Bonus Episode: 'Make America Healthy Again'--A Movement for Aging Well?

Join Dr. Jeff Armstrong and Corbin Bruton in this bonus episode of the Aging Well Podcast as they delve into the 'Make America Healthy Again' movement, exploring its principles, goals, and potential impact. This episode examines the movement's holistic approach to health, its emphasis on lifestyle changes, and community involvement. Topics include balancing personal responsibility with systemic support, overcoming cultural and systemic barriers, and addressing criticisms such as inclusivity and politicization. Discover how this initiative aims to transform American health by shifting from 'sick care' to proactive wellness, fostering collective effort and personal responsibility for a healthier nation.

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Transcript

0:05

Welcome to the Aging Well Podcast. I'm Dr. Jeff Armstrong with my co host Corbin Bruton. In this episode, we discuss the Make America Healthy Again movement and its potential impact on how Americans age. We'll discuss the movement's core principles, the changes it aims to inspire, and whether it can truly help people live longer, healthier lives. Join us as we explore how this initiative might shape the future of health and wellness in the United States.

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 0:29

I am super excited about today's episode. To kick things off, dr. Armstrong, what is the make America healthy again, movement?

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 0:38

the Make America Healthy Movement is this initiative that seeks to address the decline in health and wellness among Americans by promoting lifestyle choices, raising awareness of the importance of physical activity, balanced nutrition, well-centered fitness, like what we always talk about, you know, mental well being, preventative health care. The movement really emphasizes this need to shift cultural attitudes toward. a more personal collective responsibility for health and aims to reduce the prevalence of chronic diseases like obesity diabetes and heart disease.

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 1:15

It sounds like we kickstarted the make America healthy again, movement. All of those advocates for this have been listening to the Aging Well podcast, my personal opinion.

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 1:26

I wish we could make that claim, but that's not quite the case.

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 1:29

what does the Make America Healthy Again movement mean to you, and why do you think it's gained traction recently?

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 1:38

I think at its core, the movement seeks to revive a culture of wellness by encouraging healthier habits, advocating better food choices, the importance of regular physical activity and fostering environments of wellness. That support healthy living. And you know, it's what we've been promoting on this podcast, what I've been teaching for 20 plus odd years. And it's often seen as a response to the rising rates of many preventable conditions that we see in our society and what really burdens healthcare with all the poor lifestyle choices that people are making. so it encourages local community engagement and policies that make healthy living more accessible to all Americans, which is something we've been promoting, and I've tried to promote for many, many years, a lot of its supporters will argue that the movement is essential to improve life expectancy, enhance the quality of life and enable Americans to live longer. age well by focusing on preventative measures and health education. And so the term also sometimes is used to capture a broader cultural shift toward reprioritizing health as a national concern, similar to past Wellness campaigns, with a more modern focus on using social media and grassroots involvement.

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 3:00

this sounds in line with what we discussed on the Aging Well podcast. what do you see as the key principles of this movement?

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 3:09

Well, I think, the key principles are very much what we talk about is our pillars. You know, the exercise, the importance of exercise in physical activity, healthy body composition, sleep hygiene. Eating a healthy diet, having access to a healthy diet, I think is one of the big kind of key principles of the movement is, and both that and having access to exercise and access to healthy food are two things that we really do not have in this country. As wealthy as we are, as developed as we are, we still can't seem to build communities that make it easy for people to eat healthy. to get out and move. We have declining physical activity in our schools. We have probably some of the worst lunches and food programs in our schools and in our communities than any country in the world. And so some of the key principles are getting people To not only the willingness to exercise and the knowledge of how to exercise, but having access to the exercise that they want to be doing, having access to healthy food and knowing what healthy eating is the other things, cutting smoking and cutting other health practices are causing people to get sick.

