Controversy Surrounds Casey Means’ Surgeon General Nomination

The controversy surrounding wellness advocate Casey Means’ nomination for surgeon general stems from numerous concerns about her qualifications and unconventional health beliefs.

Means did not complete her medical residency. While she has stated that she left due to revelations about corruption within the healthcare system, a former department chair overseeing her training has attributed her departure to struggles with anxiety.

She holds the view that the medical industry profits from patient illness and thus shows limited interest in expanding access to conventional healthcare. In her bestselling book, "Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health," Means argues that lifestyle-related metabolic disorders are the root cause of most diseases, including cancer, infertility, heart disease, and depression. She contends that increasing access to healthcare and medications without addressing these underlying issues leads to poorer health outcomes.

While acknowledging that diet, sleep, exercise, and stress management are vital to health, her philosophy controversially suggests that positive lifestyle choices can replace the need for modern medicine. Means also promotes products like algae-based supplements on her website. She has expressed skepticism about vaccines, claiming that the expanding immunization schedule may be harming vulnerable children. Additionally, she criticized birth control pills, stating that society has attempted to suppress natural life-giving cycles represented by women and soil.

Despite these views, the main source of discord following her recent nomination by former President Donald Trump is the backlash from within the health reform coalition led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who currently serves as the secretary of health and human services. Means is a close ally of Kennedy, yet many supporters of his Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement have opposed her nomination. This internal conflict highlights the fragility of a political alliance rooted in skepticism, distrust, and a focus on social media influence.