Calley & Casey Means: How Big Pharma Keeps You Sick, and the Dark Truth About Ozempic and the Pill

Tucker Carlson introduces a new documentary series, "Art of the Surge," featuring unseen footage of Donald Trump's presidential campaign. The episode includes a conversation with siblings Casey and Calley Means, who discuss their book on health and nutrition. Casey, a Stanford-trained physician, left her surgical career to address systemic issues in American healthcare, criticizing its focus on treating rather than preventing illness. Calley, a former lobbyist, highlights the food industry's role in health crises, linking processed foods to chronic diseases. They advocate for dietary changes, emphasizing whole, organic foods to combat metabolic dysfunction and improve public health.

• The episode features Calley and Casey Means, who have authored a book about food, nutrition, and regulatory bodies impacting public health.
• Casey Means is a Stanford-educated physician who left a promising surgical career to focus on the root causes of declining American health.
• Calley Means, Casey's brother, has a background in politics and lobbying, with experience working for major food and pharmaceutical companies.

"I was president of my Stanford class, you know, graduating top of my class with honors in medical school and went on to a very competitive surgical subspecialty."

• Casey Means has significant academic and professional credentials, adding credibility to her insights on the healthcare system.

"I found myself across the, the desk from food industry and the farm industry. The farm industry spends five times more in DC than the oil industry."

• Calley Means highlights his firsthand experience with lobbying in the food and pharmaceutical industries, providing insight into systemic issues.

• Casey Means critiques the healthcare system for focusing on treatment rather than prevention, which leads to profiting from chronic illnesses.
• The current medical education system is primarily funded by pharmaceutical companies, which influences the focus on pharmacology over nutrition.
• The healthcare business model profits from patients remaining sick, as it involves long-term treatments and medications.

"My training had totally, essentially incapacitated me from really understanding why patients are sick and, and how to actually help them thrive."

• Casey Means realized that her medical training did not equip her to address the root causes of illness, prompting her to leave the surgical field.

"The fastest growing industry in America right now isn't I. It's not tech, it's health care."

• Calley Means points out the economic incentives within the healthcare industry that prioritize managing chronic conditions over curing them.

• The processed food industry, originating from cigarette companies, has contributed to the rise of ultra-processed foods that are addictive and unhealthy.
• Lobbying by food companies has influenced dietary guidelines, misleading the public about healthy eating habits.
• The food industry strategically manipulates food composition to enhance addiction and consumption.

"The food industry, and the processed food industry was created by the cigaret industry."

• Calley Means explains the historical connection between cigarette companies and the processed food industry, highlighting the strategic shift in focus to addictive foods.

"The food pyramid that was a ultra processed food marketing document."

• The food pyramid, influenced by lobbying, promoted unhealthy dietary patterns, contributing to widespread health issues.

• The U.S. faces a public health crisis with high rates of obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders, largely driven by poor nutrition.
• Metabolic dysfunction is a core issue affecting various health conditions, exacerbated by the toxic food environment.
• The prevalence of chronic diseases and declining health metrics highlight systemic failures in addressing root causes.

"74% of American adults now are overweight or obese. Close to 50% of children are overweight or obese."

• Casey Means provides alarming statistics about the current state of public health in the U.S., underscoring the severity of the crisis.

"All of these conditions are caused or driven by the exact same thing, which is metabolic dysfunction."

• Metabolic dysfunction, primarily driven by diet, is identified as a central factor in the rise of chronic health issues.

• The discussion critiques the economic motivations behind vaccine schedules, particularly the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns.
• Pharmaceutical companies exert significant influence over medical guidelines and public health policies through funding and lobbying.
• There is a call for transparency and critical evaluation of the motivations behind pharmaceutical interventions.

"The second you get something on that schedule, the government's paying hundreds of billions of dollars for a product that's been mandated for every single American living."

• Calley Means describes the economic incentives for pharmaceutical companies to get vaccines on mandatory schedules.

"The American kind of pediatrics and like who are their main funders? Me Johnson who makes formula the company that makes influenza vaccines."

• The funding sources for medical organizations are questioned, suggesting potential conflicts of interest in health guidelines.

