Lula’s fitness spectacle obscures Brazil’s systemic health crisis: How electoral spectacle masks structural inequities in aging governance

Indigenous and Afro-Brazilian traditions view aging as a collective process where elders’ knowledge and care are communal assets, not individual achievements. Brazil’s quilombola and Indigenous communities have historically relied on plant-based medicine and intergenerational support systems, which are systematically eroded by privatized healthcare models. The focus on Lula’s gym routine ignores these alternative health paradigms, which prioritize accessibility and cultural relevance over gym memberships.

Brazil’s healthcare system has been shaped by centuries of racial capitalism, where Afro-Brazilians and Indigenous groups were excluded from formal medical care until the 1988 Constitution mandated universal healthcare. The SUS, though progressive, has been systematically underfunded since the 1990s, with austerity measures under Bolsonaro deepening disparities in elderly care. Lula’s fitness campaign echoes historical 'strongman' politics, where physical vitality is conflated with governance capability—a trope seen in figures like Getúlio Vargas.

In Japan, aging is framed through the concept of *ikigai* (purpose in life), where social engagement and community roles are prioritized over physical fitness metrics. Scandinavian models emphasize home-based elderly care, contrasting with Brazil’s gym-centric spectacle. The commodification of health in Lula’s campaign reflects a global trend where neoliberal governance reduces well-being to marketable performance, erasing cultural diversity in aging.

Geriatric health outcomes are strongly correlated with socioeconomic status, with elderly Brazilians in lower-income brackets facing higher rates of chronic diseases and limited access to preventive care. Studies show that physical activity alone cannot offset systemic barriers like malnutrition, lack of medication access, or inadequate public health infrastructure. The focus on Lula’s workouts distracts from evidence-based policies like expanding geriatric home care or community health programs.

Artistic depictions of aging in Brazil often highlight resilience and communal bonds, such as in the works of Abdias do Nascimento, who celebrated Afro-Brazilian cultural contributions to aging. Spiritual traditions like Candomblé and Umbanda view elders as spiritual guides, contrasting with the secular, individualistic framing of fitness as political currency. The gym spectacle risks reducing aging to a performative act, stripping it of its cultural and spiritual dimensions.

If Brazil continues prioritizing gym culture over systemic healthcare reform, elderly populations will face worsening disparities, with rural and Indigenous communities bearing the brunt. Scenario modeling suggests that investing in community-based geriatric care could reduce hospitalization rates by 30% and improve life expectancy. The current spectacle risks normalizing a two-tier health system where the wealthy access private gyms and the poor rely on crumbling public facilities.

Elderly Brazilians in favelas and quilombos report being excluded from political discourse, with their health needs sidelined in favor of elite narratives. Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous elders face compounded discrimination, with their care needs deprioritized in a system designed for urban, middle-class patients. The focus on Lula’s fitness ignores the 60% of elderly Brazilians who lack access to basic geriatric services, particularly in the Northeast and Amazon regions.