I am a registered dietitian nutritionist and was recently invited to give a nutrition presentation to local adults. Because of the prevalence of nutrition misinformation, I first addressed how to evaluate the credibility of nutrition sources. Trustworthy sources on nutrition will hold valid credentials such as a nutrition degree, use positive language that motivates and teach based on quality research. Questionable sources will have invalid or no nutrition credentials, provide misinformation for financial gain, encourage distrust of health professionals, use fear-mongering and absolute statements, and describe foods with words like toxic, chemicals, fake, etc. It isn’t difficult to notice that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the person nominated to lead trusted federal health agencies and departments, meets all the criteria of a questionable source.

In his recent Senate confirmation hearings, RFK Jr. frequently stated that he is not anti-vax and that he is pro-science. His first claim is easily disputed by looking at his life efforts, books and statements from past decades; his actions prove his beliefs far more than his words. Let’s just focus on his second claim: his false assertion that he supports science. His actions over the past decades disprove his willingness to trust peer-reviewed and generally agreed-upon research. This poor approach to science stretches even beyond the dangers of being anti-vax because it includes all areas of health, from vaccines to nutrition and beyond.

Some supporters of RFK Jr. have argued that he is merely questioning science, which is what science needs to grow. To their point, scientists agree that questioning science is healthy and how we advance our understanding, but RFK Jr. is not questioning science. He is rejecting it, manipulating it and cherry-picking from it to make claims that are not only unfounded but also can be dangerous.

He ignores quality research. Republican, Democrat and independent senators repeatedly asked RFK Jr. to denounce his claims that vaccines cause autism, but he refused each time. Some might say that he was uninformed about the hundreds of quality studies showing no autism-vaccine link, or that he was unaware that the original study showing a link was proven to be intentionally fraudulent. Even if he was merely uninformed, this would still demonstrate his inability to properly find and evaluate research — the research debunking an autism-vaccine link is plentiful and readily available. In fact, it would be impossible for him to write the books he has written about the subject without ignoring those studies outright.

He rejects quality research in all areas to fit his personal positions. He led the Senate committees to believe that there is limited quality research on chronic disease. In reality, chronic disease has been and is still being extensively studied, so we have a good understanding of causes and lowering our risks. Some of these risks do come from nutrition, but there is no evidence to support his claims that seed oils, “toxins,” food dyes, etc. are chronic health contributors. His numerous false nutrition claims have caused many dietitians to perform damage control on these topics.

He misstates quality research. When he does reference quality research, he misstates its findings, often adding information that was not in the research. One example was when he was discussing a mercury study on Joe Rogan’s podcast. In a series of videos, a scientific researcher humorously compares RFK Jr.’s statements to the research article, showing that RFK Jr. made up the foods that researchers provided, what happened to the ingested mercury and more. Misrepresenting quality research is a dangerous characteristic in someone who would oversee the implementation of that research.

He relies on faulty studies. He frequently spreads faulty research that is either funded by a biased organization, has questionable methods and analysis, and/or doesn’t account for numerous confounding variables. Most recently, he referenced a faulty study in response to a question from Sen. Cassidy (R-Louisiana), a study that could seem persuasive before looking closely. Major issues with that study include the bias from being funded by an anti-vax organization and the important confounding variables not controlled for (e.g. that unvaccinated kids are less likely to see a doctor routinely, if at all, interfering with opportunities to receive diagnoses).

So, is RFK Jr. maliciously unscientific or is he simply uninformed and unqualified? No matter what anyone thinks the answer is, his approach to research demonstrates that he is not qualified to lead Health and Human Services and the organizations that control the research, its interpretation and its implementation. Regardless of his underlying reasoning, his approach is very unscientific and dangerous to the overall health of America, sending us backward instead of forward.

Audrie King is a registered dietitian nutritionist living in Murray who graduated with a bachelor’s from BYU and a master’s from Marshall University. She is a member of the Mormon Women for Ethical Government.