RFK Jr.’s Reported Push for More Saturated Fat Sparks Health Expert Backlash

Kennedy’s Controversial Dietary Shift

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is reportedly preparing to issue federal guidance encouraging Americans to consume more saturated fats, a move that directly contradicts decades of mainstream dietary recommendations and has alarmed public health experts nationwide. Jack Gruber / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Experts React with Concern

Cheryl Anderson, a board member of the American Heart Association and professor at the University of California, San Diego, said she was caught off guard by the potential policy shift.

“My response and sort of counsel to myself was to stay calm, and let’s see what happens, because there was no indication given as to how, why, when this potential shift would occur,” Anderson said, according to The Guardian.
She emphasized that “the recommendation around saturated fat has been one of the most consistent recommendations since the first edition of the dietary guidelines.” Marek Studzinski / Unsplash

Kennedy’s Reported Justification

According to The Hill, Kennedy communicated that the new guidelines would “stress the need to eat saturated fats of dairy, of good meat, of fresh meat and vegetables … When we release those, it will give everybody the rationale for driving it into our schools.”

This statement suggests that his proposed changes could influence school lunch programs and military meal standards, which are currently limited to no more than 10% of total calories from saturated fat. THOMAS CORDY/THE PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Views on Risk

Anderson maintains that higher saturated fat consumption correlates with elevated cholesterol and cardiovascular disease.

“When you look at the current American diet, there’s too much saturated fat in it, and so, currently, it’s not having a neutral impact on our population,” she said. Kenny Eliason / Unsplash

Breaking with Standard Procedure

Typically, federal dietary guidelines are developed over years by an expert advisory committee and updated every five years. Anderson noted that the next Dietary Guidelines for Americans report, covering 2025–2030, has not yet been released. She added that the current administration’s approach “does not appear to be following the usual protocol.” Anna Pelzer / Unsplash