Is "Make America Healthy Again" Actually Helping Public Health?

The PedsDocTalk Podcast

Dr. Mona Amin

Medicine, Health & Fitness, Kids & Family, Parenting

5 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 26 March 2025

⏱️ 105 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Is America REALLY less healthy than it used to be? Or is that just a myth? Lately, the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement has been romanticizing the past—but was it really a "healthier" time? 🤔 Higher infant mortality, shorter life expectancy, and limited medical advancements suggest otherwise. Today, I’m joined by Nini Munoz, Science & Risk Communicator, and Dr. Jessica Knurick, Dietitian & Nutrition Scientist, to break down: The myth of the 'healthier past'—why public health was worse, not better. Misinformation & fear-based narratives—how MAHA spreads harmful myths about vaccines, food, and disease. The real problem with food policy—why fixating on seed oils & food dyes distracts from real issues like ultra-processed food and food deserts. The wellness industry’s role—how influencers profit off fear with detoxes, supplements, and misinformation via predatory wellness. What actually improves health—real solutions like healthcare access, school lunch reform, and food subsidies. It’s time to stop falling for misguided nostalgia and start focusing on evidence-based solutions that actually improve public health. Tune in now! To connect with Jessica Knurick follow her on Instagram @drjessicaknurick and check out all her resources at https://linktr.ee/drjessicaknurick To connect with Nini Munoz follow her on Instagram @niniandthebrain and join her on Substack: https://techingitapart.substack.com/ We’d like to know who is listening! Please fill out our Listener Survey to help us improve the show and learn about you! 00:00 — Misleading Comparisons: Japan, Fluoride, and Health Outcomes 00:00:52 — Welcome to the Show: What MAHA Gets Wrong 00:01:39 — Fear-Based Distractions vs. Real Public Health Solutions 00:02:53 — Meet the Experts: Dr. Jessica and Nini Munoz 00:03:23 — Are Americans Less Healthy Now? Breaking Down the Data 00:07:01 — Why Living Longer Means Facing Chronic Disease 00:09:51 — Screening, Diagnostics, and Better Detection—Not a Health Decline 00:11:13 — The Missing Conversation: America’s Broken Food Environment 00:14:15 — Red Dye 40 & Skittles: Why This Isn't Solving Chronic Disease 00:17:39 — Targeted Marketing & Food Access: A System Built Against Low-Income Families 00:22:00 — Poverty, Policy, and Public Health Failures 00:27:01 — Lessons From Colombia: How Classism and Privatization Worsen Health Outcomes 00:31:31 — Vaccines, Autism, and Recycling Disproven Theories 00:37:08 — Why Some Pediatricians Push Alternative Schedules 00:39:10 — Predatory Wellness: The Business of Fear and False Solutions 00:43:13 — The Wellness Industry Formula: Scare, Distract, Sell 00:46:30 — When Wellness Fails: Who Do We Turn To? 00:49:10 — Healthcare Reform & Public Trust: Fixing the Root Problems 00:51:12 — Final Thoughts: Real Solutions for a Healthier America Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and subscribe to PedsDocTalk. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships page of the website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	There was a post that Callie Means, who's one of the people in Maha movement, he compared Japan and their life expectancy and their health outcomes,
0:08.1	talking about fluoridated water and how they don't fluoridate their water.
0:11.6	And so as a rationale for why they have better health outcomes and why their life expectancy is higher,
0:17.0	never mind that they have mandatory fluoridation in their schools and all students have to get that at school. And never mind that they have universal health care and never mind that they have mandatory fluoridation in their schools and all students have to get that at school.
0:22.2	And never mind that they have universal health care and never mind that they have, you know, their nutrition looks a lot different than our nutrition.
0:29.8	And their food environment is not set up for corporations to make profits.
0:34.5	And so it's not 70% ultra-processed foods like ours is.
0:39.0	You know, there's just so many things and aspects that go into health. And so I like to try to help people to understand that,
0:43.5	like, those are, you know, those are used to kind of like get people outraged at certain topics. But we
0:49.8	have to look at health holistically. Welcome to the show. It's me, Dr. Mona, you're a trusted pediatrician,
0:56.4	confidant, and mom friend here to support you through every twist and turn of parenting. And you're
1:01.4	listening to the Peeds Dog Talk podcast where I host conversations that empower your parenting
1:06.8	journey. Whether this is your first episode or you're a long time listener of five years,
1:12.4	I promise you'll get plenty of insights. Don't forget to subscribe, download, and check out more
1:17.5	episodes so you never miss a beat. Today we are diving deep into a movement that's been making
1:24.4	waves and ruffling the feathers of science experts everywhere, the
1:29.3	Make America Healthy Again movement or Maha or Maha, let's call it Meha.
1:35.2	At first glance, make America healthy again sounds like something we should all get behind.
1:39.6	After all, who doesn't want a healthier America?
1:42.1	But here's where it falls apart.
1:44.7	Instead of addressing the real drivers of health,
1:47.7	like public health policy, healthcare access, and food systems,
	...

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