Most Americans agree with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that American foods are loaded with too many chemicals, a DailyMail.com poll suggests.
But they don’t share vaccine skeptics’ concerns about disease, the results show.
The survey asked more than 1,000 adults about their views on ultra-processed foods and vaccines, which have come into focus following the appointment of RFK Jr as head of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Two-thirds of respondents said they agreed that American foods have too many oils, fats and other additives, which could be fueling the country’s obesity crisis.
Four in 10 Americans said they “strongly agree,” while only one in 15 respondents disagreed with this sentiment.
Those who identified as Republicans were more likely to demonize ultra-processed foods than Democrats: 76 percent of Republicans versus 64 percent of Democrats said American food has too many unhealthy ingredients.
Americans were also asked about their opinion on Covid shots and more conventional vaccines.
Covid boosters had the least support. Only about half (51 percent) said they were “very comfortable” or “somewhat comfortable” taking them.
A DailyMail.com poll found that a majority of Americans agree with health and human services secretary nominee Robert F Kennedy Jr (pictured) about unhealthy American foods. However, they did not share their feelings about vaccines.
The graph above shows the responses of 1,000 Americans about the US food supply. Overall, four in 10 said they “strongly agree” that it has too much saturated fat and cancer-causing nitrates, blaming it for rising obesity rates.
Meanwhile, the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine received the most support, with 67 percent of Americans saying they felt comfortable taking it.
RFK Jr has been vocal in his opposition to many vaccines, stating that no vaccine is “effective” and raising the idea that childhood vaccines could be causing an increase in autism rates.
In 2021, he suggested that the Covid shot “has killed more people than all vaccines combined over the past 30 years”, which experts called an “inaccurate representation of the data”.
Meanwhile, the survey found that people ages 30 to 49 were the most likely to suggest that American foods are fueling the country’s obesity crisis, with 67 percent saying they agreed.
However, among younger millennials and Generation Z, only 59 percent selected “agree.”
The survey found that 69 percent of white Americans agree that the food is unhealthy compared to 66 percent of Hispanic respondents and 55 percent of black respondents.
Looking at political affiliations, three-quarters of Republican respondents believe the food supply is too unhealthy compared to 64 percent of Democrats and 62 percent of independents.
The results come at a time when 40 percent of Americans are obese, according to the latest CDC data, which experts have attributed to increased access to ultra-processed foods and a growing lack of physical activity.
Saturated fats and added sugars have long been shown to cause plaque to build up in the arteries and raise blood sugar, increasing the risk of diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.
The table above shows respondents’ responses about vaccines. While most were comfortable with vaccines overall, Covid boosters had the least support.
In general, Americans were more comfortable with the MMR, polio, and flu vaccines.
In addition to food, the survey also asked respondents how comfortable they felt receiving the vaccines.
Overall, Americans felt more confident about the MMR and polio vaccines, with 67 percent saying they felt comfortable receiving them.
Of each of them, only one in 10 said they felt “very uncomfortable.”
The chickenpox vaccine was a close second, with 67 percent of respondents saying it was the one they trusted the most.
And vaccines against hepatitis B, TDAP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) and flu had 42 percent of respondents saying they were “very safe.”
However, Americans had less confidence in Covid vaccines and boosters. The survey showed that only 54 percent of Americans were “confident” about the Covid vaccine, and 51 percent felt that way about the booster.
Meanwhile, one in four respondents said they felt “very uncomfortable” receiving these injections.
This could be due to a growing amount of misinformation about vaccine side effects spread by wellness influencers and right-wing politicians, including RFK Jr.
Among his claims, he has suggested that vaccines cause autism, which has long been disproved.
However, Covid vaccines have prevented millions of deaths around the world. While serious side effects, such as autoimmune diseases and paralysis, do occur, they are extremely rare, affecting about one in every 200,000 people, according to federal data.
Dr Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, previously told DailyMail.com: “These are probably one of the most studied vaccines in the world.”