• The episode discusses the role of media companies, funded by pharmaceutical interests, in censoring discussions around health topics.
• The selective focus on pharmaceutical solutions over lifestyle and dietary interventions is criticized.
• There is a call for media and public discourse to address the broader issues of chronic disease and nutrition with the same urgency as pharmaceuticals.

"Farm is the number one funder of mainstream news media and one of the largest funders."

• The pharmaceutical industry's financial influence on media outlets is highlighted, raising concerns about unbiased reporting.

"Why is YouTube? Why is the media, by the way, YouTube and the media are heavily funded by pharma."

• The potential for censorship and biased narratives in media coverage of health topics is discussed, emphasizing the need for transparency.

• The current healthcare system prioritizes volume over patient outcomes, incentivizing doctors to see more patients rather than ensuring their health improves.
• Value-based care was proposed as a solution, aiming to reward doctors for better outcomes at lower costs, but was undermined by corporate interests.
• The system defines successful outcomes by medication adherence rather than actual health improvements.

"We are paid for volume, not outcomes. The unofficial mantra of private practice medicine is you eat what you kill."

• This highlights how the healthcare system rewards doctors based on the number of patients seen and treatments prescribed rather than patient health outcomes.

"Value-based care...was corrupted by corporate interests because how the doctor had to report on quality was through these metrics called MIPs."

• The idea of value-based care was compromised by corporate metrics that focused on medication adherence rather than true health improvements.

• Medical education and practice are heavily influenced by pharmaceutical companies, affecting what is taught and prioritized.
• Financial ties between medical institutions and pharmaceutical companies can lead to biased medical guidance and policies.

"When I was at Stanford Medical School, we got a $3 million grant from Pfizer to revise our curriculum."

• This indicates the significant influence pharmaceutical companies have on medical education and curriculum development.

"The dean during her time...received direct consulting payments from opioid makers."

• Financial relationships between medical leaders and pharmaceutical companies can lead to biased decisions that affect public health.

• Medical specialization is highly valued, leading to a fragmented view of the body as separate parts rather than a connected system.
• This approach can result in patients being treated for symptoms rather than underlying causes, with little coordination among specialists.

"We have convinced people and doctors that the body is 100 separate parts."

• The focus on specialization in medicine leads to a disjointed understanding of the body, neglecting the interconnectedness of its systems.

"You get a patient in 15 different specialist offices...with no one understanding how to think about how it's all connected."

• The lack of holistic understanding in medicine causes patients to receive fragmented care, often missing the root causes of their health issues.

• The speaker attributes their ability to question medical norms to their upbringing, which emphasized critical thinking and questioning.
• Their parents encouraged a broader view of life beyond academic or professional achievements, focusing on moral and philosophical discussions.

"My parents' incentive in our family was to ask questions, not to have any stars or marks or anything."

• This demonstrates how an upbringing focused on inquiry and critical thinking can lead to questioning established norms and practices.

"They were so proud of me for coming to my own conclusions and seeing it."

• The speaker's parents valued independent thinking, celebrating their decision to leave a medical residency that conflicted with their values.

• The food industry and its practices, including the use of pesticides, have significant health impacts, contributing to chronic diseases.
• The presence of hormone-disrupting chemicals in food and the environment is linked to health issues and earlier puberty in children.

"6 billion pounds of pesticides that are being invisibly sprayed on all of our food."

• The widespread use of pesticides poses a significant health risk by introducing hormone-disrupting chemicals into the food supply.

"The average girl in America is hitting puberty...six years earlier than they were in 1900."

• This statistic highlights the dramatic impact of environmental and dietary factors on developmental health.

• The promotion of medications like Ozempic reflects a trend towards pharmaceutical solutions for lifestyle-related health issues.
• There is concern over the long-term effects and ethics of mass-prescribing medications without addressing root causes.

"Ozempic...is a stranglehold on the US population, almost like solidifying this idea that there is a magic pill."

• The speaker criticizes the reliance on medications as quick fixes for complex health issues, without addressing underlying lifestyle factors.

"If this bill goes through...that will represent over $3 trillion per year in drugs to the American people."

• The financial implications of widespread medication prescriptions highlight the economic motivations behind pharmaceutical promotions.

