UCLA public health experts questioned the credibility of new federal dietary guidelines that may encourage Americans to consume more saturated fat.

United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the upcoming shift in national dietary recommendations during a July meeting with state governors. The move marks a significant departure from long-standing guidance urging Americans to limit saturated fat intake to less than 6% of their daily calories, according to the American Heart Association.

Kennedy said Nov. 17 that the guidelines would be finalized in December. The decision comes as the federal government prepares to update national dietary recommendations, which happens every five years.

“We’re ending the war on saturated fats in this country,” Kennedy said at the Food Allergy Fund Leadership Forum. “We’re going to publish dietary guidelines that are going to stress the importance of protein and saturated fats … that will really revolutionize the food culture in this country.” .

William McCarthy, an adjunct professor emeritus at the Fielding School of Public Health, said global nutrition authorities typically encourage people to limit their consumption of saturated fat.

Health researchers typically describe saturated fats as pro-inflammatory, meaning that high consumption is associated with chronic conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity, according to the American Heart Association.

“Just about any government around the world that has looked at the issue of what kind of food recommendation should we make to our citizens – all of them have adopted this limitation on saturated fat,” McCarthy said. “Universally, we find that dietary patterns heavily reliant on saturated fat – that includes butter and cheese – have much higher rates of heart disease.”

Dana Hunnes, a previous adjunct assistant professor at the Fielding School of Public Health and current senior clinical dietitian at Ronald Reagan UCLA Health Medical Center, said the new federal guidelines on saturated fats could directly influence the meals served by school lunch programs and dining halls, which must align with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s guidelines.

“The United States Department of Agriculture both develops dietary guidelines and funds much of the agriculture industry. They do a lot of subsidies, so what they recommend in school lunches is oftentimes a reflection of where their subsidies are going,” Hunnes said. “If there’s a lot of extra milk and dairy, they push milk and dairy higher in the dietary guidelines and in school lunches.”

Because the USDA sets both national dietary recommendations and subsidizes major agricultural industries, competing pressures often shape what ends up on children’s trays, Hunnes said. She added that she does not believe increasing saturated fat intake is beneficial for children, citing rising rates of obesity among young people in the U.S.

However, McCarthy noted that foods high in saturated fat also contain a range of other fatty acids, some of which may be beneficial. He pointed to yogurt as an example, highlighting how its mix of fats can support health.

“Don’t be afraid of fat,” McCarthy said. “Polyunsaturates are helpful for the heart, and the omega-three fatty acids in particular are very healthy for the heart, for the brain, for everything.”

Hunnes said that people must look into the source of the nutritional science that backs Kennedy’s announcements on saturated fat.

Studies that shape federal nutrition policy often reflect the interests of the groups that fund them, Hunnes said, noting that research can present certain nutrients as universally beneficial without acknowledging underlying biases.

Dr. Zhaoping Li, a professor of medicine and chief of the division of clinical nutrition at UCLA, said food processing often changes a food’s natural nutrient composition – even when products are marketed as healthier options. She added that, while low-fat, 2% or non-fat options are lower in fat, they require the food’s nutrient composition to be changed.

McCarthy said many foods labeled as “natural” are not produced in natural conditions. He added that animals raised in confined conditions tend to accumulate more saturated fat, noting that farm-raised salmon, for example, typically contain higher levels than wild salmon.

With federal guidance up in the air, McCarthy said community members should focus less on single nutrients and more on overall eating patterns.

“We have to do a better job of feeding our gut microbes, and then all sorts of good things happen,” he said. “We have less depression, less heart disease, less obesity. Quality of life is better when you eat more whole foods rich in fiber and polyphenols.”