“Make America Healthy Again” Campaign Pursues Link Between Ultra-Processed Foods and Chronic Diseases

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has waged a war on ultra-processed foods in his pursuit of evidence that the prevalence of these foods in the American diet is leading to an uptick in chronic health conditions in the U.S. The problem is, there is no singular definition of ultra-processed foods. 

What Are Ultra-Processed Foods?

In the simplest definition, ultra-processed foods (or NPFs) are food products that contain ingredients that have undergone extensive processing and ingredients that are not commonly used in home cooking. These include additives, preservatives, artificial coloring, etc. These typically have little to no nutritional value and are high in unhealthy fats, sugars, and salts.

Chronic Diseases In The U.S.

Chronic diseases are rampant in the U.S. and contribute to the majority of morbidity and mortality in the country. They also account for a significant chunk of healthcare costs. Some of the most common of which are heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke, COPD, obesity, high blood pressure, and chronic kidney disease. 

The Prevalence of UPFs in American Diets

UPFs are extremely common in American diets. In fact, a study found that more than 70% of American calories consumed are from ultra-processed foods. Their presence is undeniable, and these manufactured ingredients are in almost everything we eat, but is there a link between them and chronic diseases?

Is There a Link?

In short, yes. There is a strong link between consuming large amounts of UPFs and an increased risk of developing various chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancers, and obesity. The consumption of UPFs encourages higher calorie intake and lower nutritional intake, which can result in various health conditions over time. 

What The Research Says

In a study conducted by the BMJ (British Medical Journal), researchers found that higher UPF consumption was linked to more than 30 health conditions. They even found that these manufactured foods increased the risk of death from heart disease by 50%. 

How to Decrease UPFs in American Diets

So, how do we combat this? Kennedy launched the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ campaign in May of 2025 to start to collect data and information to solidify a definition of ultra-processed foods in an effort to further study the link to health outcomes. Without a clear definition of what ingredients qualify as “ultra-processed,” it’s difficult to study the links and get larger health safety agencies on board.

The Larger Health Concerns

Much of the food sold in America is pre-packaged and uses manufactured ingredients instead of whole ingredients. This is because these manufactured, nutrition-less ingredients typically have a longer shelf life and are cheaper than real, whole foods. However, prepackaged foods are so entrenched in American diets that it is difficult to understand a path towards reducing the intake of these foods. 

Make America Healthy Again

It’s also worth noting that a diet is not necessarily considered “healthy” if it excludes ultra-processed foods. One study conducted in 2023 actually found that a healthy diet could, in fact, be maintained even with 91% of the calories coming from UPFs.

Conclusion

The first step in the campaign towards healthier diets in America is creating a universally accepted definition of ultra-processed foods in order to study their impacts on diets and ascertain if the links to chronic diseases are statistically significant.