• The discussion covers the systemic issues in healthcare, the influence of pharmaceutical companies, and the impact of industrial practices on health.
• The speaker advocates for a holistic approach to health that addresses root causes and emphasizes preventative care.

"The reasons we're having surgery, the reasons why we're getting sick...are all from preventable issues."

• This underscores the need for a shift in focus from treating symptoms to preventing and addressing the root causes of health issues.

"It's deeply a spiritual crisis because we have lost sight of what really matters in our lives."

• The speaker calls for a reevaluation of societal values, emphasizing the importance of health and well-being over material and superficial achievements.

• The pharmaceutical industry is portrayed as exploiting chronic diseases for profit.
• Chronic diseases are managed rather than cured, benefiting pharmaceutical companies.
• The U.S. healthcare system is financially burdened by expensive medications.

"Because the second you can get that six-year-old on a lifetime injection... it's the chronic disease treadmill."

• The quote highlights the strategy of creating lifelong dependency on medication for profit.

"We're paying our sticker price is ten times more expensive than Germany."

• This underscores the high cost of medications in the U.S. compared to other countries.

• The root causes of obesity are linked to diet and the food system, not medication deficiencies.
• The medical system is criticized for not addressing the underlying causes of obesity.
• There is a call for transparency and honesty from medical leaders about the causes of health crises.

"It's not an Ozempic deficiency. It's because of very simple inputs to our metabolic environment."

• This points out that obesity is not due to a lack of medication but rather due to dietary and environmental factors.

"Where is the urgency on saying, hey, parents, maybe we shouldn't feed our kids toxic food."

• The quote criticizes the lack of urgency in addressing dietary causes of obesity.

• Social justice considerations are said to influence USDA nutrition guidelines.
• There is a claim that advocating for healthier food is seen as classist or racist.
• The system is described as using social issues to deflect criticism of unhealthy practices.

"So it's racist to eat non-poisonous food in America. It is classist and racist to suggest that mothers shouldn't be poisoning their kids."

• The quote describes how advocating for healthy eating is perceived as a social justice issue.

"The USDA argues... it's a moral issue. We have to pay $1,500 for 74% of U.S. adults who are overweight or obese per month."

• This highlights the financial burden of obesity and the moral framing of health interventions.

• The development of chronic disease medications is linked to historical events.
• The influence of industrial agriculture and chemical warfare is discussed.
• The role of government subsidies in promoting unhealthy foods is highlighted.

"Where did they all come from? Nazi Germany."

• This connects the origins of certain pesticides and pharmaceuticals to historical events in Nazi Germany.

"The farm bills are making all these unhealthy foods cheaper."

• The quote explains how government policies make unhealthy food more affordable through subsidies.

• The medical system is criticized for being profit-driven and not focused on curing diseases.
• There is an emphasis on the need for personalized medicine and understanding metabolic health.
• The influence of food companies on medical research and guidelines is questioned.

"They censor. I had a call when I attacked the dean of Tufts Nutrition School... 'This isn't polite.'"

• This quote illustrates the pressure to conform and not challenge the status quo in medical research.

"95% of people on the USDA Nutrition Guidelines for America 2020-2025 had a conflict of interest with food companies."

• The quote highlights the conflicts of interest in the creation of national nutrition guidelines.

• Alzheimer's is linked to metabolic dysfunction and is potentially preventable through lifestyle changes.
• The role of diet, exercise, and other lifestyle factors in preventing Alzheimer's is emphasized.
• Personalized medicine is advocated for addressing individual health needs.

"Many researchers are calling it type three diabetes. Okay, we have type two diabetes, type one diabetes, type three diabetes."

• This quote suggests a strong link between metabolic health and Alzheimer's disease.

"Doctor Dale Bredesen... has shown that we can reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer's with a healthier lifestyle."

• This highlights the potential for reversing Alzheimer's symptoms through lifestyle modifications.

• The healthcare system is incentivized to profit from illness rather than promote health.
• There are calls for policy changes to address conflicts of interest and promote transparency.
• Executive orders and legislative changes are proposed to reform the healthcare system.

"Obamacare actually incentivized insurance companies to have no cost controls."

• The quote critiques the Affordable Care Act for creating financial incentives that do not control healthcare costs.

