I joined John Batchelor to discuss the nomination of Dr. Casey Means’ for U.S. Surgeon General, and we dove straight into what troubles me most: She’s less a physician than a high priestess of the Wellness-Industrial Complex. Also she has an M.D. from Stanford University, her philosophy is steeped in pseudoscience.
She champions “Root Cause Medicine,” claiming nearly all disease stems from lifestyle and metabolism, dismissing the roles of genetics, infection, or evidence-based treatments. In her view, the more we provide medical care, the worse outcomes become — a dangerous inversion of reality. The Surgeon General needs scientific acumen, sound judgement, gravitas, and the courage to tackle tough issues — as Dr. C. Everett Koop did with tobacco and HIV/AIDS. Dr. Means lacks those virtues.
John and I agreed: She might flourish in a Beverly Hills wellness clinic, but not in places like Baltimore or Philly — where public health is real and urgent.
You can hear the entire discussion here.
Henry I. Miller, MS, MD
Henry I. Miller, MS, MD, is the Glenn Swogger Distinguished Fellow at the American Council on Science and Health. His research focuses on public policy toward science, technology, and medicine, encompassing a number of areas, including pharmaceutical development, genetic engineering, models for regulatory reform, precision medicine, and the emergence of new viral diseases. Dr. Miller served for fifteen years at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a number of posts, including as the founding director of the Office of Biotechnology.
