RFK Jr. promoted a food company he says will make Americans healthy. Their meals are ultraprocessed.
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy)
But an Associated Press review of Mom's Meals menu, including the ingredients and nutrition labels, shows that the company's offerings are the type of heat-and-eat, ultraprocessed foods that Kennedy routinely criticizes for making people sick.
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The meals contain chemical additives that would render them impossible to recreate at home in your kitchen, said Marion Nestle, a nutritionist at New York University and food policy expert, who reviewed the menu for The AP. Many menu items are high in sodium, and some are high in sugar or saturated fats, she said.
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'It is perfectly possible to make meals like this with real foods and no ultra-processing additives but every one of the meals I looked at is loaded with such additives,' Nestle said. 'What's so sad is that they don't have to be this way. Other companies are able to produce much better products, but of course they cost more.'
Mom's Meals do not have the artificial, petroleum dyes that Kennedy has pressured companies to remove from products, she noted.
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Mom's Meals' products 'do not include ingredients that are commonly found in ultra-processed foods' such as synthetic food dyes, high fructose corn syrup, certain sweeteners or synthetic preservatives that are banned in Europe, Teresa Roof, a company spokeswoman, said in an email. She did not address the company's use of additives in the foods that make them ultraprocessed.
The meals are a 'healthy alternative' to what many people would find in their grocery stores, said Andrew Nixon, U.S. Health and Human Services spokesman, in response to questions about Mom's Meals.
Mom's Meals is one of several companies across the U.S. that deliver 'medically tailored' at-home meals. The meal programs are covered by Medicaid for some enrollees, including people who are sick with cancer or diabetes, as well as some older Americans who are enrolled in certain Medicare health insurance plans.
Patients recently discharged from the hospital can also have the meals delivered, according to the company's website.
It's unclear how much federal taxpayers spend on providing meals through Medicaid and Medicare every year. An
Defining ultraprocessed foods can be tricky. Most U.S. foods are processed, whether it's by freezing, grinding, fermentation, pasteurization or other means. Foods created through industrial processes and with ingredients such as additives, colors and preservatives that you couldn't duplicate in a home kitchen are considered the most processed.
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Kennedy has said healthier U.S. diets are key to his vision to 'Make America Healthy Again.' His call for Americans to increase whole foods in their diets has helped Kennedy build his unique coalition of Trump loyalists and suburban moms who have branded themselves as 'MAHA.'
In a recent social media post where he criticized the vast amount of ultraprocessed foods in American diets, Kennedy urged Americans to make healthier choices.
'This country has lost the most basic of all freedoms — the freedom that comes from being healthy," Kennedy said.
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Boston Globe
5 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Allergies seem nearly impossible to avoid — unless you're Amish
Advertisement 'Generally, across the country, about 8 to 10 percent of kids have asthma. In the Amish kids, it's probably 1 to 2 percent,' said Carole Ober, chair of human genetics at the University of Chicago. 'A few of them do have allergies, but at much, much lower rates compared to the general population.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Now, Ober and other researchers are trying to discover what makes Amish and other traditional farming communities unique, in the hopes of developing a protective treatment that could be given to young children. For instance, a probiotic or essential oil that contains substances found in farm dust, such as microbes and the molecules they produce, could stimulate children's immune systems in a way that prevents allergic disease. 'Certain kinds of farming practices, particularly the very traditional ones, have this extraordinary protective effect in the sense that, in these communities, asthma and allergies are virtually unknown,' said Donata Vercelli, a professor of cellular and molecular medicine at the University of Arizona. 'The studies that have been done in these farming populations are critical because they tell us that protection is an attainable goal.' Advertisement The Amish are members of a Christian group who practice traditional farming - many live on single-family dairy farms - and use horses for fieldwork and transportation. As of 2024, around 395,000 Amish live in the United States, concentrated mostly in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana. Over the past century, the incidence of allergic diseases - including hay fever (allergic rhinitis), asthma, food allergies and eczema - has increased dramatically. Hay fever, or an allergic reaction to tree, grass and weed pollens, emerged as the first recognized allergic disease in the early 1800s, climbing to epidemic levels in Europe and North America by 1900. The 1960s saw a sharp increase in the prevalence of pediatric asthma, a condition in which the airways tighten when breathing in an allergen. From the 1990s onward, there has been an upswing in the developed world in