Kyle Diamantas, the Food and Drug Administration's deputy commissioner for human foods, told Newsmax on Monday that the Trump administration's newly released dietary guidelines and updated food pyramid are "long overdue," arguing they are aimed at reversing America's chronic disease crisis.
"We are first in healthcare spend and 46th in life expectancy," Diamantas said on "National Report." "We have 15,000 new cases of diabetes each year.
"When the first dietary guidelines came out in 1980, obesity was around 14%. Today, it's about 40%."
Diamantas said the core messages of the new guidelines are "unimpeachable."
"It's to eat real food. It's to avoid added sugar at a time when 40% of teenagers are prediabetic, and it's to avoid certain types of highly processed food at a time when those foods make up over 70% of the calories on the plates of youth in this country," he said.
The FDA official dismissed some of the pushback against the new guidelines, saying criticism is inevitable in today's polarized environment.
"It's 2026. This is America. You can't get 80% of people to agree the sky is blue," Diamantas said. "But if you look at the 1980 food pyramid, it basically told kids to eat the equivalent of 12 bowls of cereal a day.
"Our chronic disease rates, diabetes, obesity have skyrocketed since that point."
Diamantas noted that more than 76% of American adolescents are ineligible for military service due to health issues.
The new food pyramid prioritizes protein, fruit and vegetables, healthy fats, and dairy, while sharply reducing refined carbohydrates, added sugars, and highly processed foods.
Diamantas emphasized the science behind the changes is overwhelming.
He also pushed back on claims that eating healthier is too expensive. He said food prices have fallen under President Donald Trump, making the new guidelines more affordable for families.
"Eggs are down 30%. Chicken is down. Fresh fruits and vegetables are down. Dairy is down," Diamantas said. "And so this is absolutely a diet that is affordable for Americans.
"By minimizing fast food, takeout food, certain highly processed foods, purchasing whole foods and cooking those at home, this will put money back into the pockets of everyday Americans in the short term.
"And in the long term, we'll save the government billions of dollars in healthcare spending."
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Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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