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 4:27

I think from my understanding, the big push for, food and nutrition, even people attempting to eat healthy. There's, fraudulent advertisement This is healthy. This is health food. this is considered good for you. then you look on the back or in the ingredients and it's not good. And so people say, okay, well, I'm going to go a more natural route. And then they try and go for organic fruits and vegetables. Even that people are discovering it's not as organic as we think it is, or it's sprayed with actual pesticides and it's sprayed with chemicals that are used it with, modern warfare, as far as like agent orange And so it has an effect on our body in the long run. I think that's also one of the main. Things that they, they're pushing. But I also think you're also right as far as them pushing physical activity more because I remember when I was in school, there was a slight decline in PE or physical education. after I graduated, it started plummeting due to budget cuts. I think that's one of the main things they do talk about. They talk about how In the sixties, there was a huge push for physical activity and involvement. I understand it was to prep people for possible war, but at the same time, people were fit back then. It was awesome. See, I think that's awesome. Like, why would you not want to focus? It doesn't have to be war. It could just be the better longevity of your life. How does the Make America Healthy Again movement compare to past health initiatives in the U. S. like Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign or the Rise of Wellness culture?

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 6:18

Well, the Make America Healthy Again movement shares many similarities to some of those past initiatives, particularly like Michelle Obama's Let's Move, and the broader wellness culture, but it is more distinct in its approach and focus areas. the Make America Healthy Again movement, shares the basic goal of promoting healthier lifestyles but proposes a much broader scope. it's more digitally driven and community driven and it incorporates elements of both health advocacy and really individual responsibility. And so it strives to build awareness raised by some of those earlier efforts. still addressing the many persistent challenges that still exist in the U. S. and are preventing Americans from achieving better health outcomes. So it aims for a culture where health and wellness more central to the national conversation.

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 7:15

both seem to focus on nationwide health issues. The Let's Move campaign specifically targeted childhood obesity. It promoted physical activity, healthier eating in schools, and accesses to nutritious foods for families. The focus was largely on children and creating an environment that would foster healthier habits earlier in life.

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 7:39

Yeah, and to make America healthy, the Again, program is more all encompassing and it's focused on improving health for all Americans, regardless of age, it addresses not just obesity, but a wide range of lifestyle conditions like diabetes, heart disease, mental health challenges, the movement promotes a cultural shift towards prioritizing health across age groups, emphasizing long term well being and healthy aging.

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 8:10

the Let's Move campaign was heavily driven by policy changes and partnerships with schools, food manufacturers, and local governments. It relied on top down efforts such as improving school lunch programs and increasing access to healthy food options in underserved areas.

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 8:28

So while policy advocacy may be part of the movement, much of this momentum for the Make America Healthy Again movement comes from grassroots engagement and community driven efforts. it encourages local communities to take ownership of their health through initiatives like fitness challenges, Public health campaigns, social media driven awareness, and those types of things. The movement has really grown more organically through local events and online communities.

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 9:00

I think the broader wellness movement that's developed over the past decade emphasizes self care, mental well being, mindfulness, and alternative therapy. It's often prioritized individuals preferences like yoga, meditation, and specialized diets. And has become a lifestyle choice for many

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 9:21

And we discussed the wellness movement in episode 195, some of the issues that are going on with the wellness movement, but the Make America Healthy Again movement with some of the aspects of this wellness culture. promoting a balanced diet, physical activity. But again, it puts much stronger emphasis on health outcomes and measurable changes. it's aiming to address systemic issues that contributed to the declining health of Americans things like food deserts, sedentary lifestyles, and like I mentioned, I guess the general lack of access to proper health care.

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 10:05

well, and then the term make America healthy again. I mean, there's some obvious political overtones there.

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 10:13

The let's move campaign was more of a bipartisan effort focused on children's health and generally stayed away from the political rhetoric. the make America healthy again, it does borrow from the slogan, make America great again, which I think is somewhat unfortunate for the, for the The program, just because some of the political divisiveness that we see in the country. it is more suggestive of a politically charged tone, but I'm curious to watch whether this movement gains traction, no matter the result of the presidential election.

