U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is raising awareness for child obesity, saying that they should address the situation by focusing on the food that families eat.
The official's statement comes as roughly one in every five American children is obese, which is about four times the number in 1980, which was one in 20. Looking at school-age children and adolescents, authorities found that 40% have at least one chronic health condition, which was less than 4% in the 1980s.
Child Obesity in the United States
One of the main issues this brings is a health crisis that threatens to upend the lives of American families for generations to come. Additionally, the chronic disease epidemic is also the most significant contributor to U.S. healthcare costs, comprising about 90% of healthcare expenditures.
Officials said that they are committed to driving transformational change at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) that will "Make America Healthy Again," according to USA Today.
Many leaders also expressed gratitude to President Donald Trump for initiating the Presidential Commission to Make America Healthy Again. This would help in fulfilling the goals of the MAHA movement.
Now, the commission has two main goals, with the first being to research the scope of the childhood chronic disease crisis and the potential contributing causes. The second is implementing policies at respective agencies to empower American families to be healthy.
Giving American Families Access to Healthy Food
Currently, the USDA oversees 16 federal nutrition programs that work to give Americans access to nutritious foods. Officials talk about the importance of putting American farmers first and making sure that kids and families can benefit from the workers' bounties, MSN reported.
Under the scope of Trump's Make America Healthy Again Commission banner, the USDA and the HHS are working hard to fulfill their dual missions. The first objective is to advance American policies to get the food that American farmers grow into the hands of children and families.
This is done through nutritious food programs, and while the federal government plays a crucial role in this endeavor, states can also make critical contributions. On top of giving American families better access to healthy food, Kennedy Jr. also wants to bring back whole milk to schools.
The HHS secretary recently called the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans "antiquated," adding that he is pushing Head Start programs. These aim to switch from low-fat dairy to full-fat dairy, which includes whole milk, as per CNN.
