UNICEF warns child obesity overtakes undernutrition as MAHA leans on voluntary corporate action

The US has released its strategy to make children “healthy again.” However, critics point out gaps in concrete regulatory action against unhealthy foods. Concurrently, UNICEF declares that 2025 marks a “historic turning point.” Its latest report finds that global obesity among schoolgoers has overtaken undernutrition rates for the first time.

The final Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) strategy follows a draft that was leaked last month, which was criticized for not implementing stronger regulatory actions. 

Regarding restricting marketing of “certain unhealthy foods” to children, the strategy report states that authorities will “explore the development of potential industry guidelines.”

Based on these vague statements, science director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CPSI), Aviva Musicus, commented: “The report seems to twist itself into knots to make it clear that it will not be infringing upon food companies.”

CSPI president Dr. Peter G. Lurie comments: “For the most part, the final MAHA report will bring a collective sigh of relief in food industry boardrooms, since it leans heavily in the direction of government deregulation, voluntary corporate action, and research likely to be decimated under the President’s proposed budget.”

Lurie argues the report is a “hodgepodge of half-baked science” based on Kennedy’s “pet peeves” that characterized the earlier reports and “should not be taken seriously as science, but as a political document.”

Meanwhile, MAHA lead and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. believes: “This strategy represents the most sweeping reform agenda in modern history — realigning our food and health systems, driving education, and unleashing science to protect America’s children and families.”

The report states that authorities will “explore the development of potential industry guidelines” for the marketing of unhealthy foods.“We are ending the corporate capture of public health, restoring transparency, and putting gold-standard science — not special interests — at the center of every decision.”

Meanwhile, the administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” eliminated nutrition education programs and tightened food stamp eligibility and budgets last July.

Whole milk and children’s heart health

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine warns that the strategy may put children’s cardiovascular health at risk.

“Instead of addressing real changes to provide healthier school meals, the MAHA Strategy is pushing whole milk at the expense of children’s health,” says Physicians Committee president Neal Barnard, M.D. 

“The federal government should be putting less saturated fat on school lunch trays, not more, and it can do that by making it easier for students to access nondairy beverages and plant-based entrees.”

The doctors’ group calls for a shift away from meat and dairy products to fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.

The organization cites research showing increasing signs of early heart disease, high cholesterol, and other cardiovascular disease symptoms appearing in children. The committee warns that bringing full-fat whole dairy milk to schools will worsen health issues.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine warns that bringing full-fat whole dairy milk to schools will worsen health issues.Meanwhile, National Institutes of Health (NIH) director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya says: “The MAHA Report provides a blueprint for the entire government to focus on solving the chronic disease crisis facing American children.”

“We must make America healthy again so our children live longer and healthier lives than we will.”

Ultra-processed foods and animals

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have been linked to several chronic diseases, including obesity. 

However, the MAHA strategy mentions UPFs only once, in the context of creating a definition to support research and policy work. Instead, it references “highly processed foods,” which the authority aims to reduce through education campaigns based on the updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Earlier this month, Barnard responded to an FDA request for information on UPFs after co-publishing research on processed food in JAMA Open Network, stating: “It is not clear that a definition of UPFs is needed.” 

“However, if one is developed, it is essential that the question of what constitutes a UPF is kept separate from the question of which UPFs are healthful and which are unhealthful. Different foods have very different health effects, and many so-called ‘ultra-processed’ foods are healthful and serve public health needs.”

A previous study challenged current processed food classification systems, suggesting that prioritizing biochemical composition and the nutritional value of plant-based foods that retain phytochemicals is more effective.

The Agencies aim to reduce the consumption of “highly processed foods” through education campaigns (Image credit: HHS.gov).Additionally, a Harvard University study showed that ultra-processed cereals were linked to a 22% lower risk of diabetes than animal-based products at 44%. “All animal products are processed,” says Barnard. 

“Farmers feed corn or other feed grains to animals, using the animals’ bodies essentially as machines to convert grains into meat, dairy, and eggs. So chicken breast or pork chops are among the most heavily processed foods there are.”

Optimism failing

For the strategy report, FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary says he is pleased to support MAHA Commission’s findings and for taking a “proactive approach” that targets the root causes hindering US children’s health and happiness.

However, CSPI’s Lurie says it is difficult to find much reason for optimism for the report. He acknowledges closing the GRAS (generally recognized as safe) loophole, but “details are sparse.”

“And even in the case of food dyes, the administration is pointedly deciding not to use its regulatory authority to spur progress.”

Registered dietitian Mary Story, Ph.D., director of Healthy Eating Research, previously told Nutrition Insight that she had high hopes when the first MAHA report was released. “[The strategy] is just a long, limp wish list, without priority areas listed or a timeline. How can they achieve everything in this report in three and a half years without having key priorities?”

The Physicians Committee agrees on the strategy, recommending that hospitals provide healthier food and recommending increased nutrition education in medical schools. They add that doctors should focus on more fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans.

Obesity overtakes undernutrition

UNICEF is sounding the alarm bell over children’s obesity, which jeopardizes their health and their nations’ future. Except for Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, obesity has surpassed undernutrition worldwide. 

The organization’s new “Feeding Profit: How Food Environments are Failing Children” report points out that modern retailers are making it easier for children and adolescents to access UPFs and beverages. These shops have majorly replaced family-run and community-run shops, fresh food markets, kiosks, street vendors, and mobile vendors.

“More than half of unhealthy food purchases are now made in chain outlets in East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and North America,” details the report.

The report projects the global economic impact of overweight and obesity to surpass US$4 trillion annually by 2035.

North America examined 

UNICEF finds that obesity and overweight are increasing among children and adolescents in North America. The number of overweight children aged ten to 14 grew from 9 million to 11 million (2000 to latest). The figures for obese children went from four to five million in the same period.

For adolescents 12 to 19 years old, the figures range from 8 million to 10 million, while obesity grew from four to five million.

“Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, and North America rank in the top three regions for overweight prevalence among children and adolescents aged zero–19 years,” the report reads. These are the top regions where the prevalence of overweight across all age groups.