内容摘要：, but it’s hard for him to predict what days he’ll need the extra support because his symptoms vary each day, he said.

, but it’s hard for him to predict what days he’ll need the extra support because his symptoms vary each day, he said.

Kennedy’s followers — a contingent of health-conscious moms, Republicans loyal to President Donald Trump and others — have celebrated his “Make America Healthy Again” initiatives. But scientists and public health experts have expressed dismay over some of Kennedy’s statements about Americans’ diets,. Here’s a look at some of those claims Kennedy has made, with additional context and facts.

KENNEDY, at a news conference Wednesday: Studies show that autism rates in the U.S. were “1 in 10,000 when I was a kid” compared to a recent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study that found it to be 1 in 31. He says that is evidence of an autism epidemic in the U.S. and that, “we know it’s an environmental exposure. It has to be.”THE FACTS: It’s true that in the 20th century, only 1 in 10,000 children were diagnosed with autism —- the diagnosis was rare and given only to kids with severe problems communicating or socializing and those with unusual, repetitive behaviors. But the term became shorthand for a group of milder, related conditions known as ″autism spectrum disorders,” and the number of kids labeled as having some form of autism began to balloon.The term “epidemic” is widely used to describe surges in different health problems — like autism, obesity and gun violence, to name a few. But strictly speaking, “epidemic” is defined as a fast-spreading outbreak of disease, and there’s not good evidence that autism meets that definition.

Health officials have largely attributed growing autism numbers to better recognition of cases, through wide screening and better diagnosis. Last week, the CDC saidThere are no blood or biologic tests for autism; it is diagnosed by making judgments about a child’s behavior. Research has looked at a variety of other possible explanations, including genetics, the age of the father, the weight of the mother and chemicals in the environment.

Prior to his rise to health secretary, Kennedy joined anti-vaccine advocates in claiming childhood vaccines are responsible for autism, but studies by the CDC and others have ruled that out. A fraudulent single study that claimed a link between the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine was later retracted by the journal that published it.

Kennedy recently announced a major study into the cause of autism and told an April 10 Cabinet meeting: “By September we will know what has caused the autism epidemic and we’ll be able to eliminate those exposures.” But last week, he softened that to having ”some of the answers by September.”People comfort each other following an officer involved shooting that left two dead and three injured at the Las Vegas Athletic Club in Las Vegas Friday, May 16, 2025. (K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)

Las Vegas Metro Police officers confer by the main entrance of a Las Vegas Athletic Club after a shooting Friday, May 16, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)Las Vegas Metro Police officers confer by the main entrance of a Las Vegas Athletic Club after a shooting Friday, May 16, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

A bystander walks on Rainbow Boulevard as Las Vegas police investigate an officer involved shooting that left two dead and three injured at the Las Vegas Athletic Club in Las Vegas Friday, May 16, 2025. (K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)A bystander walks on Rainbow Boulevard as Las Vegas police investigate an officer involved shooting that left two dead and three injured at the Las Vegas Athletic Club in Las Vegas Friday, May 16, 2025. (K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)