Make America Healthy Again…Like, When Exactly?
The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement has garnered tremendous attention and amassed a huge following since its inception in the 2010s. Advocates of the movement frequently reference a desire to return to an earlier time in American history—when life was simpler, food was more wholesome, and overall wellness was supposedly at its peak. But were Americans truly healthier in decades past? And does looking to the past genuinely promote better health, or is it merely a distraction that keeps us mired in nostalgia? Join us, two Registered Dietitians, as we explore the complexities of the MAHA movement and examine whether we should truly desire to return to a bygone era of American health.
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Things we talked about and additional reading:
RFK Jr on MAHA
Sh-Boom by The Crew Cuts
Iconic American Foods in the 1950s
Artificial Trans Fats No Longer Recognized as Safe
Fair Packaging and Labeling Act of 1967
Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004
Folic Acid Fortification and Neural Tube Defects
Vital Statistics of the US 1954
Mortality Trends in the US 1954-1963
Mortality in the US 2023
154 Million Lives Saved by Vaccines
Deaths from Pneumonia Over Time
How The Autism Diagnosis Has Changed Over Time
Dietary Fiber’s History
Social Determinants of Health
Socioeconomic Status and Fruit and Vegetable Intake
Socioeconomic Status and Beliefs About Health
The Importance of Health Care Access
Nutrition Quality and Household Income