[In Focus] Getting smart about the food we eat

In April 2025, Kevin Hall took early retirement from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). “My life's work has been to scientifically study how our food environment affects what we eat, and how what we eat affects our physiology. Lately, I've focused on unravelling the reasons why diets high in ultra-processed food are linked to epidemic proportions of chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity”, explained Hall, in a post to social media. “Recent events have made me question whether NIH continues to be a place where I can freely conduct unbiased science.