One in 4 Americans Supports MAHA, but 75% Want Stricter Rules on Dyes and Additives, Annenberg Survey Finds
Only 26% of U.S. adults call themselves MAHA supporters, yet its six food proposals average 73% support, and labeling ultra-processed food tops the list at 80%.
The Make America Healthy Again movement has far fewer supporters than its food agenda does. A new survey from the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center found that regulating chemical additives in food is the top priority among 17 MAHA positions for supporters and nonsupporters alike.
TLDR
- 26% of U.S. adults said they support MAHA in April, 40% said they do not and 33% were not sure.
- MAHA’s six food proposals averaged 73% support, including 83% among supporters and 73% among nonsupporters.
- Labeling ultra-processed food had the most support, at 80%. Increasing regulation of dyes and chemical additives had 75%.
- 54% put regulating chemical additives in their top three priorities, the highest of any issue.
The Survey
Annenberg surveyed 1,639 adults from April 14 to 28 and 1,904 adults from August 4 to 17, with August results limited to the 1,475 people who took both surveys. The margin of sampling error was 3.5 points. SSRS collected the data. Respondents rated 17 health positions linked to MAHA. Support figures are from April and priority rankings from August. A Kaiser Family Foundation survey in April found 41% supporters and 58% nonsupporters. Annenberg says its figures are lower because it offered a “not sure” option.
Food Unites, Vaccines Divide
Regulating chemical additives was the top priority for supporters, nonsupporters and those unsure about MAHA. Removing highly processed foods from school lunches and banning glyphosate also ranked near the top. Food issues landed in the top three for 21% to 60% of respondents, compared with 2% to 18% for the other 11 proposals.
Labeling ultra-processed food was the only food priority with a significant gap: 31% of nonsupporters ranked it in their top three, compared with 21% of supporters.
Vaccine policy split the groups sharply. Reducing recommended childhood vaccines was favored by 53% of supporters and 7% of nonsupporters.
“The findings suggest that it’s important to distinguish support for MAHA from support for specific MAHA policies,” said Laura A. Gibson, an Annenberg research analyst.
Why It Matters
Gibson said many people who do not support the movement “nonetheless share its concerns about additives, chemicals, and highly processed foods.” The federal definition of ultra-processed food remains unreleased at the Office of Management and Budget, and more than 100 nutrition and medical experts urged its release in an Oct. 23 open letter, Food Dive reported. The survey measures stated support, not what people buy.
Sources: Annenberg Public Policy Center via News-Medical; Food Ingredients First; Food Dive.