Bulwark Takes RFK Jr. Is the Biggest Public-Health Threat in U.S. History (w/ Sam Kass)
Nov 7, 2025
In a compelling conversation, Sam Kass, former White House chef and nutrition policy advisor, discusses the dangerous implications of RFK Jr.'s misguided food agenda. He critiques the focus on seed oils and food dyes as distractions from real public health threats. Kass shares insights into the political backlash against healthy eating reforms, the misleading use of science, and the urgent need for a robust food and climate policy. His expertise reveals how current leadership risks undermining long-term health and food security.
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From Chef To White House Food Policy
- Sam Kass described moving from culinary work to policy after recognizing how the food system undermines health and planetary stability.
- He joined the Obamas' team, helped launch Let's Move, and focused policy on children's nutrition early in the White House.
Why Kids Were The Strategic Focus
- The Obama-era food agenda targeted kids because interventions early in life yield the biggest health returns and face less political opposition.
- Kass says shifting culture toward better food requires generations and systemic changes, not quick fixes.
Food System Harms Are Dual: Health And Climate
- U.S. food environments supply mostly unhealthy, nutrient-poor calories driven by taste, convenience, and cost priorities.
- Food and agriculture also drive major environmental harms like emissions, deforestation, and freshwater overuse.