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 10:50

I think it should gain traction no matter who becomes president, we need to become healthier in general. And there is no denying that. if you look throughout American history, It doesn't matter what decade or generation there is a significant decline in people's health. And the long term effect of a sedentary lifestyle as we move towards this digital age, there's also some, mental health issues that are going on there. making America healthy, doesn't just have to focus on physical activity and nutrition. It can tie into. That long term, mental health, emotional health, because just like we talk on this podcast, they all kind of go hand in glove. They all connect spies as, as we like to call it. Shout out to our listener, Jay. So thank you.

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 11:48

Yeah. And. I think one of the challenges with having its political overtones is that one of the things that the movement really tends to emphasize is personal responsibility, and it promotes it in a way that reflects broader discussions about individual freedom and government intervention. so it resonates with some who feel that personal choices should drive health outcomes, and that's kind of from both sides. And sometimes there's personal choices. You know, we should have the freedom to, you know, live an unhealthy life if we want. so it can become a bit of a point of contention when addressing some of the systemic barriers to health. But I think it's a very important conversation that no matter what the outcome is the presidential election or any of the elections in this country coming up in November, that It gets a conversation going is how is a, you know, at a very local community, all the way up to the federal community and how we as individuals can have the conversation will drive better society that's healthier and has better access to health and wellbeing.

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 12:59

what's your opinion on how this movement can contribute to the six pillars of aging, like exercise, healthy diet and maintaining social connections?

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 13:09

I think the movement is absolutely necessary for doing these things, and we need a balance between promoting that. of individual responsibility. you weren't in the program at Western Oregon when I started offering the pathophysiology and exercise course, but one of the activities we do in that course is the students, Go back to a 1968 article by, Garrett Hardin, which is titled the tragedy of the commons, and it really it's focused more on population growth and know how that impacts our communities. limited resources. But I asked the students to look at that article from the perspective of health care the notion of universal health care versus universal health. we've had this conversation, I believe, on the podcast before where, you know, this notion of universal health care is unsustainable. we can't promise people that we will take care of every medical condition that can arise, particularly those tied to lifestyle and personal choices. we really need to get people to understand that the choices we're making in the foods we select, levels of activity we have, how much sleep we get, what kind of social connections we have, how much alcohol we consume, and drug use in certain communities where it's almost supported. We have to have those conversations. We have to get people understanding their own individual responsibility, but if you're going to have individual responsibility, you have to allow people access to make the right choices. we can't just say, well, your obesity is your own fault. You're not eating healthy foods. You're not exercising. you have people that say, well, I can't get access to food. There's not a grocery store within walking distance of where I live. And so the only place that I can get food is at a convenience store and it's generally crappy food the government provides me, money to pay for food, but I can't buy good, healthy food with that, the countless different things impeding people from having success in aging well, we have to address those and we have to address those as communities it can't necessarily come from the federal government because. the federal government is over all the states all over all the communities and every community is different. You have different ethnic groups and communities. You have different socioeconomic statuses. You have different roles. You have different just localities. I mean, Portland, Oregon is very different than Miami, Florida or, you know, Louise, you know, city in Louisiana or Ohio or wherever, you know, every, Wisconsin, where they're going to get tons of snow each community is going to be a little bit different. the idea of this movement is to get people Looking at how can we improve the communities around us to give everybody access to healthy diets, exercise, and how can we also connect people rather than disconnect people? And we've talked on the podcast before about how. The loss of the front porch has had a negative impact on social connections in our communities because everybody stays inside. where we live, you know, everybody has back decks and they're on their backyards rather than the front yards. Whereas where I grew up in Dormont and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, everybody had front porches and, communities were so much more connected because our houses were closer. we were at the front of our house when sitting outside in the summertime. rather than in the backyard. And I think that's how this movement can contribute. to politicize it, does a disservice to all Americans because if all sides of politics can come together on this need to improve the health and well being of our population, then we could drive healthcare costs down. We can have a healthier community, going back to, the 1960s and how fit everybody was. JFK initiated the President's Council on Physical Fitness for the purpose of getting men available to be drafted into the service. it had a political motivation but I believe he also had a social motivation to it, that it was important for society healthy. And we need to get back to that. And it doesn't matter whether you're red, blue, purple, whatever your political standing that we understand that we have to be together as communities to get people healthy.

