#Healthhistory

A new wave of scholarship challenges the idea that the United States once enjoyed a pristine age of health. The debate feeds public discourse and political messaging, including campaigns like “Make America Healthy Again.” Yet a careful review of history shows a more nuanced story where health advances came through persistent effort, not nostalgia.

The lure of a healthier past grows as concerns about chronic disease, ultra-processed foods, and health equity persist. Some argue that earlier dietary habits—before modern food processing—were inherently better. However, historians and nutrition researchers remind us that every era faced its own nutrition challenges. In the early 20th century, medical guidance varied widely. Some doctors endorsed three substantial meat-based meals daily, while early vegetarians and fitness advocates promoted lighter or plant-forward diets. Malnutrition, infectious diseases, and limited access to healthcare remained constant threats.

A new wave of scholarship is challenging the common belief that America had a golden age of health—a notion recently revived by public figures such as the US Secretary of Health and Human Services, who has made headlines with the “Make America Healthy Again” campaign. This movement assumes that Americans were once notably healthier, but an in-depth look at historical records and leading expert analysis reveals a more complex—and less nostalgic—story (Bloomberg; New York Times).