food allergies, including cow's milk, peanut and egg allergies. Urbanization, air pollution, dietary changes and an indoor lifestyle are often cited as possible factors. Preparing a horse team for work on a farm in Pulaski, Pennsylvania. Keith Srakocic/Associated Press The 'hygiene hypothesis' - first proposed in a 1989 study by American immunologist David Strachan - suggests that early childhood exposure to microbes protects against allergic diseases by contributing to the development of a healthy immune system. The study found that hay fever and eczema were less common among children born into larger families. Strachan wondered whether unhygienic contact with older siblings served as a protection against allergies. Advertisement Subsequent findings have given support to the hygiene hypothesis, such as that children who grow up with more household pets are less likely to develop asthma, hay fever or eczema. Perhaps even more beneficial than having older siblings or pets, however, is growing up on a farm. (More than 150 years ago, hay fever was known as an 'aristocratic disease,' almost wholly confined to the upper classes of society. Farmers appeared relatively immune.) This 'farm effect' has been confirmed by studies on agricultural populations around the world, including in the United States, Europe, Asia and South America. But even among farming communities, the most pronounced effect appears to be in the Amish. In a study of 60 schoolchildren by Ober, Vercelli and their colleagues, the prevalence of asthma was four times lower in the Amish as compared with the Hutterites, another U.S. farming community with a similar genetic ancestry and lifestyle. The prevalence of allergic sensitization - the development of antibodies to allergens and the first step to developing an allergy - was six times higher in the Hutterites. The researchers first ruled out a genetic cause; in fact, an analysis showed that the Amish and Hutterite children were remarkably similar in their ancestral roots. Instead, the main difference between these two populations seemed to be the amount of exposure as young children to farm animals or barns. 'The Hutterite kids and pregnant moms don't go into the animal barns. Kids aren't really exposed to the animal barns until they're like 12 or so, when they start learning how to do the work on the farm,' Ober said. 'The Amish kids are in and out of the cow barns all day long from an early age.' Advertisement When analyzing samples of Amish and Hutterite house dust, they found a microbial load almost seven times higher in Amish homes. Later experiments showed that the airways of mice that inhaled Amish dust had dramatically reduced asthmalike symptoms when exposed to allergens. Mice that inhaled Hutterite dust did not receive the same benefit. On Route 11 near Patten, Maine, in 2017. The Boston Globe Now, Ober and Vercelli are beginning to identify the protective agents in Amish dust that prevent allergic asthma. In 2023, their analysis of farm dust found proteins that act like delivery trucks, loaded with molecules produced by microbes and plants. When these transport proteins deliver their cargo to the mucus that lines the respiratory tract, it creates a protective environment that regulates airway responses and prevents inflammation. 'We don't really talk about the hygiene hypothesis as much anymore because we now understand that it's not really about how hygienic you're living,' said Kirsi Järvinen-Seppo, director of the Center for Food Allergy at the University of Rochester Medical Center. 'It's more like a microbial hypothesis, since beneficial bacteria that colonize the gut and other mucosal surfaces play a significant role.' During the first year or two of life, a baby's immune system is rapidly developing and highly malleable by environmental stimuli, such as bacteria. Some experts believe that exposing young children to certain types of beneficial bacteria can engage and shape the growing immune system in a way that reduces the risk of allergic diseases later in life. Farm dust contains a hodgepodge of bacteria shed from livestock and animal feed that isn't harmful enough to cause illness, but does effectively train the immune system to become less responsive to allergens later in life. Advertisement In 2021, Järvinen-Seppo and her colleagues compared the gut microbiomes of 65 Old Order Mennonite infants from a rural community in New York with 39 urban/suburban infants from nearby Rochester. Like the Amish, the Old Order Mennonites follow a traditional agrarian lifestyle. Almost three-fourths of Mennonite infants in the study were colonized with B. infantis, a bacterium associated with lower rates of allergic diseases, in contrast to 21 percent of Rochester infants. 'The colonization rate is very low in the United States and other Western countries, compared to very high rates in Mennonite communities, similar to some developing countries,' Järvinen-Seppo said. 'This mirrors the rates of autoimmune and allergic diseases.' These clues about the origin of the farm effect represent a step toward the prevention of allergic diseases, Järvinen-Seppo says. Whatever form the treatment takes, the impact on prevention of allergic diseases, which affect millions of people worldwide and reduce quality of life, could be enormous, experts say. 'I don't know that we can give every family a cow. … But we are learning from these time-honored and very stable environments what type of substances and exposures are needed,' Vercelli said. 'Once we know that, I don't think there will be any impediment to creating protective strategies along these lines.'
Vox
5 hours ago
- Vox
Can't sleep? It's not totally your fault.