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 17:51

So instead of having it be on a federal level, are you saying it should go out to the states and the state should take care of it? Cause you mentioned how there's different demographics and you mentioned how there's a different demographic between Portland, Oregon versus Miami, Florida. But if we stick it down to the states, there's a huge difference between Portland, Oregon and Baker city, Oregon. That's like night and day Both, culturally and geographically you got Portland in the Willamette Valley and Baker city out in the high desert. So, it kind of goes with your concept of giving everyone access and maybe if you put it in the hands of the actual state, that might be an easier Way to go about it. is that what I'm picking up where you're laying down

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 18:38

Yes and no. I think this has to be approached from all levels of society. we have the individual approach where I have to take on my own personal responsibility my own health choices. But I also have to recognize that My neighbors might not be able to make that same choice because of whether it's education, whether it's accessibility, whatever it might be. And so at a very neighborhood level, we have to be doing things that promote better access to health and well being. then that progressively keeps moving up, from towns to states to regions to the entire federal government. I think this is where the movement, wants to go, and where it has the greatest opportunity to be multifaceted, at all levels of involvement to make America healthy again. a movement from grassroots all the way up through the levels of government.

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 19:42

Dr. Armstrong, what role do you think that make America healthy again movement plays in addressing chronic diseases that are often accelerated in the aging process?

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 20:22

Well, I think we talk a lot on this podcast, and I certainly, stress it in the classes that I teach that majority of disease is really linked to, And as we look at aging, aging is much more of the result of inactivity than it is just simply time on the clock or days on the calendar. And so this movement and trying to address. diseases when we know that the majority of chronic disease related to health choices, to diet, level of activity. And we can get people more active, get people eating healthier, then that's going to slow that aging process. And if we don't address that, we continue to allow for chronic disease to just run rampant, where all we do is worry about treating it. We're just going to keep accelerating the aging process. the end result, in my opinion, is going to be that we're going to have more people who are living longer because health care, is keeping them alive but the quality of life is not going to be as good. So we're going to have more disease that we're ultimately going to have to pay for keeping people alive. But not keeping them well. this is where we talk about sick care as opposed to health care. we need an emphasis. And I think this is where the program can really come in where we are shifting from a mentality of universal health care universal health. And I think one of the big under, Scorings in this movement is that all Americans have a fundamental right to health and not necessarily a universal right to health care, although health care is necessary in situations where we're not able to care for it through lifestyle changes and education and those types of things. But the dollars need to be spent. Let's be spending more of our dollars on education. Accessible activity communities that are developed to be healthier and promote healthy choices rather than spending so much of our tax dollars on health care.

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 22:34

Yeah, I agree with that. Totally. what are some of the biggest barriers to making America healthy again? Are there cultural or systematic changes to make it difficult for people to adopt a healthier lifestyle?

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 22:47

Well, I think I've alluded to this a little bit. you have a wide range of communities out there. You have some that are well funded, well designed communities. That bike paths. my wife before we married, was living in the D. C. Area and she could bike anywhere in that area, with ease and with relative safety. move that into other areas. where we're at now. as much as Portland Purports to be a bike friendly city. It is not at all bike friendly. I could not, if I wanted to bike from where I live to downtown Portland, there's no way of doing that. the roads just are not accessible by bike path or any of that kind of stuff. we also have so many critical problems within the city where, it's unsafe with, Rampant drug use homelessness, all those different things that create an environment that makes people feel unsafe, that they're not going to go outside and exercise. so the barriers are, there's poverty. a lack of infrastructure within the country. a lack of. adequate food sources. we produce the most amount of food probably of any country in the world, we corrupt that food with how it's prepared and processed. We move it all into mega grocery stores that people who are actually farming for this food and gathering this food can't even get access to because they can't get to these big grocery stores. the barriers are just monumental. honestly, I think this notion of make America healthy again is a very daunting task and it almost seems a bit impossible. we're going to have to make some very dramatic cultural and systemic changes to get people, first of all, willing to adopt healthier lifestyles, but then getting them to have access to changing those lifestyles. So do you think there is enough support from policy makers and healthcare systems to make any real progress in this movement? Or are you kind of with me where this might be too far too late?

