Many people questioned the “Make America Healthy Again” mantra of the Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., when he first started talking about it.

The elites were skeptical. Some ridiculed the idea. Yet, it has clearly caught on with the American people. 

America’s New Majority Project completed a poll early this month in which we explored some key health issues. 

The American people clearly understand that something is profoundly wrong with our current health care system (it really operates as a sick care system). 

We found that 60 percent of Americans know that our population has gotten sicker over the past several decades. They identified unhealthy foods and lack of exercise as the most common factors to blame. The cost of health care came third. 

This is a clear validation of Mr. Kennedy’s emphasis on improving health rather than only treating illness. This will lead to a dramatic shift in the issues which are associated with health in America. 

In fact, Americans overwhelmingly agree that the focus on sick care is wrong. The poll indicated 70 percent agree the American health care system relies too much on medication and surgery and not enough on diet and exercise. 

Only 21 percent disagree. This provides a clear framework for proposing and discussing profound changes in the American approach to health. 

The concern for the current sick care system includes its treatment of children. Our polling found 58 percent of Americans agree that American children are overmedicated. Only 26 percent disagree. 

Further, some 71 percent of Americans agree that we don’t know enough about the long-term health effects of many medicines prescribed for children. However, when it comes to knowing enough about the long-term health impacts of vaccines on children, Americans are evenly split.

The consensus for supporting a new approach to health — especially children’s health — is going to grow as more examples of our sick care system’s failure become public.

When the American people learn more about the MAHA agenda’s focus on wellness, food, exercise, and prevention support jumps to 65 percent. It is likely this support will grow even stronger.

A program that shifts attention from sick care and treating diseases to maximizing health and preventing diseases has huge advantages.

A MAHA-focused program has the potential to dramatically improve the health of the American people. At Gingrich 360, we work with the Alliance for Longevity Initiatives to develop the potential for living longer, healthier, and more independent lives.

There are several scholars of healthy aging who believe average young Americans in their 20s will live to be 115 (and many will live longer). These experts believe improvements in modern life habits could also allow these 115-year-olds to have the energy and vitality of today’s 60-year-olds.

If you think of life as a tree and chronic diseases as rotten branches growing from it, we have invested most of our sick care in the rotten branches. Diabetes? Here is a specialist. Heart disease? Here is a specialist. Alzheimer’s? Here is another specialist.

We spend enormous amounts of money — and dedicate an amazing number of smart people — to pruning the branches of disease.

The core assertion of the MAHA approach is: If we keep the tree of life healthy longer, then fewer bad branches will grow and we won’t need to prune them. This requires a profound shift in resources and competence from the branches to the tree. 

The pay-off of this shift will be profound in quality and length of life. More people would stay healthy, and we could develop a true health care system. As a tertiary benefit, we would also save money by shifting away from the world’s most expensive sick care system.

The American people clearly believe this is true. They are already supportive of the shift. It is the beginning of a bold new approach to saving lives and saving money.

Making America Healthy Again may be one of the Trump administration’s most powerful contributions to a new Golden Age of America.