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The “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement has garnered attention for its promises to address the nation’s health challenges. Alex McDonald, MD, offers his insights into the movement.

The “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement has garnered attention for its promises to address the nation’s health challenges. There is no question that the US healthcare system is failing. We have the highest healthcare expenditure per capita, with some of the worst health quality and outcomes; something needs to change. At face value, reducing processed foods, minimizing environmental impact, emphasizing prevention, and mitigating corporate influence on health, while promoting individual autonomy, all sound like good ideas. However, scratch just below the surface of these platitudes, and one will quickly see that MAHA’s foundation is built on pseudoscience, conjecture, and conspiracy theories.

MAHA lacks scientific rigor and medical expertise. It is outright dismissive of decades of public health institutions and individuals who have dedicated their careers to science and evidence-based medicine, all of which have proven to improve quality of life and increase life expectancy by 30 years. The MAHA movement oversimplifies complex health issues, emphasizes individual interventions, and manipulates public sentiment for financial gain, rather than genuinely improving health outcomes. Most importantly, MAHA fails to address the key drivers of rising chronic disease and poor health, such as social determinants, access to care, evidence-based medicine, and underfunded public health efforts.

I must admit there is one aspect of the MAHA movement that I do agree with, and that is a stance against ultra-processed food consumption that is linked to chronic health issues. The movement advocates for organic farming and healthier food production practices, shifting away from the use of pesticides and reducing the consumption of artificial additives, preservatives, and oils commonly found in processed foods. That being said, there is not strong evidence for the health benefits of some of these initiatives. Policies under MAHA include banning ultra-processed foods in schools and restricting the use of soda and sugary drinks in government assistance programs, such as SNAP and EBT. I agree with promoting cleaner and more nutritious food options; however, we must be aware of the lack of evidence for some of these interventions and the potential trade-offs associated with these initiatives.

The primary concern of MAHA is that it prioritizes superficial, simplistic solutions and references anecdotes or highly questionable pseudoscience as “evidence” over substantive, peer-reviewed science and evidence-based approaches for complex problems. For example, while it claims to tackle chronic diseases, its policies frequently ignore the root causes, such as socioeconomic disparities, environmental factors, and systemic barriers to healthcare access. Instead, it promotes measures like banning artificial food dyes, which lack credible scientific support, or restricting evidence-based medical care and technology. Furthermore, the movement’s reliance on fear-based messaging, manipulation, and misinformation undermines trust in credible health institutions and experts.

MAHA’s financial motivations are not at all transparent; yet its alignment with certain industries, interests, and promotion of unproven treatments and products speaks volumes. Americans spent about $30.2 billion out-of-pocket on complementary health approaches in 2012, including visits, natural products, and self-care therapies. There is no doubt that this number has grown over the past decade. There is a massive market for over-the-counter health products and treatments that lack oversight or scrutiny. By prioritizing individual action and investment in unproven “treatments, “MAHA has placed profit over public health and avoided the hard work of systemic transformation, which would truly improve the health of all Americans, not just those who can afford it. Trust me when I say that no one spends years in school, goes into public health, or focuses on preventive medicine to make money or influence people. There are much easier and faster ways to become far wealthier. Evidence-based prevention and public health are hard, unglamorous tasks that are often overlooked when they do their job well. 

Key Flaws of MAHA

Lack of Scientific Basis: Many of the policies and claims promoted by the movement, such as the dangers of seed oils, fluoridated water, or the benefits of banning artificial food dyes, much of which lacks credibility or scientific evidence. Furthermore, the promotion of pseudoscience or highly questionable or unethical research only serves to confuse and muddy the waters for the public, and this is by design. Not all research is of high quality or meets the level of scientific scrutiny required to make informed health or policy recommendations. Furthermore, much of this messaging oversimplifies complex health issues and may even contradict established research.

Fear-Based Messaging: The movement often relies on fear and misinformation to garner support. This approach can erode trust in credible health institutions and divert attention from evidence-based solutions to public health challenges.

Focus on Individual Responsibility: MAHA tends to emphasize personal choices, such as dietary changes, while downplaying systemic factors, including social determinants of health, access to care, and public health interventions. This narrow focus can shift blame onto individuals rather than addressing broader policy or structural issues, which have far more potential to improve the health of all Americans, not just the wealthy.