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 25:01

Yeah, that is a really good question and it's kind of hard to answer because it's so multi layered. I do agree with you that we're at a phase right now where we've gone so deep that in order for us to crawl out of it, It's going to take an entire 180 overhaul. We're going to have to all come together and be a little strict with it. But you brought up other factors that I didn't even think of, you know, as far as just using Portland as an example, as far as Portland, not being safe to ride your bike in. I didn't even think about that because we have the whole, share the road, And there are certain bike paths, but it's true. Even though we have those green lanes for bicyclists, it's really not ideal to ride there and it can get dangerous. I don't think we have the fiscal infrastructure to have like the department of transportation or highway to create like an entire. Roadway for only bikes kind of like what they do over in England, I support of that I think if we could do that, that would be great. And then as far as The healthcare system. from personal experience working with doctors I feel like the healthcare system is so flawed right now, and it's heartbreaking A lot of doctors or nurses go in with the mindset like, Hey, I'm signing an oath to help people and get them better. But from what I've noticed, our healthcare system is so flawed that doctors are overworked and don't have time to come up with a solution to help you get better. Instead, they're, they're going to just prescribe a pill or they're going to have you. Get a bunch of tests that are done and it just, it's so expensive for them just to say, well, we couldn't find anything. So you can keep coming back and paying money, and I know I'm getting a little frustrated with that, but that's just my opinion. I truly think our healthcare system is flawed. And I, unfortunately, I'm an individual that if we're going to talk about a problem, then we need to come up with a solution, I don't know. What solution to come up with for the health care system other than don't treat people like numbers we just need to maybe have a mindset of instead of I'm going to give you a pill or I'm going to give you a prescription. To bandaid your symptoms instead, find a way to say, Hey, I'm gonna figure out a way for us to no longer have these symptoms ever again. we're gonna take preventative measures from them reoccurring in the future. if doctors and other physicians can go in with that mindset. Now, I'm not saying all of them'cause I know there is a, handful that are good doctors, but if all of them could get on that level I truly think that can change the healthcare system and not have it be all about money. it's ridiculous that for women who are trying to have a baby, if you don't have an insurance plan, it can cost tens of thousands of dollars just to give birth to a child. when you're in the hospital that just doesn't seem right. And doesn't sit well with me the movement of making America healthy again has gained visibility through social media and local community efforts. How important is community support in sustaining healthy habits.

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 28:37

I think it's critical and we need to be making some decisions at that level. as we build communities, we can't just be looking at the houses that are being built or the size of the houses being built, but how are we having access to that? if the community is disconnected from other communities in terms of growth, and they're only focused on their own little community, then we miss the connections that are going to really build. Build and support some of these healthier habits and lifestyles. a lot of people, well, I don't want this or that in my backyard, but it's absolutely necessary if you're going to have access to many of these things that we need to have to be healthier. And so do you think platforms like Instagram and Tick Tock, where wellness trends tend to often go viral, play https: otter. ai

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 29:27

I 100 percent because another people are kind of addicted to their phones or some people are just on their phone just because they want to escape from the stresses of their world. So whether you're on Tik TOK or you're on an Instagram reel, or you're on a YouTube short, eventually something's going to pop up on your screen and it's going to talk about. a literature or a study on a health movement. hopefully someone looks at that in that little tiny short clip and they don't take it just as, as word, but instead they, they go and they do their own research, it's just enough of an attention grabbing, Whoa, what's this about? I want to learn more. What do you mean? What do you mean I can have, cognitive focus just by taking magnesium. I got to look into that. What do you mean the carnivore diet helps insulin regulation throughout the day? Let me look into that. So yes, I do think that social media is going to play a huge role. for our listeners who want to get involved or take a step forward towards a better, healthier life, what particular tips would you suggest that they start with?

