Physicians Committee Calls on MAHA to Warn About Risks of Animal Products and to Take a Nuanced Approach on Processed Foods

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the Make America Healthy Again Commission prepares to release the follow-up to the Make Our Children Healthy Again Assessment by Aug. 12, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a health advocacy group with 17,000 doctor members, says that the leading health risks for Americans are meat and dairy products. In addition, the Physicians Committee urges the federal government to educate Americans about the difference between healthful and unhealthful processed foods.

The first MAHA report, which was released in May, outlined four potential drivers behind the rise in childhood chronic disease, including “poor diet.” The Physicians Committee agrees that food choices are paramount, calling for a shift away from meat and dairy products and toward fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.

“Bacon and eggs, cheeseburgers, pepperoni pizza, and other animal products loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol are driving America’s epidemics of obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes,” says Neal Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Committee.

The first MAHA report also called for limiting processed foods. The Physicians Committee called for a nuanced approach, pointing out that plant-based processed foods are associated with reduced risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease and are often fortified with important nutrients, such as vitamins D and B12.

“‘Ultra-processed’ is an invented term with little meaning and even less practical value,” says Dr. Barnard, who recently co-authored research on processed food published in JAMA Open Network. “Science shows that so called ‘ultra-processed’ foods differ greatly: Certain ones are associated with health problems while others are associated with reduced risk.”

Dr. Barnard’s new research found that 39% of respondents to an online poll incorrectly said all processed foods are unhealthy. When asked which foods increase type 2 diabetes risk, 51% cited sugar, 19% said desserts, and 7% said carbohydrates, in general — all inaccurately.

The American Medical Association recently passed a new policy supporting public awareness and education about the differences between healthful and unhealthful ultra-processed foods.

A Harvard University study, for example, showed that animal-based products were associated with 44% increased risk of diabetes, while ultra-processed cereals were associated with 22% reduced risk.

Two recently published analyses of Physicians Committee clinical research studies also show the health benefits of replacing animal products with plant-based foods—no matter how processed—including a reduction in hot flashes and weight loss in postmenopausal women, and weight loss and improved insulin sensitivity in people with type 1 diabetes.

“All animal products are processed,” says Dr. 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.”

The MAHA report comes as the Department of Health and Human Services, led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, are preparing to release the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In December, the Scientific Report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee decided that evidence was not sufficient to warn against processed foods in the Dietary Guidelines.

At the Physicians Committee’s International Conference on Nutrition in Medicine taking place in Washington, D.C., from Aug. 14 to 16, several of the presentations will focus on processed foods.