Kelly Ryerson never intended to become a food and health activist. The northern California married mom spent several years working in finance jobs before directing her focus to raising her two children. That changed in 2011, when debilitating bouts of odd illnesses sent her searching for answers.

Now Ryerson, 49, spends her time traveling between her home and Washington, DC, where she meets regularly with members of Congress and their staffers, and attends closed-door monthly social gatherings frequented by top US health officials.

Ryerson is one of a loose group of mothers, health and environmental advocates and wellness promoters leading the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement that is muscling its way into the nation’s halls of power. The group is calling for radical changes in everything from how farmers grow food to how specific types of environmental chemicals are regulated and which foods should be on school lunch trays.

MAHA followers also cite concerns about vaccines, over prescription of medications, use of social media and mental health challenges as among key health threats.