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 30:42

So I think first thing going back to kind of TikTok and Instagram and stuff is, the first tip I would have is be educated in how you that information because even though You know, this is a movement trying to utilize those tools to get good information out there. There's also a lot of crap information out there I don't think most of our society is informed enough to make really good decisions. so we have to make sure that we're getting the right information. When you see those articles research them, a little bit deeper. Don't take all this information on face value. Take the time, to educate yourself do the things that are going to work well for you and where you find you're having the greatest barriers speak up, become a bit more of a community activist in terms of saying, Hey, we need this stuff. I'm unhealthy because I don't have access to this. Help me get access. Politicians, you have a responsibility to make this available to us. We as a community, need to speak up. So I think my biggest tips would be educate yourself, make sure that others are getting educated, speak up, advocate, and push for these changes to happen.

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 32:00

listen to the Aging Well podcast.

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 32:02

Yes.

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 32:03

every movement faces criticism. what have you heard as the biggest critique of making America healthy again so far.

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 32:13

Well, because of it's political connection, There is certain to be some criticism, I haven't really heard any specific criticisms. so today's episode, I did cheat a little bit and I asked chat GPT just to get a little bit more information of what might be out there. And I think it's on track with its response. chat GPT highlights the overemphasis on personal responsibility, a lack of inclusivity and accessibility, potential for politicization, the risk of oversimplification, about profit driven motives. inconsistent messaging and focus and blaming individuals for broader trends. these are almost always criticisms of any movement from either side. it's always one side pointing to the other side complaining rather than, both sides coming together and saying, okay, this is the problem. How do we solve it? with the idea of overemphasis on personal responsibility, I get accused of that myself. And I'm not surprised if on occasion we don't have people tuning out of this podcast because we tend to emphasize a little bit more that, it's important for us to take action in our own efforts to age well. critics will argue that there's too much focus on individual choices, There also needs to be a bit more consideration as to how do we people the opportunity to take personal responsibility. Because you can't have personal responsibility in doing things without having the opportunity to do what is right. plenty of people out there would love to be more active, to eat healthier foods, but they simply cannot because it's not accessible to them. that leads into that second about the lack of inclusivity and accessibility. lot of people feel like the movement adequately consider diverse needs of various populations. and that may be the case, you know, things like, you know, low income communities, people with disabilities. I think that's the whole point of the movement is to open up conversations Inclusivity and accessibility how are we changing our environments allow for accessibility to healthy food options, spaces for safe exercise and preventative health care that is going to allow for people to participate more equally. What do you think about the potential for politicization?

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 34:50

I don't know if I know enough on the subject to be honest. but I feel like it's already kind of going in that route, right? Cause it's already by taking the slogan of. Make America healthy again, and I feel like it's already getting into politics,

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 35:08

Yeah, perhaps it has. And that's what makes me the most nervous because depending on the outcome of this election, You know, it could be just one of those things that, it's a political slogan and it dies off once the election ends. Or if the Democratic side wins, and just because this movement is coming from one particular side and one particular politician, it just gets killed completely because They don't want to carry on that, momentum of that slogan.

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 35:42

Yeah, but it, but I mean, I feel like it also shouldn't be necessarily leaning more towards the Republicans. I feel like even Democrats, Independents, Libertarians, whatever political party you fall under, I feel like everyone wants to be healthy or healthy again than when they When they were back in the day, everyone strives for overall health.

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 36:09

why don't we have it?

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 36:11

I think there's a flawed system that we have. if you're paying attention to the trials going on as far as this make America healthy again movement. they dive into how in the eighties the cigarette companies purchased a lot of the food industry and made food more addicting causing a huge portion of health problems. They also, talk about nonstick pans, how that can disrupt Our hormones I feel like it doesn't matter if you're right or if you're left, like everyone in the middle, everyone has this probably the same thing of, I want to be healthier. You know, you could be going on a carnivore diet. You could be going on a vegan diet. The reason people go on those diets are primarily for health and to better themselves and to add longevity. It's universal for everyone.

