The U.S. food environment, healthcare system, and social determinants of health disproportionately harm low-income populations. As a result, health outcomes like obesity, chronic disease, and life expectancy show staggering disparities. Men in the highest income groups live 15 years longer than those in the lowest, and for women, the gap is 10 years (PMID: 27063997). Improving the health of Americans means focusing on those struggling the most. It means policies that make nutritious food accessible—not $48 olive oil, but produce that millions of Americans in food deserts lack access to. Nearly 14% of U.S. households, including 1 in 5 children, face food insecurity, where they can’t consistently get the food they need to meet basic nutritional needs. It means expanding healthcare access, funding nutrition programs, and addressing economic stability and other social determinants of health—evidence-based solutions that benefit everyone, not just the wealthy. Any movement claiming to “make America healthy” while ignoring these systemic issues isn’t genuine. And when that movement is led by wellness influencers profiting from expensive supplements, detoxes, and cold plunge pools—rather than public health experts—it’s even less genuine.
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