As the United States President in 1961, John F. Kennedy exhibited an appreciation for physical fitness, vaccines, and an active lifestyle. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in contrast, repeatedly asserts that America’s health was superior during his childhood in the 1950’s and 60’s. Back then, obesity and rampant medicating were not the norm while diabetes and autism in children were virtually unknown. The food was largely fresh and nutritious.
Health researcher Dr. Steven Woolf, who is of a similar age to Kennedy, brings other aspects of the time to light. He reminisces about the unsafe car practices of the era — lacking seatbelts and car seats for children, for example, and the absence of airbags. Smoking was allowed on planes and in restaurants. Despite agreeing with some of Kennedy’s health concerns, Woolf criticizes Kennedy for missing key information and misunderstanding historical context arising from the mid-20th century.
Kennedy and former President Trump often refer back to this perceived golden age in their ‘Make America Great (and Healthy) Again’ campaign. Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, a history professor at the New School in New York, concedes there’s some truth to America being healthier then. Indeed, chronic illness has increased, and processed food is now common. Obesity rates are concerning.
However, Petrzela points out that elements of evidence undermine the illusion of a healthier past. For instance, the average lifespan in 1960 was significantly shorter than today, at 69.7 years. Furthermore, the primary causes of death were chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, and stroke. These made up two-thirds of all deaths in 1963, implying that chronic illness was certainly not a foreign concept then.
Further context from the era includes the recent advent of health insurance, the increase of women in the workforce, and lingering racial segregation across significant portions of the country. Of note, the African American population in 1960 had an even shorter average lifespan of 63.6 years. As for food, although processed items were less common, frozen and shelf-stable foods were becoming more popular due to novel household appliances like freezers and refrigerators.
Petrzela highlights the embrace of scientific and technological advances in food production during this time, featuring the popularization of items like Jell-O, energy bars, and Tang, a powdered orange beverage. These products were often associated with futuristic space exploration, lending them an attractive modern flare.
Kennedy’s longing for the past can perhaps be best understood through his focus on physical education programs of the time. Citing a need for physical strengthening before he took office, Kennedy emphasized the threat of physical weakness to national security, and overall American potential. Once in office, he promoted a more widespread belief in exercise as a patriot duty.
However, Kennedy’s implementation of health policies frequently contradicts his uncle’s priorities. For example, President Kennedy was a supporter of vaccines, whereas Secretary Kennedy seems less enthusiastic. In fact, the Great Society initiative, involving policies to combat poverty, and advance civil rights, was born from such a proactive approach towards health and society at large.
Today, the average lifespan in America is 77.5 years, a significant increase from the 60’s, albeit less significant than the rise in other comparable wealthy nations. The increments in life expectancy numbers owe themselves to improvements in public health and new laws. These measures have saved countless lives that would have otherwise been lost to ailments like lung cancer or accidents.
Racial health disparities have seen some improvement over the decades, though they remain. African Americans now have a life expectancy of 72.8 years. These strides in health were catalysed by the civil rights movement, as described by Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, a mortality demographer at the University of Minnesota. She explains that medical advancements, particularly in cancer treatment, have resulted in effective therapies and drugs.
However, the issue of chronic diseases carries greater weight today, as noted by Woolf. He maintains that ‘in the early 20th century, most deaths were caused by infectious diseases. However, with the advent of antibiotics and vaccines, these concerns diminished, and chronic illnesses have taken forefront.’
A point of contention among health researchers is America’s relatively short life expectancy compared to other developed countries. Wrigley-Field notes the confusing nature of Secretary Kennedy’s statements and actions related to this issue, such as reducing the federal health workforce — a move that seems to negate his commitment to bettering America’s health.
Woolf argues that addressing the problems with ultra-processed foods will only have a marginal effect on chronic disease rates or life expectancy. Bridging the gap in life expectancy growth requires a profound understanding of external causes of death such as drug overdoses, homicides, car accidents, which often target the young, who would have had many years of life left.
Wrigley-Field additionally points towards the lack of progress in reducing death from heart disease as a potential contributor to the stagnation. Amid these discussions, the decisions to cut funding for scientific research and prevention of death from injuries and overdoses only adds to the disproportion between Kennedy’s words on improved health and life expectancy and his actions.