Financial Motivations: The MAHA movement prioritizes profit over public health by promoting unproven treatments and products, whose sale often benefits many of the movement’s key leaders. Furthermore, the financial ties are shrouded, and there is little transparency regarding who or what benefits. This raises concerns about the true intentions behind its initiatives.

Contradictory Policies: While advocating for health freedom, transparency, informed consent, and reduced exposure to “toxins”, the movement has supported environmental deregulation that could increase environmental exposure and public health risks. Additionally, MAHA has supported policies that try to legislate the practice of medicine, impacting the physician-patient relationship and autonomy. Additionally, defunding and censoring expertise and evidence-based public health measures have intentionally created confusion and raised unfounded questions about the health options available to patients and physicians.

To mitigate the harmful effects of the MAHA movement, it is crucial to promote practices and policies based on scientific evidence and public health expertise. This will require the collective effort of all of us, and it will take courage to stand up and speak out.

Counteracting the Dangers of MAHA

Strengthening Public Health: Public health systems are the backbone of a healthy society, addressing health inequities, enhancing illness data tracking, communication, and promoting preventive care. We must expand funding for public health initiatives, such as vaccination campaigns, community-based health programs, and community health workers, to improve access to care in underserved areas. There is clear evidence that countries with robust public health systems experience lower rates of chronic diseases and better life expectancy. Expanding local health departments and increasing collaboration with community organizations can and will build trust and resilience.

Lifestyle Medicine: Lifestyle medicine emphasizes evidence-based interventions that target the underlying causes of chronic diseases. Diet, sleep, exercise, stress reduction, social connection, and avoidance of risky substances are all highly individual behavioral choices. We must create policies that encourage and promote healthy lifestyle behaviors. For example, we must design and build walkable communities that encourage physical activity, reduce subsidies for highly processed foods, and increase subsidies for healthy, sustainable food and production. Additionally, we must strengthen policies that promote a healthy and sustainable environment.

Addressing Social Determinants of Health: Between 80% and 90% of a person’s health is related to social factors, and if we genuinely want to improve health, we need to focus on these areas. Policies that prioritize affordable housing, accessible transportation, and equitable education systems are the only things that will address the root cause of health disparities. For instance, Medicaid expansion has proven to enhance access to healthcare, reduce financial barriers, and improve health.

Promoting Preventive Healthcare: Preventive primary care is critical for identifying and addressing health issues early. Increasing insurance coverage for screenings, vaccinations, and check-ups has been shown to reduce long-term costs and improve population health. Preventive services also alleviate the burden on emergency departments and hospitals, promoting health equity. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the US is expected to experience a shortage of 21,400 to 55,200 primary care physicians by 2033, exacerbating an existing shortfall. We must increase the number of primary care physicians as an effective and efficient way to improve the health of our nation.

Public Education: Combating misinformation is essential to rebuilding trust in science and healthcare systems. Transparent and evidence-based public education initiatives can empower individuals to make informed decisions. Leveraging social media platforms to amplify accurate information from trusted messengers can counteract fear-mongering narratives.

Collective Effort & Systemic Change

The “Make America Healthy Again” movement has a few redeemable goals, such as prevention and improved dietary efforts. That being said, overall, the approach is fundamentally flawed, prioritizing profit and fear over science and polices proven to improve health. Addressing the true drivers of our nation’s poor health requires an emphasis on systematic, evidence-based approaches, education, and policy that increase access and address the social determinants of health. Lies and misinformation that sound good are cheap and easy to produce. However, relying on science to find the truth is time-consuming and expensive, and it requires expertise and institutions to do the hard work of uncovering the truth. Remember, science is not about knowing the truth; it’s about finding the truth and having the humility and willingness to revisit assumptions and incorporate new data and information as it becomes available. It is imperative to counteract the dangers of the MAHA movement with policies and initiatives that truly prioritize the health and well-being of all Americans, not just platitudes. It will take collective effort and systemic change to actually make America healthy.

Any views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and/or participants and do not necessarily reflect the views, policy, or position of Physician’s Weekly, their employees, and affiliates.