For much of history, humans probably got pretty lousy sleep. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, many people slept in the same bed alongside their family in dwellings lacking any temperature control beyond a fire or air ventilation. Those homes were littered with bed bugs, fleas, and lice that not only feasted on their hosts at night but also spread diseases, which — in the absence of modern medicine — kept the infirm awake and suffering. The noises of cities and rural life alike also made sleep difficult, thanks to the all-hours bustling of laborers, horse-drawn carriages, and livestock with whom farmers might've shared a home. 'Because in the winter they generated warmth,' says A. Roger Ekirch, a history professor at Virginia Tech and author of At Day's Close: Night in Times Past. Nighttime itself was a risk. Slumber left people vulnerable to crime or death from fire or other natural disasters. Some prayers throughout history sought God's protection from the litany of threats adherents encountered in the dark, says Ekirch. For those who are lucky enough to have access, modern marvels like central heating and air conditioning, comfortable beds, and even Tylenol have all but eliminated many of these barriers to sleep. 'We don't have to worry about the myriad perils to sound slumber and our physical well-being that people did 300, 400 years ago,' Ekirch says. 'We don't have to worry about the myriad perils to sound slumber and our physical well-being that people did 300, 400 years ago.' Still, sleep doesn't come easily to millions of Americans. Over 14 percent of adults had trouble falling asleep most days in 2020, according to the National Health Interview Survey. Nearly just as many people — 12 percent — have been diagnosed with chronic insomnia, according to an American Academy of Sleep Medicine survey. Among the 33 percent of US adults who get less than seven hours of sleep a night, native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and Black adults are the most likely to get shorter durations of shut-eye. Those with an annual household income of less than $15,000 are also likely to be sleep-deprived. Despite seemingly prime conditions for sleep, why do so many suffer from restless nights? The most comfortable bed in the darkest room might not be enough to overcome a mix of environmental, systemic, and behavioral forces preventing quality slumber. Modern lifestyles aren't ideal for sleep American sleep culture is marked by contradictions. Anyone who's endured a night of terrible sleep can attest to its importance in cognitive functioning, mood, hunger, and overall health. Yet, many people act in ways that sabotage their hope for a good night's sleep. We stay up later than we should to catch up on work or news or precious free time — what is sometimes called revenge bedtime procrastination. We consume content on our phones so upsetting or attention-grabbing as to prevent our falling asleep, although many of us know by now that screen use an hour before bed results in delayed bedtime and less sleep overall. We settle into bed and realize that late-afternoon coffee or nightcap too close to bedtime has come to collect its vengeance. Some people innately need more sleep than others, and these so-called long sleepers simply cannot find the time in their busy schedules to devote to 10 hours of slumber. Try as we might to have it all, optimizing our waking hours might come at the detriment of our sleep. 'We're trying to have our cake and eat it, too,' Ekirch says. 'The less time we accord to sleep, the more perfect we want it to be for when we do nod off.' Ironically, a population of people with no notable sleep issues has turned sleep into a competitive sport, leveraging mouth tape, expensive mattresses, and sleep trackers like the Oura Ring in pursuit of the perfect night's sleep. This fixation on enhancing sleep may actually do more to promote insomnia than peaceful slumber, experts say. Most disruptions to sleep cannot be blamed on personal choices, though. Parents and other caregivers are among the most sleep-deprived, often contending with their children's inconsistent sleep schedules. And the sleep patterns of shift workers — which account for 20 percent of the US workforce — are dictated by their employers. The ill effects of poor sleep can negatively impact mental health. The opposite is true, too: Mental distress has consequences for sleep. 'Stress, anxiety, weird work schedules,' says Jessi Pettigrew, a clinical social worker who focuses on sleep disorders, 'can lead to the development of sleep disorders like insomnia or circadian rhythm disorders, which basically means being misaligned with your biological sleep schedule because of social reasons.' Environmental and systemic barriers can disrupt sleep Outside of individual behavior, where we live has a role in sleep. Not having the ability to control the temperature in your bedroom because you lack effective heating or air conditioning can be a barrier to sleep, Pettigrew says. If you feel unsafe in your environment, you're less likely to get restful slumber, too, she adds. This tends to impact people with housing insecurity, refugees, and those who are incarcerated. Beyond the bedroom, noise and light pollution from bright street lights and traffic have been shown to interrupt sleep and contribute to insomnia — and those in low-income neighborhoods are more susceptible to these conditions. 'People who live in places with good natural light, green spaces, the ability to control the temperature and light and noise in their environment,' Pettigrew says, 'helps them to sleep better and better regulate their circadian rhythm during the day and sleep at night.' All of our waking experiences impact our ability to sleep, says Anita Shelgikar, a neurology professor at the University of Michigan Medical School and the president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine board of directors. And some of those waking experiences may be colored by racism and discrimination. Stress associated with racial discrimination has been linked to poor sleep. Among shift workers, people of color are more likely to work alternating day/night schedules, resulting in disrupted circadian rhythms. 