In his inaugural address, President Donald Trump said he wanted to end chronic illnesses. The promise is part of the Make America Healthy Again campaign pushed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who Trump picked to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

It’s a powerful slogan. But experts warn that some of RFK Jr.’s proposals are based on conspiracy theories and false information instead of actions that could actually improve Americans’ health, like backing targeted reforms in the food industry.

“We subsidize corn, wheat and soy. And so any food products that use corn, wheat and soy, which is the basis of all these ultraprocessed foods, are artificially cheaper, right?” said Jessica Knurick, a registered dietitian who decodes nutrition and public health misinformation. “They’re cheaper. So that’s why high-fructose corn syrup is used in all of these foods instead of cane sugar.”

On the show today, we’ll discuss the business of food, what processed foods actually are, how our food supply became full of them, and why chronic disease disproportionately impacts low-income communities. Plus, Knurick lays out the policy solutions she would propose to improve Americans’ health.

Later, as the LA fires continue to burn, listeners share how they’re thinking about climate risk in their neck of the woods. Plus, a sober health journalist changes her mind about Dry January.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “RFK Jr. faces battles in quest to change America’s food” from The Washington Post

• “What Is MAHA?” from New York magazine

• “How RFK Jr.’s Pledge To Make America Eat Healthier Clashes With Trump” from Forbes 

• “A Dietitian’s Guide to the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ Movement” from Public Health Dad

• “Junk food turns public villain as power shifts in Washington” from CBS News

We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email us at makemesmart@marketplace.org.