Ever since Donald Trump rode down his golden escalator at Trump Tower in 2015, a political and cultural realignment has been underway in America, culminating in his second presidential victory. Many issues once considered the domain of the left seem to have been adopted by the new, right-leaning populist movement.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in health policy. The "Make America Healthy Again" movement was started by those who likely would have considered themselves liberal up until a few years ago, most prominently, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. himself. Yet as the man who would become Health and Human Services secretary became more vocal about his positions on health, he gained traction with more conservative voters, especially moms.

While California has the reputation of generating all the best health and wellness trends, it’s now red states leading the way when it comes to MAHA-friendly policies. States that historically have been considered some of the unhealthiest in the nation, like Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana, have introduced bills that will, hopefully, begin to change the health trajectory for their constituents.

All three, along with Florida and Montana, have signed into law bills that ban the sale of lab-grown meat, a technology that utilizes animal cells (often muscle or stem cells) to develop muscle tissue that can be shaped into products like burgers, nuggets or sausage.

Colorado, admittedly a purple state, prohibits the sale of such Frankenfood to be sold as “meat” and requires products to be clearly labeled.

Another highly publicized win – eliminating food dyes in food – became a battle cry for many red states. Arizona, Utah, Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana have all passed bills either restricting, limiting, or labeling substances such as Red No. 3, Red. No. 40, and Yellow No. 5 to name a few, particularly in public school meals.

Other states such as Oklahoma and South Carolina have proposed similar measures that have stalled out with hopes of passing in next year’s session. A bill proposed in Texas, while not outright banning such chemicals and additives, would require labeling as well as create a new elective nutrition course in public schools.

Red states are also becoming the torchbearers for medical freedom, a crusade that intensified during the COVID years, particularly when vaccine mandates were implemented.

Texas is one of the principal drivers of vaccine reform with proposed bills that call for vaccine manufacturer accountability, require written informed consent prior to any COVID-19 vaccination and make reporting of adverse vaccine reactions mandatory. Idaho scored a huge success earlier this year when a bill prohibiting state or local government, schools, and businesses from requiring individuals to receive medical interventions (vaccines, treatments, etc.) passed.

Fluoride bans in drinking water have been enacted in Florida and Utah, and bills that do the same have been proposed in South Carolina and Georgia.

Finally, many states are working with Brooke Rollins at the USDA to receive waivers to ban sodas and other sugary snacks from SNAP purchases. Legislation to restrict federally funded food purchases have been enacted in Nebraska, Iowa, Idaho, Arkansas, Indiana, and Utah, with Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, West Virginia and many other states looking to follow suit.

While some may not perceive these as big wins, the new guard at HHS and all the health agencies have only been at it for a little over six months. The narrative is beginning to shift, and many in the MAHA movement believe these health-focused state measures are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to sinking the Titanic of chronic disease.

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Jennifer Galardi is a Senior Policy Analyst for Restoring American Wellness in The Heritage Foundation's DeVos Center.

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