U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gestures as he speaks during an event at the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., Dec. 19, 2025.Evelyn Hockstein | ReutersHealth and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday said he would support a potential ban on junk food TV advertisements in the U.S. – an effort that would likely draw fierce backlash from major food manufacturers. Speaking at a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing, ranking member Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said President Donald Trump’s nominee for surgeon general, Casey Means, had recently told the panel she supports banning junk food ads on TV. When asked whether he agrees with a ban, Kennedy said, “I would support that.”But Kennedy also appeared to imply that he would want the effort to be voluntary for food companies. “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,” he said. “And I think the same arguments apply for junk food, [which is] probably even worse for Americans than smoking.”Food, beverage and restaurant companies spend almost $14 billion per year on food ads in the U.S., with more than 80% promoting fast food, sugary drinks, candy, and unhealthy snacks, 2017 research from the University of Connecticut’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health shows. It is not clear how trends have changed in the years since. The Trump administration is already exploring whether to limit food companies’ ability to market certain unhealthy foods to children, according to a “Make America Healthy Again” strategy document released by the White House in September. HHS, the Federal Trade Commission and other agencies will consider establishing food industry guidelines on marketing to children, “including the evaluation of misleading claims and imagery,” the document said. Two decades ago, the food industry launched The Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative as a commitment to only advertise products that met certain nutrition parameters …
