RFK Jr’s proposal to remove fluoride from tap water is a matter for debate. But his plans to improve school lunches and crack down on additives are laudable

The United States and Britain: two countries divided by a common language and by very different approaches to health, whether it’s how healthcare is accessed, what kind of food products are sold in supermarkets, what is advertised on TV or even what is in the water that we drink from our taps. Having lived in both countries for an extensive period, the UK, in my opinion, takes a more sensible approach to implementing pro-health and wellbeing policies, closely linked to EU regulations. But the US could soon be following suit, under a range of proposals from a surprising source: Donald Trump’s nominee for health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr. As I laid out last month, many of his ideas are potentially dangerous for public health – from bizarre conspiracy theories to anti-vaccineviews and campaigning – and completely divorced from data and reality. But a couple of them could turn out to be beneficial.

For example, the US still allows certain additives banned by the UK and EUto be added to ultra-processed foods such as cereals, sweets and biscuits, despite the fact that they have been linked to hyperactivity in children. Kennedy has suggested this week that he will ban some of these in food products. Depending on what exactly he does, this isn’t a radical suggestion: it may just put the US in line with what is done in other countries. It’s the same with his suggestions to regulate the advertising of pharmaceutical products and improve the nutritional quality of school meals.

Prof Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh

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