Marion Nestle is without doubt the most important voice on public health in America. (And, if you doubt me, read Liz’s recent profile of Marion from the New York Times: At 88, a Nutritionist Meets Her Moment.)
So it only made sense to ask her for her thoughts about the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) policy report that was released on Tuesday. The report, which lists 128 ideas for how to improve children’s health, was broadly panned in media coverage as “vague” and favorable to industry (especially the agriculture sector) despite boastful talk by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who claimed he had already “accomplished more already than any health secretary in history.”
Marion has been watching food politics play out in Washington for more than 30 years. (Her seminal book, Food Politics, still a revelation, was published in 2002.) In our 30-minute conversation, Marion gave us her take on what the MAHA report accomplished, and what the administration will have to do to make the change it seeks. (Spoiler alert: Actually regulate.)
Need more reasons to tune in? Here’s a list of issues we discussed:
Restrictions on food marketing to kids
What front-of-pack nutrition labeling should look like
Why we need a definition for ultra-processed foods
How the bipartisan support for food regulations could help MAHA — or Democrats who challenge it
What the MAHA report would say if Marion wrote it!
As always, we want to hear from you. So leave your thoughts about the report in the comments. And tell us what other Substack Live conversations you’d like to see.
