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102. Do we have our own MAHA movement?

102. Do we have our own MAHA movement?

Author: Steve Brine and guests June 18, 2026 Duration: 40:18
Prevention is the New Cure
HealthHealth & FitnessFitnessGovernmentNewsPolitics

The social media ban for under-16s is officially here - but can government actually enforce it? 


In Episode 102 of the health and politics podcast, Prevention is the new cure, former Health Ministers Steve Brine and James Bethell dive into Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s landmark announcement. From the technical realities of age verification to the political motivations behind the ban, they break down what this means for parents, tech giants like Meta and TikTok, and the future of public health.


Plus, a massive game-changer in the obesity crisis: the MHRA has approved the UK’s first oral GLP-1 tablet (Wegovy pill) for weight loss. Will a daily tablet shift our public psychology away from "medicalised" injections and into a mass-rollout era? 


James also reports live from the HLTH conference in Amsterdam on the massive health innovation class divide, what the US-based "MAHA" (Make America Healthy Again) movement gets right about food policy, and why an NHS cybersecurity breach is a matter of clinical patient safety—not just an IT glitch.


💡 Prevention is the new cure - every Thursday, we land at the intersection of health, policy, and politics.


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Produced by Calum Macdonald at Shortbread Media.


#KeirStarmer #SocialMediaBan #WegovyPill #NHSCyberSecurity #PublicHealth #HealthPolicy #MAHAMovement

Email: podcast@stevebrine.com

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Prevention is the New Cure is a health and politics podcast hosted by former UK Health Ministers Steve Brine & James Bethell. Drawing on their experience inside government, they unpack how political decisions shape the NHS, public health, fitness, and everyday wellbeing. Each week, listeners can expect thoughtful conversations on prevention - from tackling chronic disease and obesity to mental health, social care, and the future of healthcare funding. With candid reflections, behind-the-scenes insight, and expert guests, the show explores what needs to change so that staying well becomes as important as treating illness. Whether you follow health policy, work in the system, or just care about living longer, healthier lives, this is your place to listen episodes that challenge, inform, and inspire.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

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Prevention is the New Cure
Podcast Episodes
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