July 21, 2026
The Honorable Bernie Sanders, Ranking Member
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator Sanders,
We are pleased to endorse the Childhood Diabetes Reduction Act, which would greatly improve children’s health by banning ads for junk food that are aimed at children, supporting additional NIH research on food additives and ultra-processed foods, and requiring front-of-package warning labels on ultra-processed foods and other foods containing excessive unhealthy ingredients.
We strongly support the provision that directs the NIH to further investigate the impact of food additives and ultra-processed foods on the health of children and adults. We are concerned that approximately two-thirds of the caloric intake of Americans consists of ultra-processed foods containing many additives such as sugars, saturated fats, sodium, artificial sweeteners, and preservatives.[1] Previous research indicates that these foods can be very addictive to children and adults is of particular concern.[2] Additional research is essential to better understand the biological mechanisms and ingredients that lead to overconsumption of ultra-processed foods and that are most likely to cause poor health.
We also strongly support the provision that would require the CDC to develop a national public campaign to educate families about these front-of-package health and nutrient warnings as well as the health risks associated with obesity, inactivity, and poor nutrition, including consumption of ultra-processed foods, nonnutritive sweeteners, and foods with high levels of nutrients of concern.
In conclusion, this bill takes important steps to provide additional evidence about why ultra-processed foods are so unhealthy and to inform consumers about the known risks of many popular foods and beverages, as well as ways to improve the health of all family members.
Sincerely,
Diana Zuckerman, Ph.D.
President
[1] Tobias, D. K., & Hall, K. D. (2021). Eliminate or reformulate ultra-processed foods? Biological mechanisms matter. Cell metabolism, 33(12), 2314–2315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2021.10.005
[2] Gearhardt, A. N., Bueno, N. B., DiFeliceantonio, A. G., Roberto, C. A., Jiménez-Murcia, S., & Fernandez-Aranda, F. (2023). Social, clinical, and policy implications of ultra-processed food addiction. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 383, e075354. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2023-075354