The Business of Wellness

What RFK Jr. & the MAHA Movement Get Right—and Wrong—About Food, Nutrition, and Public Health Reform


Listen Later

In the Season 3 premiere of The Business of Wellness, host Jaclyn London, MS, RD, dives deep into the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, spearheaded by RFK Jr., nominee for Secretary of Health. With her unique expertise as a registered dietitian, consultant, and author, Jaclyn unpacks the promises, pitfalls, and scientific inaccuracies in MAHA’s approach to food, nutrition, and public health.

Jaclyn brings her professional insight into the broader systemic issues behind America’s rising rates of chronic disease and why focusing on food additives, seed oils, and GMO crops distracts from meaningful public health solutions. She also explores how media narratives, wellness influencers, and Washington’s incentive structure fuel confusion about food and health.

In this episode, Jaclyn breaks down:

  • The MAHA movement’s stated goals, including transparency in food production, promoting regenerative agriculture, and reforming the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

  • The science (or lack thereof) behind claims about artificial food dyes, glyphosate, seed oils, and ultra-processed foods.

  • Why removing artificial ingredients from products won’t solve America’s public health crisis.

  • Free-market, bipartisan approaches to solving America's health crisis 


Listen to Learn:

  • What MAHA’s critiques of Big Food and Big Pharma get right—and wrong—about food and health.

  • Why food additives, seed oils, and GMO crops are NOT the root causes of America’s chronic disease crisis (and where to look instead...)

  • How media, Big Tech, Big Wellness, and policy incentives create confusion about food and nutrition.

  • Evidence-based, free-market solutions to improve health that could gain bipartisan support.

  • The critical role of dietitians and practitioners in connecting science, policy, and consumer behavior.


Timestamps:

  • 00:00 – Intro to Season 3 and RFK Jr.’s MAHA Movement

  • 04:57 – Behind RFK Jr.’s nutrition philosophy and Jaclyn’s unique perspective

  • 11:31 – MAHA’s goals: Transparency, Big Food, and Dietary Guidelines reform

  • 20:31 – Where concerns about food additives come from

  • 28:32 – Individual experiences vs. public health science

  • 31:11 – The erosion of trust in public health institutions and food safety

  • 38:14 – Global nutrition policy vs. America’s food culture

  • 45:09 – Big Tech, Big Wellness, and their role in public health narratives

  • 54:10 – What’s wrong with the Dietary Guidelines vs. the Advisory Committee

  • 01:00:50 – Who should profit from helping Americans get healthier?


About Jaclyn London, MS, RD: Jaclyn London is a registered dietitian, author of Dressing on the Side (and Other Diet Myths Debunked), and host of The Business of Wellness. As a consultant and media expert, Jaclyn helps brands, investors & policymakers to build practical, science-based strategies to help consumers live healthier lives.

  • Follow The Business of Wellness on Apple Podcasts and Spotify for more evidence-based insights into the intersection of nutrition, business, culture,  and public health
  • Rate, review & share your questions about & topic suggestions on MAHA for future episodes.
  • Connect w/  @jaclynlondonrd on Instagram

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Business of WellnessBy Jaclyn London

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

52 ratings


More shows like The Business of Wellness

View all
Pivot by New York Magazine

Pivot

8,872 Listeners

Juicy Scoop with Heather McDonald by Heather McDonald & Studio71

Juicy Scoop with Heather McDonald

25,473 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

111,388 Listeners

The Egg Whisperer Show by Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh

The Egg Whisperer Show

234 Listeners

The Jordan Syatt Podcast by Jordan Syatt

The Jordan Syatt Podcast

3,607 Listeners

The Proof with Simon Hill by Live better for longer

The Proof with Simon Hill

2,600 Listeners

The Genius Life by Max Lugavere

The Genius Life

4,887 Listeners

The Liz Moody Podcast by Liz Moody

The Liz Moody Podcast

2,968 Listeners

Hot, Healthy, Never Hungry by Lauren Hubert MS, Registered Dietitian | Healthy Eating & Weight Loss Tips

Hot, Healthy, Never Hungry

419 Listeners

On Display with Melissa Gorga by PodcastOne

On Display with Melissa Gorga

2,861 Listeners

On with Kara Swisher by Vox Media

On with Kara Swisher

3,144 Listeners

The Mel Robbins Podcast by Mel Robbins

The Mel Robbins Podcast

20,802 Listeners

I've Had It by Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan

I've Had It

13,760 Listeners

Just Jenny by Crossover Media Group

Just Jenny

352 Listeners

Humble Brag with Crystal and Cynthia by Envy Media LLC

Humble Brag with Crystal and Cynthia

396 Listeners