3: How New Federal Health Policies Could Affect Schools

As debates over childhood nutrition, physical activity, and school health policy intensify nationwide, new federal initiatives are reshaping conversations about children’s well-being in schools. In this episode of “Child Health Advocacy + Policy” from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, Heidi Russell speaks with Christopher Kulesza about how the “Make America Healthy Again” movement approaches child health concerns, including revised dietary guidance, school meal proposals, and student wellness in schools. This conversation was recorded on Feb. 5, 2026. Listen and subscribe on your preferred podcast platform. Learn about the “Child Health Advocacy + Policy” podcast by subscribing to our “Health Beat” newsletter at https://www.bakerinstitute.org/newsletter.   You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.