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 37:05

we're definitely in a society that, because of political divisiveness, the rhetoric. Can get lost and the movement can get lost because it gets tied to one particular side versus the other. I mean, we saw some of the same things really with, let's move, let's move campaign as well. but I think we could move on to other concerns, like, it having profit driven motives, that may or may not be the case. these critiques can end up being excuses for not carrying forward this campaign. it's important that we get past any politics, get past any feelings like, well, it's just out there to make money for people. There will be people that will make money from this movement, Where do we want this money to go? Is I think the big question. Do we want money to be going to large pharmaceutical companies that are treating conditions and giving us side effects? Or do we want money to go to places creating jobs as we, build new infrastructure as we, you know, have more healthcare facilities that can give preventative care. We have facilities that are going to, exercise for individuals that don't currently have access to it. Maybe better food preparation. programs and distribution programs. I mean, this could create jobs as well as profits for companies, but the most important thing is we're already spending billions, trillions of dollars on health care. Why not spend a fraction of that to actually make Americans healthy.

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 38:42

do you think there's a risk that the movement could become more of a marketing slogan than a meaningful change in how Americans approach their health?

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 38:52

I think there's a risk, but I hope not. my goal is for this episode to say, okay, yeah, let's take on this slogan, but make it a bipartisan slogan and not a marketing thing to get somebody in office or, promote local politicians, but to actually promote change within our communities.

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 39:16

I agree. how should we measure the success of the movement like this? Is it about reducing obesity rates, improve life expectancy or something more subjective like a cultural shift?

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 39:32

Yes, all of the above. it's kind of like on a test, where it's A, B, C, A and B, all of the above. This would be an all of the above. all of these things. There's going to have to be multifaceted outcome measures. we need to see obesity rates go down with those obesity rates going down. We need to see the rates of diabetes going down. We need to see incidences of hospitalizations going down. We need to see, the rates of. Viral spread like COVID going down. we need not only to see improved life expectancy, in see an improvement in health span, you know, that people aren't just living longer in that fourth age, they're living longer in that third age, and they're able to be more productive and living more vibrant lives. rather than just keeping people alive for a longer number of years. it really needs to be a notable cultural shift that people are starting to recognize that exercise is critical and that when we make construction decisions or community planning decisions at the core of those decisions, or how is this going to improve the overall health and wellbeing of our people? Corbin, if you had to focus on one area of your own life to align more closely with the principles of this movement, what would that be?

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 40:58

That is a great question. I would say I'm probably just focused on the nutrition, honestly. And having access to better foods but also a better understanding of what it is that we're actually putting into our bodies. Yes, we can, look at the ingredients label on certain items, but what do those mean? if I'm reading it and it looks like a chemistry set, I don't know what that means. I don't know what, if I can't pronounce it. what is this doing? What are the side effects? And so I think with a combination of, of having access to educations for people to actually be aware of what's happening to their health, combined with the basics of, Nutrition when to eat how to eat and how that's going to link up with your circadian rhythm and help your sleep habits, how that's going to give your body fuel as you exercise and after an exercise, give your body the recovery that it needs from those nutrients. If I had to focus on one of the principles, I'd focus on that. That'd be me.

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 42:14

would focus on education as well. And I feel like that's what I'm doing. I mean, it is a professional and that's my area. my whole purpose in the classes that I teach, the content that I teach is to really educate, my students are probably getting sick of me now of using the phrase age well and I end up saying it like we do on the show, age well, right? but our whole purpose in exercise science is to get to this position where all Americans are much healthier.

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 42:41

what's one of the takeaways you hope our viewers and listeners remember about the make America healthy again movement and its potential to help people age well.

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 42:51

I think the takeaway should be that a healthy American population is attainable. it's going to take personal responsibility. It's going to take community responsibility, and it has to take an overwhelming desire our population to be healthy and to not want to spend increasing dollars on healthcare.

corbin-bruton_2_10-26-2024_085902: 43:12

And with that, I hope that everyone ages well.

jeff_2_10-26-2024_085902: 43:16

Keep aging well.

43:18

Thank you for listening. I hope you benefited from today's podcast. Until next time, keep aging well.