“Women want actionable advice about how to live healthier and make better choices for their families. That’s what this series gives.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans today face a myriad of health and information crises. Trust in public health guidelines has collapsed, families are bombarded with conflicting advice, and people are left adrift in a sea of information—not sure what to believe, who to trust, or how to make healthier choices.
Independent Women, in an initiative to win back public trust in America’s health institutions and to empower Americans to live healthier lives, is stepping into the gap with Make America Healthier: The Path To A Healthier Nation. The series of eight science-driven reports highlights health and wellness essentials—offering practical advice on how Americans can build healthier habits with science-backed information and usable advice. The project also highlights some important reforms that policymakers can make to encourage better health.
Topics include:
- Foods That Are Always a Great Choice
- Misleading Food Labeling
- Kids and Medications
- The Success of Smoking Cessation
- The Health Benefits of Staying Hydrated
- The Health Benefits of Better Sleep
- SNAP’s Role in Keeping America Unhealthy
- Questionable Dietary Guidelines
Read More Here | Make America Healthier: The Path To A Healthier Nation
“As a mom, I’m often overwhelmed by the mixed messages on health. It’s frustrating, and it causes a lot of women to simply tune out the good advice. That’s dangerous,” said Julie Gunlock, director of Independent Women’s Network. “We hope to change that and remind women that there are simple steps they can take to improve not only their lives, but the health and well-being of their children.”
“The overload of medical information out there can feel very overwhelming. This is one of the reasons that restoring trust in America’s health institutions is so important for women and families looking to live their healthiest lives possible,” said Dr. Christine Dumas, senior fellow at Independent Women. “My mission for this series is to empower women by breaking down complex science into clear guidance they can trust and use to make healthier choices that can actually make a meaningful difference in their lives.”
As part of the project, Independent Women will produce a video series, called A Healthy Dose, hosted by Julie Gunlock and Dr. Christine Dumas, both authors of the Make America Healthier reports. The eight-part video series will be a go-to resource for those interested in learning more about improving their everyday lives in a digestible and informative way.
“Women want actionable advice about how to live healthier and make better choices for their families. That’s what this series gives,” said Carrie Lukas, president of Independent Women. “We recognize that people are busy, budgets are stretched, and we shouldn’t let the idea of perfect choices get in the way of making good choices.”
Lukas added, “We can all take steps to live healthier by eating more of the healthy foods that we love, drinking water, and prioritizing a regular sleep schedule. Better habits are particularly important if you have children, since habits can pay dividends for a lifetime. We also highlight mistakes that people might make on the way to try to live better—for example, you need to be careful about assuming that foods labeled ‘heart-healthy’ or ‘nutritious’ really live up to those words, which really may not signify anything at all. We want women to feel good about taking small steps towards living healthier, since over the long term, those small steps can lead to big improvements.”
On the heels of Independent Women’s recent paper, Rethinking Vaccine Policy: A Case for Humility, Precision, and Parental Partnership, the Make America Healthier health and wellness policy series is a part of Independent Women’s broader effort to engage in policy reform that delivers clear, science-based information that transcends partisan division.
BACKGROUND:
Independent Women launched this series of policy recommendations to Make America Healthier through common-sense policy reform and public education, while also reforming and rebuilding trust in America’s public health institutions. See below for a summary of what Make America Healthier: The Path To A Healthier Nation will cover:
Foods That Are Always a Great Choice:
Americans hear a lot about what foods they should avoid. More focus should be on increasing the amount of good food available. Increasing the intake of good foods can help reduce the intake of not-so-good ones. The foods addressed in this report are always great choices, backed by science, to help you live better and longer.
Heart-healthy labels offer the promise of better nutrition but often do not fulfill that promise entirely. This report encourages Americans to look beyond the labels and to look to nutrient and ingredient lists for a more accurate assessment when buying groceries.
A growing number of children regularly use medication, which may be necessary for some, but also risk side effects and dependency. This report analyzes the risks of youth dependence on mental health medications and proposes alternative solutions for parents to try to manage conditions before turning to medication.
The Success of Smoking Cessation:
Americans rarely hear the good news that rates of smoking have plummeted, thanks, in part, to the availability of smoking cessation devices that help those struggling with addiction. Doctors and the public should understand the relative risks of these various products so that they can minimize risks and help everyone make better choices.
The Health Benefits of Staying Hydrated:
Water is the quiet hero keeping human bodies functioning, regulating temperature, transporting nutrients, flushing out toxins, and so much more. For children, who are growing and learning every day, staying hydrated is even more critical. It supports their physical development, boosts their cognitive functions, and helps them stay focused and energized. Drinking more water, instead of other sugary or caffeinated drinks, is a simple, powerful way to stay healthy and full of energy every day.
The Health Benefits of Better Sleep:
Sleep plays a critical—and often overlooked—role in our overall health. Sleep allows the body to perform many important functions. For many Americans, this vital deep sleep is in short supply. The relentless demands of everyday life can rob us of the deep, uninterrupted rest we need. From weight gain to weakened immunity, the ripple effects of poor sleep are far-reaching. This report addresses the risks of sleep deprivation and how to optimize our sleep.
SNAP’s Role in Keeping America Unhealthy:
Taxpayer-funded SNAP benefits are being used to purchase unhealthy food and drinks that contribute to chronic disease. This report proposes a way forward for SNAP benefits to apply exclusively to nutritious foods to encourage healthier habits.
Questionable Dietary Guidelines:
The United States government introduced the Dietary Guidelines in 1980, but they have failed to improve diet-related health risks for Americans. This paper suggests reducing the influence of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC), as it has become an unreliable source on nutrition, and proposes a way forward for a better health advisory framework.
Direct media inquiries and booking requests to [email protected].
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