What is "Make America Healthy Again"? What to know about Trump and RFK Jr.'s wide-ranging platform

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has outlined a number of promises to "Make America Healthy Again" under President-elect Donald Trump, vowing to combat an "epidemic" of chronic diseases that he has described as an "existential" threat to America's future. All are under the banner of fighting what Kennedy sees as a common thread behind a broad swath of ailments: that Americans have been "mass poisoned by big pharma and big food," and that federal agencies have failed to stop it. In response, he has also floated a number of specific policy ideas to remake the federal government's public health institutions.

 Why Are Americans So Unhealthy?

The American diet is often characterized by larger portion sizes (supersize me!) and higher consumption of processed foods, fast foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, and high-calorie snacks. These foods are typically energy-dense but nutrient-poor, leading to weight gain. In contrast, the diets in the other countries, such as the Mediterranean diet in Spain and Italy or the balanced diet in Japan, are typically rich in whole foods, lean proteins, fish, fruits, and vegetables.

 Why Is the US So Unhealthy?

When it comes to access to health care, the 34 countries that are ahead of the U.S. in the Bloomberg health rankings all offer universal health care to their people.

America the Unhealthy: Inequality kills

Smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise? Yes, but that’s not all. A researcher tells us what really hurts US life expectancy.

How Health in America is Changing—for Better and for Worse

With scientific advances and the relative ease of access to nutritious food, safe drinking water, and medicines and supplements, the seemingly obvious conclusion would be that Americans are healthier today than they were about half a century ago. Health in America has changed for the better by some indicators, but by many measures, Americans today are in worse health than their parents or grandparents were at the same age.

How the American Diet Has Been Weaponized for Mass Destruction

Between fast food joints on every corner and grocery shelves stuffed with processed foods – making healthy food choices in America ain’t easy. Unfortunately, poor diets can be dangerous to your health, and even deadly.

Why is the US still in such poor health, despite its wealth?

A decade ago, a study showed that the US had the lowest life expectancy among high-income countries. Why are things still getting worse...

America: a healthy or healthcare economy?

Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email [email protected] to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found at https://www.ft.com/tour. https://www.ft.com/content/4a2cfd3b-f692-49df-9857-771e2e39d85b Here’s a thought. Could bad health outcomes, like the high prevalence of chronic illness or obesity, actually prop-up a nation’s gross domestic product by maintaining high levels of healthcare-related expenditure, and jobs? The US may offer an answer.

Americans Far Less Healthy, Die Younger Than Global Peers, Study Finds

mericans die sooner and experience unhealthier lives than residents in other high-income countries even though the United States spends far more on health care, according to a report released Wednesday by the National Academy of Sciences. This health disadvantage exists across all ages and demographics.

Exclusive: More Than 70% of Americans Feel Failed by the Health Care System

Despite spending more money per capita on health care than any other wealthy country in the world, the U.S. struggles to match other nations in life expectancy and other health outcomes. The new Harris Poll survey, which was conducted from February to March 2023 and commissioned by the American Academy of Physician Associates, shows that patient satisfaction is also suffering due to the high costs, inaccessibility, and confusing logistics of U.S. medical care.

How are Income and Wealth lInked to Health and Longevity?

The greater one’s income, the lower one’s likelihood of disease and premature death.1 Studies show that Americans at all income levels are less healthy than those with incomes higher than their own. Not only is income (the earnings and other money acquired each year) associated with better health, but wealth (net worth and assets) affects health as well.

How does U.S. life expectancy compare to other countries?

In 1980, life expectancy at birth in the U.S. and in comparably large and wealthy countries was similar, but over recent decades, life expectancy improved by much more in peer nations than it has in the U.S. The COVID-19 pandemic  increased mortality  and premature death rates  in the U.S. by more than it did in most peer countries, widening a gap that already existed before the pandemic. 

How Healthy Is America Compared To Other Countries?

Because America is the 11th wealthiest country globally, it would be natural for many people to assume that the United States is also one of the healthiest countries. After all, we have access to plenty of healthy food, many people can easily afford access to gyms, and there are countless sports and hobbies that many people enjoy for both fun and exercise. And with how much people spend annually on healthcare, you’d think our citizens would exhibit quality health. However, despite all of these factors, America doesn’t even rank in the top ten healthiest countries globally. It doesn’t even rank within the top twenty. In fact, America is rated #35 out of 169 countries in terms of overall citizen health. But why?

How “Healthy” is America?

With our access to healthy foods, gyms, and outdoor activities that double as hobbies and exercise, you’d think the United States would also be one of the healthiest countries.

International Comparison of Health Systems

Despite spending far more money than any peer nation, Americans live shorter lives and often face more barriers to care. Some of this disparity can be attributed to aspects of the U.S. health system, but socioeconomic and other factors also play a role.

Less Than 3 Percent of Americans Live a ‘Healthy Lifestyle’

A fun thing about being an American health journalist is constantly reading about how horribly unhealthy your country is. (And subsequently, being reminded about how unhealthy you probably are. And by “you,” I mean me.)

States With The Least Healthy (And Healthiest) Populations, Ranked

West Virginia is the most unhealthy state in America, based on our analysis. The Mountain State ranks worst overall in our lifestyle habits and health outlook category.

The Strange World of RFK Jr.

From vaccines to GMO food, his views put him on the anti-business left.

The U.S. diet is deadly. Here are 7 ideas to get Americans eating healthier

The data are stark: the typical American diet is shortening the lives of many Americans. Diet-related deaths outrank deaths from smoking, and about half of U.S. deaths from heart disease – nearly 900 deaths a day – are linked to poor diet. The pandemic highlighted the problem, with much worse outcomes for people with obesity and other diet-related diseases. "We're really in a nutrition crisis in this country." says Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University

U.S. Health Care from a Global Perspective...

The U.S. has the lowest life expectancy at birth, the highest death rates for avoidable or treatable conditions, the highest maternal and infant mortality, and among the highest suicide rates. The U.S. has the highest rate of people with multiple chronic conditions and an obesity rate nearly twice the OECD average.

US Health Care System Ranks Last Overall Among Other High-Income Countries

The US health care system ranked last overall among 10 other high-income countries on key issues such as equity, access to care, and outcome measures...

Why Are Americans So Unhealthy?

By documenting the health disadvantage of living in the U.S., Shorter Lives raises the obvious question: Why? Explanations are both easy and hard to come by. “If you ask really top, smart medical or public health scientists, they will immediately tell you they know the answer,” Sawhney said. “And they will all give you different answers.” He rattles off the usual suspects — stress, food portion sizes, lack of exercise, and others. The National Academies research panel reviewed evidence for many possible culprits, ranging from lack of access to medical care to seatbelt use to poverty. Nearly half of the Shorter Lives report is devoted to exploring that evidence, but the researchers concluded that no single factor fully explains the U.S. health disadvantage.

Why do Americans have shorter life expectancy and worse health than people in other high-income countries?

The American health disadvantage begins at birth and extends across the life-course, and it is particularly marked for American women and for regions in the US South and Midwest.

Why is life expectancy in the US lower than in other rich countries?

Americans have a lower life expectancy than people in other rich countries despite paying much more for healthcare. What factors may explain this?