Every century, America seems to produce a Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—a charismatic figure who blends skepticism of mainstream medicine with a deep belief in the power of personal health rituals. In the early 20th century, that figure was Bernarr Macfadden, a wrestling champion and health guru who espoused the virtues of raw milk, cold plunges, and self-discipline. He rejected vaccines, despised white flour as “dead food,” and viewed the American Medical Association as a chief adversary. To Macfadden, America’s sedentary habits were a moral failing, and overeating was a societal ill, writing in his book Strength From Eating that “hardly a home exists that is not made unhappy, to a greater or less extent, by this habit.”
Macfadden’s self-promotion was as muscular as his physique. He spread his gospel through tabloids, radio broadcasts, and striking images of his own body, convinced that a fit frame was synonymous with moral purity. In his worldview, a person who took care of their health could ward off disease without medical intervention. His philosophy, as detailed in Mr. America, a biography by Mark Adams, held that vaccines—”the unnecessary pumping of dead germs into the bloodstream”—were an absurdity.
Fast-forward to 2025, and Macfadden’s ideology finds new life in RFK Jr. and the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement. Social media now serves as the primary vehicle for spreading alternative health messages, but the core beliefs remain familiar: distrust of institutional medicine, an emphasis on natural remedies, and an unwavering faith in individual health sovereignty. During his confirmation hearings as Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kennedy framed his fight against childhood illness as a moral crusade: “It is a spiritual issue and it is a moral issue. We cannot live up to our role as an exemplary nation, as a moral authority around the world, and we’re writing off an entire generation of kids.”
While some see MAHA as merely anti-establishment, its appeal is deeper. The mainstream medical community has long advocated for clean air, better nutrition, and exercise—principles that MAHA followers claim as their own. Even former First Lady Michelle Obama’s campaign against childhood obesity aligns with Kennedy’s rhetoric. Yet vaccine skepticism remains a cornerstone of the movement, despite its reliance on debunked studies. The contradictions are glaring: Why trust certain pharmaceutical treatments like ivermectin while rejecting vaccines? And why do Kennedy’s natural-health followers overlook his investments in gene-editing technology?
The resurgence of these ideas isn’t random. Periods of rapid societal change often spark a return to “simpler” health philosophies. In Macfadden’s time, urbanization, immigration waves, and medical advancements created uncertainty, fueling interest in alternative health figures. Similarly, today’s anxieties—gender debates, pandemic-related government interventions, and the rise of artificial intelligence—drive people toward movements like MAHA, which promise control over at least one domain: the body.
Historically, figures like Macfadden and Dr. John Harvey Kellogg used their charisma to challenge medical orthodoxy. But unlike Macfadden, Kellogg was a trained physician who supported vaccines and pioneered sanitation measures. While both men railed against excesses like smoking and overconsumption of meat, Kellogg’s work had a scientific foundation. Macfadden’s influence waned when modern medicine proved its efficacy—antibiotics, for instance, made his extreme fasting regimens irrelevant. During World War II, when Americans were already rationing food, few needed a “health prophet” telling them what to cut from their diets.
Today, however, trust in institutions is low, and social media enables health influencers to bypass traditional gatekeepers. Figures like nurse Jen Hamilton and even Arnold Schwarzenegger push back against misinformation, but countering MAHA’s emotional appeal requires more than data—it requires persuasive voices. With vaccine-preventable diseases like measles reemerging in under-immunized areas, the stakes are high. As history shows, movements like MAHA eventually fade when the real-world consequences become undeniable. But until then, the battle over health and trust in medicine will continue to repeat itself, one century at a time.