How Amish-style living is reshaping the fight against chronic illness

A bestselling novel about the tradwife movement has sparked discussion of Amish-inspired habits that research links to lower rates of diabetes, hypertension and other chronic conditions.

“Yesteryear,” the year’s most talked-about fiction, dramatizes the rise of the tradwife aesthetic that dominates platforms like Instagram and TikTok, and has even attracted film-rights interest from Anne Hathaway. Beyond its cultural appeal, the book coincides with growing evidence that the agrarian practices celebrated online may improve long-term health. University of Maryland researchers found that over 5,300 Amish adults in Lancaster County have far lower rates of diabetes (3.3% vs. 13.2%), hypertension (12.7% vs. 37.8%) and high cholesterol (26.2% vs. 35.7%) than the general U.S. population.

Ohio State University reported cancer incidence in Holmes County Amish at just 56% of the national figure, while Amish children exhibit unusually low asthma and allergy rates. The protective factors appear to include walking 14,000-18,000 steps daily, tight-knit family structures, minimal leisure-time technology use, and diets centered on locally grown foods. These findings align with warnings from the Surgeon General, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the USDA about loneliness, screen time and ultra-processed foods. Legislative momentum for “cottage-food” reforms reflects a broader recognition that such traditional habits could help curb America’s chronic disease epidemic.