Junk food is "probably even worse for Americans than smoking," Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told a Senate HELP Committee — and he said he would back a ban on television advertisements for unhealthy food aimed at children. Kennedy qualified his support by urging food companies to act voluntarily first, pointing to how tobacco firms once agreed to curb broadcast ads. His remarks come as the White House's "Make America Healthy Again" strategy asks agencies to examine how food marketing reaches children.

What Kennedy said in the hearing

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., serving as HHS Secretary, answered a direct question from Senator Bernie Sanders during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee session when he was asked whether he agreed with proposals to bar junk-food television ads aimed at children. "I would support that," Kennedy said.

He immediately qualified his support by pointing to an earlier case of industry cooperation. "The only hesitation I have was ... We tried to do a smoking ban on TV, and the tobacco companies voluntarily came to the table, which was a good thing," Kennedy told senators. He added the argument for restricting junk-food ads may be stronger given what he described as the health toll from unhealthy foods.

The exchange followed testimony and questioning around nominees and policy plans tied to the HHS budget for fiscal 2027. Kennedy's comments were the last in a series of congressional appearances in recent weeks tied to that budget and to the administration's public-health agenda.

How big is the ad market?

Public research cited during the hearing offers a window on the scale of the commercial stakes.

Mastheads
  • A 2017 study by the University of Connecticut's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health found U.S. food, beverage and restaurant companies spent almost US$14 billion a year on food advertising.
  • More than 80% of that spending went toward products broadly defined as unhealthy—fast food, sugary drinks, candy and snack foods.
  • The figure is dated and doesn't capture later shifts to online and social media, but it indicates the size of the market that could be affected by tighter broadcast rules.

Industry budgets for television spots, sponsorships and promotional partnerships are a key part of brand-building for many large food and drink firms. Regulatory change that trims television exposure for certain products would likely force companies to reassess where they place marketing dollars. Some firms may shift spend to digital channels, in-store promotions or product reformulation as part of a compliance strategy.

Past self-regulation and its limits

For roughly two decades the food industry has used voluntary commitments as a way to head off stricter regulation. The Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative, launched by the industry about 20 years ago, promised to restrict marketing to children under 12 to products that met certain nutrition criteria.

But studies suggest the voluntary model has left gaps. Research from the University of Illinois Chicago in 2024 found that children still saw roughly 1,000 television commercials a year for unhealthy food and drinks, indicating that the industry's self-policing didn't eliminate youth exposure to junk-food advertising.

Kennedy referenced that history in his testimony and framed his support for regulation through the lens of voluntary versus mandatory approaches. He told senators the tobacco case showed voluntary cooperation can occur, but he also argued the health effects of poor diets may justify firmer action.

White House strategy and inter-agency work

The White House's "Make America Healthy Again" strategy, released in a September document, directs HHS, the Federal Trade Commission and other federal agencies to examine how food marketing reaches children.

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"I would support that," Kennedy said during questioning on the HHS budget, comments that came as the White House pushes agencies to consider tighter marketing guidelines aimed at children.

This article was created with AI assistance.