Kennedy on fluoride

According to the latest data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 63% of the United States population will have fluoride in their drinking water by 2022. Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral. naturally in certain foods and helps promote strong bones and teeth. Dentists treat teeth with fluoride, and this mineral is found in most of the teeth. Its contribution to drinking water is credited with reducing the rate of contamination by between 25% and 35% for children and adults.

Fluoride was added to US public water supplies in the 1940s. In the decades since then, fluoride has become a conspiracy theory and fodder for misinformation. Days before the election, Kennedy repeated unproven claims that “fluoride is an industrial waste linked to arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease” in X. He also said that “on January 20, the Trump White House will advise the entire US water system to remove fluoride from public water.”

Kennedy walked back the claim in his MSNBC interview on Wednesday, saying he would not force anyone to remove fluoride from drinking water. But, he added, “I think it’s a good move forward,” and suggested he would warn water districts of their “legal liability” if they choose to waive fluoride. in their water system.

In fact, fluoridation is a practice mandated by state and local authorities. “While the federal government can set recommendations, it cannot directly mandate or ban the use of fluoride in public water systems,” says Adams. But, he adds, the White House and the secretary of health and human services can influence local policies through funding, incentives and social media. Eliminating fluoride altogether, as Kennedy says the White House will do, would “cost the US billions in additional health care costs due to increased demand for dental treatments, ” said Adams.

‘Why do we eat Froot Loops?’ Kennedy is concerned about food dyes and additives

Kennedy vowed in a statement Wednesday to dismantle “all departments” of the FDA. In particular, he called out the “nutrition department,” which he said “is not protecting our children. Why do we have Froot Loops in this country?” [contain] 18 or 19, and you go to Canada and there are three?” (For what it’s worth, Kennedy admitted that only Congress has the power to abolish federal agencies).

Although Kennedy did not explain why this was a major issue for him in his MSNBC interview, in September he posted a video on YouTube that sheds light on the issue. Referring to Cap’n Crunch and Doritos cereal, he suggested that “it’s not unusual for Americans to die before Canadians or Germans or Japanese or Koreans or Australians or other countries that like them,” he said of the rise in obesity and cancer. To be clear, there is no evidence that dyes or additives, by themselves, kill or cause cancer, although researchers are investigating the relationship between processed foods, obesity and disease.

“While RFK Jr. raises valid concerns about ingredients and additives in our food supply, particularly the use of artificial food dyes and preservatives, the broad proposal to eliminate regulatory agencies such as The FDA’s nutrition division is wrong,” says Adams. “Regarding food additives, although there is growing public concern about certain ingredients, most of these concerns are addressed by existing regulatory mechanisms. The FDA regularly reviews the safety of additives based on science and new research.”

Implementing the policies of Kennedy’s goals will be up to the states

Kennedy’s stated goal is to “Make America Healthy Again,” but can he achieve that? Most health policies, including water fluoridation and vaccination requirements, are under the purview of state and local governments. However, if Kennedy’s beliefs translate into policy or messages, there could be real consequences. Still, the hope is that the next administration will “put the welfare of the public first,” Adams said.