If Donald Trump has his way, health policy in the United States could soon be in the hands of an environmental lawyer who still thinks vaccines cause autism and that chemicals in the water supply could be driving a rise in transgender teens. The prospect of RFK Jr "going wild" on health - as the President-Elect put it - if his nomination for US Health Secretary is approved by the Senate in 2025 has sent a shiver through the scientific and medical establishment. On the flipside, there has been cautious optimism among public health professionals in response to his promises to turn the tide on "Big Food".
Ultra-processed diets are under growing scrutiny amid fears they are fuelling an epidemic in obesity and chronic disease. READ MORE: Rates of cancer on increase for women under 50 in Scotland ANALYSIS Obesity, deprivation, women - and the surprising cost of being 'too fat' After nurse's death, how dangerous are new 'weight loss drugs'? Obesity in an ageing population is 'biggest issue for the NHS' The 70-year-old has accused the food industry of "poisoning" children with hydrogenated seed oils and additives such as artificial colours and flavourings. Whether he can succeed in turning rhetoric into regulation - and how well the science really stacks up - is another matter, but his potential appointment comes at a time when alarm over ultra-processed food is becoming part of the cultural Zeitgeist.
More than half of the calories consumed in the UK (56%) come from junk food and ot.