The Hidden Profits Behind the MAHA Movement

The MAHA movement, which stands for Make America Healthy Again, is gaining traction. But who is really benefiting from it? At a recent trade show in California, two advisers to U. S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke to a crowd of food brands, investment banks, and supplement sellers. Their message? The MAHA movement is good for business. Del Bigtree, one of the speakers, said that the MAHA movement would help the supplement industry, chiropractors, and acupuncturists. He said that the movement would take them to the promised land. Bigtree is the leader of MAHA Action, one of the groups pushing anti-science bills in states across the U. S. The MAHA movement is not just about health. It is also about money. The global wellness market is worth $1. 5 trillion. And it is benefiting from the MAHA movement. Surgeon general nominee Casey Means has made money promoting health and wellness products. Her brother, Calley Means, is a close aide to Kennedy and continues to be involved in TrueMed, a company that promotes wellness alternatives. The MAHA movement is also helping businesses in other ways. In Delaware, a bill legalizing raw milk sales said it would increase profits for dairy producers. Several farmers testified in favor of the bill, calling it a $15. 6 million economic opportunity. The bill's synopsis cited the Raw Milk Institute, saying that raw milk producers can earn a profit nearly 10 times that of regular, pasteurized milk. But raw milk is not safe. It can contain dangerous bacteria that can make people sick. The Raw Milk Institute was founded by California farmer Mark McAfee, who is also the owner of Raw Farm LLC, the world's largest producer of raw milk. McAfee has testified in more than half a dozen states to increase access to raw milk. But his own operation has had eight recalls related to raw milk products since 2015. McAfee's operation has grown from $8 million in annual sales in 2012 to an expected $32 million this year. But his success has come at a cost. Just a few months before the Delaware hearing, his farm was identified as the source of a salmonella outbreak that sickened at least 165 people. McAfee disputed that number and defended the omission, saying he had only 90 seconds to testify. The MAHA movement is not just about health. It is also about power. Many of the people involved in groups pushing anti-science bills have built lucrative careers on their stance. Del Bigtree's companies were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars working on Kennedy's presidential campaign. And after Kennedy was picked as health secretary, he gave the MAHA trademark to a company managed by Bigtree. Tony Lyons, who runs MAHA Action and other MAHA-related groups, leads Kennedy's longtime publisher, Skyhorse. The company has published numerous anti-vaccine books by Kennedy and others. Lyons has recently been running Zoom calls with activists across the country where administration officials encourage them. At the expo, Calley Means said that the supplement industry should be going on offense. He said that the movement's goals would benefit businesses in the room by incentivizing nutritious food or supplements people take to stay healthy, rather than pharmaceuticals. The entire discussion was around a moment to put healthy food at the top of the national agenda.