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What do the Americans of Robert Kennedy Jr.’s unconventional positions say about health?

What do the Americans of Robert Kennedy Jr.'s unconventional positions say about health?

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s anti -vaccine activism is out of the conventional. His previous statements about abortion could move the Republicans away. But according to a new survey, not all its controversial health goals are unpopular; In fact, at least one has broad support between Democrats and Republicans.

As Kennedy’s confirmation audiences begin in the Senate, his candidacy to become the nation’s leading health official might depend on how firmly they adhere to these personal beliefs during interrogations. He has already softened some of the opinions he has had for a long time.

Kennedy faces some skepticism from the public, according to a new survey by The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Only about 3 out of 10 adults in the US approves that President Donald Trump Nomine as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. About 4 out of 10 disapprove of it, while about a quarter are neutral or do not know enough to comment.

But it also has strengths. Kennedy’s choice by Trump is especially popular among Republicans: about 6 out of 10 approve, compared to about 1 out of 10 Democrats.

And although many Americans do not agree with some of Kennedy’s most controversial positions on health – among them, beliefs about reassessing children’s vaccination recommendations and changing guidelines on fluoride in drinking water and consumption of raw milk – Some of his other positions, such as reformulating processed foods, are widely popular.

This is what the AP-NORC survey shows about which of Kennedy’s priorities will probably be popular among American adults and which may not be so well received.

Greater opposition to reassess widely used vaccines

For a long time, Kennedy has been a skeptic of vaccines, and he and Trump have falsely claimed that children’s vaccines are dangerous and are linked to increasing rates of autism. His opposition to vaccines is wide, and has said that “there is no vaccine that is safe and effective.”

The AP-NORC survey suggests that reassessing vaccine recommendations would be unpopular among many Americans.

Around 4 out of 10 Americans oppose “strongly” or “something” to reconsider government recommendations about widely used vaccines, such as influenza vaccine, and about 3 out of 10 are in favor. About 3 out of 10 Americans are neutral.

Republicans are more likely than Democrats to be in favor of reconsidering government recommendations for widely used vaccines, although their support is not overwhelming. Around 4 out of 10 Republicans are in favor of reassevaluating vaccine recommendations, compared to about 2 out of 10 Democrats.

Broad support for restrictions on processed food ingredients

One of Kennedy’s ideas is popular in general: eliminating some chemicals from processed foods. Kennedy has pledged to prohibit certain food additives and to take energetic measures against ultraprocessed foods, linked to high rates of obesity and diabetes.

Around two thirds of Americans are “something” or “strongly” in favor of restricting or reformulating processed foods to eliminate ingredients such as added sugar or dyes. This is an area where Democrats and Republicans agree: around 7 out of 10 members of each group are in favor of restrictions.

Support is particularly high among American adults with a higher family income, although the investigations of the National Health Institutes have indicated that ultraprocessed foods are consumed at higher rates in low -income groups.

Approximately 8 out of 10 adults with a family income of $ 100,000 or more per year support the restrictions, compared to about half of the Americans with a family income of $ 30,000 or less.

Greater opposition to eliminate raw milk restrictions

Kennedy indicated before the elections that he would be willing to end the “aggressive suppression” of raw milk by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA and the centers for disease control and prevention (CDC) have described raw milk as one of the “most risky” foods that people can consume due to the possibility of pollution.

This is a proposal for which I would have to convince the public. About 4 out of 10 American adults oppose “strongly” or “something” to eliminate restrictions on the sale of non -pasteurized or raw milk.

Approximately 2 out of 10 Americans are in favor of this idea, being the most likely Republicans than the Democrats to support it. But even the Republicans are divided: around 3 out of 10 are in favor, while about 3 out of 10 are against.

General support that Medicare and Medicaid covers the medications to lose weight

Kennedy has criticized the prescription medications to lose weight, such as Ozempic, saying that a better quality diet could solve the problem of obesity in the United States, but in December it changed their minds, saying that medications “have a place” to ensure that People do not suffer obesity, in addition to changes in lifestyle.

Americans consider weight losing medications as a good solution for adults with obesity. Around half of American adults say they are “very good” or “something good” that adults use medications to lose weight if they fight against obesity or with a health condition related to excessive weight.

And approximately half is also in favor of Medicare and Medicaid to cover the cost of these medications if they are prescribed for weight loss in people with obesity.

Greater opposition to the elimination of fluoride in drinking water

Kennedy has said that he wants the federal government to advise local governments against adding fluoride to their drinking water. CDCs have said that the addition of fluoride in small amounts to drinking water helps prevent caries and dental deterioration.

There are more Americans against the fluorine of drinking water, but many do not have an opinion on the subject, leaving space for changes in any direction. About 4 out of 10 Americans oppose the fluorine of the water supply, and about a quarter are in favor. An additional third is neutral, saying that they are neither for or against. Around a third of the independents and Republicans are in favor, compared to around 2 out of 10 Democrats.

The idea of ​​eliminating the fluorine from drinking water is particularly unpopular among adults 60 years or older, and the data suggests that younger Americans could be more open to it. Nearly half of adults 60 years or older oppose eliminating water fluorine, compared to approximately 4 out of 10 adults between 30 and 59 years. Only around 2 out of 10 adults under 30 are opposed to it.

Kennedy’s opinions about abortion could collide with those of Republicans

Kennedy has previously expressed his support for the right to abortion, which contradicts the beliefs of many of the Republican legislators who will need to confirm him in his position, although he has said that Trump’s guidelines will follow on the subject.

Kennedy is in a kind of crossroads on the subject. Around 6 out of 10 voters in the November elections said that abortion should be legal in all or in most cases, according to AP Voteutast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters.

About a third said it should be illegal in all or in most cases. But like the Republican senators who will interrogate him, conservative voters see the subject differently. Among the Republican voters, approximately 6 out of 10 said that abortion should be illegal in at least “most” of cases, and only about 4 out of 10 said it should be mostly legal.

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