RFK Jr. Warning Confirmed: The $2 Trillion Industry Betting Against Your Health

If you’ve gained weight despite trying to eat better…

If your blood sugar keeps creeping up…

If you feel like you’re constantly fighting cravings you can’t explain…

You have probably been told the same thing millions of Americans hear every day: “Try harder.”

Eat less. Move more. Have more willpower.

But a growing number of scientists say that’s not the whole story.

In fact, a coalition of leading food researchers just released 17 papers arguing that America’s chronic disease crisis may be driven less by personal failure and more by a food system designed to keep people eating.

Their message was blunt, and confirmed what U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has been saying for years:

“The system is rigged.”

In fact, scientists now believe the food industry is using the playbook from an industry with a long history of putting profits ahead of public health.

Big Tobacco.

For decades, Americans have been told that obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses are largely the result of poor choices.

But these new papers argue that today’s food environment is engineered to make healthy choices harder and unhealthy choices almost impossible to avoid.

One paper even examined what happened after tobacco giant Philip Morris acquired Kraft Foods.

Researchers argue that knowledge gained from developing highly addictive cigarette products may have influenced how processed foods were formulated and marketed.

And we certainly can’t ignore that ultra-processed foods now dominate the American diet. Meanwhile, the health consequences appear to be mounting.

Research published this year found that people consuming the highest amounts of ultra-processed foods faced a 58% greater risk of dementia and a 46% higher risk of cognitive impairment compared to those eating the least.

All the while, a new Consumer Reports investigation tested popular packaged foods and found that roughly 1 in 4 products exceeded certain health safety benchmarks for additives or contaminants in a single serving.

Some products contained concerning levels of artificial dyes, processing contaminants, and other additives that many consumers never realize they’re eating.

One thing is clear: Americans are facing an uphill battle.

That’s why RFK Jr. has made ultra-processed foods a major focus, and why regulators are now working toward a formal definition of what qualifies as an ultra-processed food.

Here at HSI, we’ve said for years that blaming patients rarely solves health problems. If you’ve struggled with your weight, blood sugar, energy, or cravings, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed.

You may simply be navigating a food environment designed by some of the smartest marketers, food scientists, and corporations on Earth.

Your best bet is to opt out of the system completely. Avoid ultra-processed foods and focus on real foods, like healthy meats, fish, nuts, fruits, and vegetables.

In the meantime, don’t beat yourself up. You’re not fighting a lack of willpower. You’re fighting a system.

And we’ll keep helping you fight back.

To your health,

Ray Thatcher
Research Director, Health Sciences Institute

Sources:

Todd, S. (2026, June 3). Top ultra-processed food researchers call for sweeping policy change: “The system is rigged.” STAT. https://www.statnews.com/2026/06/03/ultra-processed-food-experts-want-sweeping-policy-changes/

Martineau, P. (2026, June 9). Popular snacks contain high levels of additives, Consumer Reports investigation finds. Consumer Reports. Scientific analysis by E. Boring, S. Mujahid, J. Rogers, and Z. Kerlo. https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-additives/popular-snacks-contain-high-levels-of-additives-a6822743034/

Gillam, C. (2026, June 3). Researchers call for urgent new policies to rein in ultra-processed foods. The New Lede. https://www.thenewlede.org/2026/06/researchers-call-for-urgent-new-policies-to-rein-in-ultra-processed-foods/