Whole Foods CEO Dragged After Saying People Don’t Need Health Care, Just Healthy Lifestyles

Whole Foods CEO John Mackey is drawing fire after comments he made in 2020 insisting that people wouldn’t need health care if they simply ate better resurfaced.

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“I mean, honestly, we talk about health care. The best solution is not to need health care,” he said on Freakonomics Radio back in November.

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“The best solution is to change the way people eat, the way they live, the lifestyle, and diet. There’s no reason why people shouldn’t be healthy and have a longer healthspan. A bunch of drugs is not going to solve the problem.”

Here’s the soundbite from Whole Foods CEO John Mackey:

“The best solution is not to need health care. The best solution is to change the way people eat, the way they live…”pic.twitter.com/INk3Me2CIQ

— The Recount (@therecount) January 4, 2021

Of course, there’s nothing innately wrong with encouraging people to be more healthy—even if you profit from a company that caters to those looking to be more mindful of their food intake. 

But anyone with a brain rattling around in their skull could tell you that in no world does eating well and exercising serve as a barrier against needing health care one day. All sorts of diseases and accidents could not care less if you work out three times a day and survive primarily on kale and flaxseed. 

Connect the dots, and you’ll make it back to the real issue: Mackey, like many ultra-rich people, doesn’t want health insurance to be funded by the government, nor does he want to give it to all of his employees.

According to CNBC, Mackey publicly opposed the Affordable Care Act in 2009, lamenting that it might lead us “closer to a government takeover of our health-care system.” Whole Foods also nixed the ability of employees working less than 30 hours a week to buy into their healthcare plan as of last year.

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And as anyone who has ever worked retail in the modern day and age knows, many companies will gladly jump through hoops to make sure employees work just fewer than the number of hours they would need to get access to certain benefits.

Americans are running out of patience for this sort of condescension from people who could afford to buy entirely new bionic bodies out of pocket should they exist, and no assumption of good intent was spared for Mackey after the interview finally began circulating.

oh I’m sorry you have cancer, have you tried buying a $12 head of lettuce from my store?

— mck_tl (@mudtrumpet) January 4, 2021

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I wonder if a guy who doesn’t wanna be taxed to pay for real healthcare and runs a company that claims to be super healthy would have an ulterior motive for saying this.

— The Guillotine Shouter (@guillotineshout) January 4, 2021

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Did you buy said kale at Whole Foods? If so, would that make John Mackey your new…health insurance provider? Sensing an agenda from Mr. Mackey…

— Jordan (@t0m4t0) January 4, 2021

You shouldn’t have tripped. Be more mindful. Yoga helps.

— Zelda (@TheyWereStolen) January 4, 2021

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The corrupt CEO of Whole Foods John Mackey says Americans don’t need any healthcare because all they need is to eat much healthier and live better.

Since he’s worth $75M, join me in telling him to go to hell.

— Ricky Davila (@TheRickyDavila) January 4, 2021

Periodic reminder that John Mackey started a micro loan program offering small loans for small interest in underdeveloped countries then sold the program to payday lenders who changed the terms and triggered a suicide epidemic with their collection practices. https://t.co/Z3vg9k2uK8

— ’21 Jen Street (@JenYetAgain) January 4, 2021

Its like saying the best way to close jails is to not commit crimes! Its moronic and shows how ignorant he is about why people it poorly. Maybe actually find out WHY people eat poorly and deal with that.

Also shot aside the “healthiest” countries all have universal healthcare

— Gkerro (@GKerro) January 5, 2021

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Also, most people do not have access to fresh healthy food in their neighborhoods. There are many people who live in food deserts and shop in bodegas. And many people can not afford to shop in Whole Foods, aka Whole Paycheck.

— Queen of Snark Wears A Mask (@TheQueenofSnark) January 4, 2021

Gee, I remember before Whole Foods was purchased by Besos and the people who worked there all had great medical but a year after the purchase it was all cut hard

— KSelk (@ecrire831) January 4, 2021

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And several folks pointed out that one of the barriers to eating well is how poorly people are paid.

When you’re living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to buy food, not to mention juggling multiple jobs and too strapped for time to cook and shop regularly, it’s a lot more cost-efficient to buy something like pasta over keeping the refrigerator stocked with fresh food. This is especially true if you’re having to fork over hundreds of dollars for health insurance every month.

Well, that’s stupid. Maybe people could afford organic foods if paid better wages? Seems changes to how people eat will be largely dictated by amount of disposable income.

— Brent Bellinger (@DrBellinger) January 4, 2021

if he paid his employees a living wage they wouldn’t have to live on high sodium food like ramen noodle soups, chef boyrdee, buying their dinner at local filling station using their gas credit card, treating the family to all you can eat off the $1 menu at taco bell.

— rj (@johnsoncurse) January 4, 2021

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There’s only one solution, really.

We could just eat them? Seems like they’ve been raised on a healthy diet.

— Jordan Doucet (@jordandoucet) January 5, 2021

Well, maybe two.

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*First Published: January 5, 2021, 6:56 am