What to Watch in the MAHA Report: Influence, Messaging, and Risk

The new Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) report is generating headlines with recommendations on child health and wellness. On the surface, many of its ideas sound positive, such as encouraging less ultra processed food and promoting community wellness. In practice, the report and the broader movement raise questions about accountability, transparency, and whose interests are being served.

Why this matters for public health

The focus on food dyes, seed oils, and “clean eating” makes headlines but can overshadow the deeper drivers of health outcomes such as poverty, lack of access to care, and systemic inequities. When wellness product makers or influencers become central to policy discussions, there is a risk that reforms will benefit private businesses more than public health.

The broader narrative of distrust in regulators and health institutions is also being amplified through these channels. Without accurate science and clear guidance, that distrust can translate into confusion or hesitancy around proven interventions like vaccines.

The voices behind the movement

• Calley Means has emerged as one of the most visible figures connected to MAHA. He is a special government employee at Health and Human Services and also runs Truemed, a company that helps people use HSA funds to buy wellness products. His dual role has prompted concerns about potential conflicts of interest since policies he promotes could also support his business. Some of his high profile claims have been criticized for exaggerating or misrepresenting data.
  

• Vani Hari, better known as the Food Babe, is another influencer closely aligned with the movement. She built her following around campaigns to remove dyes and additives from foods and now leverages that platform to sell books, wellness products, and subscription programs. Her strong presence in MAHA messaging raises questions about the line between advocacy and marketing.

A Better Path Forward

Reports like MAHA must do more than call out problems. Dr. Shiriki Kumanyika, a research professor at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health who has spent decades studying obesity, nutrition policy, and food marketing, warns that unless we address how unhealthy products are aggressively marketed to Black communities and reform food environments, we will keep blaming individuals instead of systems. Dr. Onye Nnorom, a family physician and public health specialist at the University of Toronto who also leads the Black Physicians’ Association of Ontario, emphasizes that it is not enough to make healthy food available. It must be affordable, culturally relevant, and supported by policies that reflect people’s lived experiences.

If we want all children to grow up healthier, we need to examine how the system is built and how it fails those on the margins. When we design solutions that support the most vulnerable, we create a stronger, healthier foundation for everyone. A better path forward demands transparency about financial influences, accountability for how policies affect Black, low income, and often overlooked communities, and the elevation of experts and advocates who see the whole story. That is how we shift from promises to real progress.