This week an American study disclosed that nearly three-quarters of American adults are overweight or obese, up from around half in 1990.
The weight gain is causing a growing burden of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and shortening life expectancy.
A separate global analysis of worldwide diabetes rates released earlier this month found the incidence had exploded.
Urbanisation, growing living standards and more widely available fast food mean similar trends are being seen in much of the world, even in lower income countries.
India, Pakistan, China and America all have high rates.
The growing burden of these so-called non-communicable diseases or “NCDs” has come at the same time as vaccines, better health care and wider availability of food have sharply lowered mortality rates from infectious diseases and starvation.
Mr Kennedy’s focus on better diet could play into a wider need to deal with these lifestyle diseases.
John Butler, head of Global Health Strategies Europe and MENA, says: “If the new US administration wants to debate what’s best for children and how we can further save kids lives, then people in health should engage in an honest dialogue and defend successes while also debating what can be improved and where there’s common ground.
“For example, I think everyone would agree that too many children are obese and overweight, setting them up for illnesses like diabetes, heart disease and cancer as they grow up. Kids should be eating as much fresh food as possible and able to play and exercise in safe places.”
Others questioned whether any benefit his appointment might have on non-communicable diseases would be outweighed by his stance on vaccines.
Dr David Elliman, consultant paediatrician at Great Ormond Street Hospital, said: “While RFK Jr’s desire to tackle chronic conditions including obesity is commendable, how he might go about it is less clear.”
Mr Kennedy has questioned the safety of routine jabs and repeated discredited claims of links to autism, has made him the country’s most prominent vaccine sceptic.
Dr Elliman said: “Let us hope that, if appointed, he adopts a more responsible attitude. Directing his energies to the ‘industrial food complex’ would be no bad thing, as would ensuring more transparency from pharmaceutical companies.”
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