Taking Back MAHA: Reclaiming “Make America Healthy Again”
Taking Back MAHA: Reclaiming “Make America Healthy Again”
"Make America Healthy Again" — MAHA. For many physicians, this phrase now prompts an instinctive eye roll, even a visceral reaction. But why? On the surface, it’s a sentiment we should all support. With chronic disease rates at near-record highs and an overburdened healthcare system, shouldn’t we all want to make America healthier?
So, what is it about MAHA that makes us uncomfortable and even angry?
As physicians, and ultimately as clinical scientists, we are trained to think critically and seek evidence. We consult primary literature to understand disease mechanisms, rely on peer-reviewed studies to guide gray-area decisions, and follow established guidelines when managing patient care. We understand the scientific process. We know what’s credible, what’s questionable, and how to distinguish the two. We know what we know, we know what we don’t know (and how to look it up), and we strive to minimize blind spots. But what happens when individuals without this foundation begin shaping public narratives and policies?
The truth is, distrust in American healthcare has been festering for years. From the long-debunked vaccine-autism myth, to the very real failures of the opioid epidemic, to the confusion and chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, public confidence has been chipped away. Now, MAHA feels like the final blow to whatever trust remains.
MAHA isn’t simply about promoting healthy living. Instead, it has become a weaponized slogan. A slogan that undermines medical science and paints physicians as villains. It doesn’t foster thoughtful skepticism; it fosters outright cynicism. It reframes doctors as part of the problem with American healthcare rather than essential to the solution.
What we hate about MAHA is that it seeds distrust in established medical care. It has become a slogan and vehicle for anti-science rhetoric. It sows distrust in centuries of built-up scientific knowledge and clinical practice. It replaces the hard work we put into our training and expertise with pseudoscience masked as holistic health. It obfuscates our sincere desire to help others by painting us as being money-hungry prescribers of pharmaceuticals. It erases our intentions, our training, and the trust we work so hard to earn. It negates who we are and what we live for.
So, what do we do about it?
Physicians are smart, driven, and goal-oriented; however, we reserve that energy for clinical work, not for advocacy. When it comes to shaping public perception or influencing policy, we’ve bowed out and stepped aside. That vacuum has been filled by hospital administrators, business interests, and now political movements that prioritize agendas and profits over outcomes.
It’s time to change that. We need to reclaim MAHA, not reject it. Let’s embrace the phrase and redefine it on our terms.
We don’t have to change our practice; in fact, we’ve already been doing the real work of making America healthier. We guide our patients on nutrition, exercise, screening, vaccinations, mental health, and chronic disease management every day. If anything, we can speak more directly about the preventive power of what we already do and highlight how evidence-based medicine truly supports health and longevity.
Right now, MAHA has come to represent a rollback of public health achievements: the resurgence of preventable diseases, the dismantling of critical research, the politicization of nutrition, and a dangerous erosion of trust. But we can steer the conversation back toward science, compassion, and action. Let’s raise our hands and voices as proud members of the healthcare community who truly want to – Make America Healthy Again – by championing vaccines, supporting public health, and empowering our patients to live fuller, healthier lives.
Like it or not, we’re already in the landscape of MAHA. Rather than resist it, let’s shape it. The stakes are too high for silence.