'If that disrupts your sleep enough, that technically qualifies as shift-work sleep disorder,' says Jade Wu, a behavioral sleep medicine psychologist and author of Hello Sleep: The Science and Art of Overcoming Insomnia Without Medications. This disorder is marked by excessive sleepiness, insomnia, or both. The knock-on effects of altered sleep-wake schedules are profound, ranging from cardiovascular disease and obesity to mood and immune disorders. 'Sleep health disparities disproportionately affect the same populations who suffer from overall health disparities,' Shelgikar says. Those in rural or low-income areas who generally lack access to healthcare, let alone specialized sleep medicine, may continue to suffer from poor sleep, in addition to any number of physical and mental health conditions. Without individualized care, Shelgikar says, the disparities may only widen. How to overcome these sleep obstacles If you work odd hours or have a fussy baby, hearing the common advice of keeping your room cool and dark and only retreating to bed when you're sleepy can seem trite. Wu suggests identifying the environmental or circumstantial reason you aren't getting restful sleep and doing whatever you can to mitigate it. For those who live in spaces that aren't conducive to sleep — hot bedrooms or the constant wail of sirens all night — there are few things people can do beyond getting a fan or earplugs, Wu says. People with means and flexibility can seek out a doctor specializing in sleep medicine to diagnose potential disorders like insomnia or sleep apnea. If you work odd hours or have a fussy baby, hearing the common advice of keeping your room cool and dark and only retreating to bed when you're sleepy can seem trite. But if your conditions for sleep are pretty good and you still struggle to get shut-eye, the key, according to Wu, may be to not obsess over it as much. 'What you see in people with insomnia is that they're trying too hard,' she says. 'They're tracking their sleep too closely. They are perfectionistic about their sleep hygiene and doing things like going to bed too early or trying to take too many naps, trying to achieve a certain number of hours of sleep, or a certain score on their sleep tracker.' The human body was meant to sleep. And despite all the constructs and complications society throws our way, we still require sleep. Ironically, though, the more we fret over it, the more elusive it can become. As difficult as it seems, the best advice may be to surrender to the circadian rhythm. 'One thing that can help with sleep,' Pettigrew says, 'is just saying, I'm going to trust my body to take care of this.'
UPI
8 hours ago
- UPI
Think before you sip: summer drinking dangers
Lift a toast to summer fun but don't let risky drinking ruin the party. Too much alcohol can be deadly in the summer heat, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism warns. And 1 in 6 Americans is a binge drinker. "Think before you drink," the institute urges. "Avoiding beverages containing alcohol while piloting a boat, driving a car, exploring the wilderness, and swimming or surfing can also help keep you and your loved ones safe." The risks are sobering: 31% of U.S. drowning deaths involve blood alcohol levels of 0.10% or higher. A boater with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08% -- legally drunk in all 50 states -- is 14 times more likely to be killed in a boating accident than someone who is sober. A third of traffic fatalities on U.S. highways are linked to drunken driving. Vacations bring added risks such as unfamiliar routes or towing a boat or camper, not to mention excited kids and pets in the car. "Drinking more can lead to higher blood alcohol concentrations ... especially if the amount of alcohol in is greater than what someone is accustomed to at home," the institute warns. Here's some more summer-specific advice: Goin' swimming? Keep in mind that more drownings occur in July than any other month of the year, the institute warns. Swimmers whose judgment is impaired by alcohol are more likely to take dangerous risks. Beware of going into deep water or staying in so long you get chilled and develop hypothermia. Even around a pool, horsing around can be dangerous. Tipsy divers may hit the board or dive where the water is too shallow. In a boat: An average-size woman (171 pounds) who has four drinks can reach a 0.08% BAC in two hours; an average guy (198 pounds) will reach that level at five - or even sooner, based on health status, medications and the like. Your odds of a fatal crash begin to rise with the first drink you slurp down. "Alcohol can impair a boater's judgment, balance, vision, and reaction time," according to the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators. "It can also increase fatigue and susceptibility to the effects of cold-water immersion." The risk doesn't stop with the driver. Drunken passengers can slip on deck, fall overboard or have accidents at the dock. Dehydration risk: Heat plus alcohol can spell trouble. Hot summer days cause fluid loss through perspiration and the need to urinate more often. "Together, they can quickly lead to dehydration or heat strokes." Think before you drink: Don't imbibe on an empty stomach. Food can slow alcohol absorption and reduce its peak level in the body by about one-third, the institute notes. Offer alcohol-free alternatives like water, sparkling sodas or juice to counteract dehydration and slow the rate of alcohol absorption into the body and help prevent a hangover. Plan ahead: Have a designated driver or be prepared to call a taxi or ride-hailing service so no one who has had any alcohol gets behind the wheel. If you're a parent, understand underage drinking laws and set a good example. More information Find out what's in your summer drink. Rethinking Drinking has calculators to estimate calories, blood alcohol content and more. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