"You could sign an executive order tomorrow that the FDA should stop being funded by pharma."

• This suggests policy changes to reduce pharmaceutical industry influence on regulatory bodies.

• The media's role in pharmaceutical advertising is critiqued for perpetuating unhealthy practices.
• There is a call to reduce the influence of pharmaceutical advertising in media.

"50% of TV news spending, you know, coming from pharma is a huge deal."

• This quote highlights the significant financial influence of pharmaceutical companies on media outlets.

"DTC Pharma advertising was an executive order from Reagan. It could be an executive order tomorrow."

• The quote suggests that changes in pharmaceutical advertising policies could be achieved through executive action.

• The healthcare system is described as morally incompatible with the values of some individuals, leading to burnout and high suicide rates among doctors.
• Doctors experience psychological stress similar to soldiers forced to commit war crimes, feeling trapped by societal expectations and financial burdens.
• There is a call for leadership and systemic change through executive orders to alter incentives within the healthcare industry.

"The highest suicide rate of any profession, any profession. America's doctors. Really. And the highest burnout rate."

• The quote highlights the severe mental health crisis and burnout experienced by doctors due to systemic issues in the healthcare industry.

"We need some leadership. But again, with simple executive orders, you can start changing these incentives."

• This quote emphasizes the need for leadership and policy changes to address systemic problems in healthcare.

• There is a significant conflict of interest with 75% of the FDA budget coming from pharmaceutical companies.
• Recommendations to reduce sugar intake in dietary guidelines were rejected despite medical advisory board support.
• The farm bill and food marketing contribute to unhealthy food being more accessible and affordable than healthy options.

"Why is 75% of the FDA budget coming from pharma?"

• This quote points out the potential bias in health regulations due to financial ties with pharmaceutical companies.

"The medical advisory board to that panel said that we should absolutely reduce sugar recommendations from 10% to 6% of total calories. And it was rejected by the USDA."

• The quote illustrates the rejection of scientifically supported dietary guidelines due to conflicting interests.

• PCOS is identified as a leading cause of female infertility, primarily linked to insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction.
• Traditional medical education often overlooks the root causes of PCOS, focusing instead on pharmaceutical interventions.
• Dietary changes can reverse PCOS symptoms and restore fertility, but this approach is not widely taught or practiced.

"PCOS is the leading cause of female infertility. Anyone listening of childbearing age will know about this."

• This quote underscores the prevalence and impact of PCOS on women's health and fertility.

"This condition is reversed. Possible in as little as 12 weeks with dietary interventions."

• The quote emphasizes the potential for dietary changes to effectively manage and reverse PCOS symptoms.

• There is a strong advocacy for reducing ultra-processed food consumption and focusing on organic, unprocessed foods.
• The cultural shift away from home-cooked meals has contributed to health issues, and there is a call to prioritize cooking and meal preparation.
• The negative impact of high sugar and high fructose corn syrup consumption on metabolic health is highlighted.

"We need to stop eating ultra processed food."

• This quote calls for a shift away from consuming ultra-processed foods to improve health outcomes.

"The average American is eating over 100 pounds of added sugar per year."

• The quote highlights the excessive sugar consumption in the American diet and its health implications.

• Poor nutrition is linked to reduced mental acuity and increased risk of chronic diseases like Alzheimer's and diabetes.
• There is a need for public awareness about the connection between diet, metabolic health, and overall well-being.
• The systemic issues in food production and marketing contribute to widespread health problems, including metabolic dysfunction in children.

"Food, bad food dulls you."

• The quote suggests that poor dietary choices can negatively affect mental sharpness and cognitive function.

"There is a metabolic health crisis among babies."

• This quote points to the concerning trend of metabolic dysfunction being passed from mothers to newborns.

• Nutrition is portrayed as a fundamental aspect of health, connecting the energy from food to overall well-being and purpose.
• The current food system is seen as obstructing the natural process of energy transformation, impacting physical and mental health.
• There is a call to return to appreciating food as a source of life and health, emphasizing whole, unprocessed foods.

"We are miracles, like every human is a miracle. This life is a miracle."

• The quote reflects the view that human life is inherently miraculous and that proper nutrition is essential to realizing our potential.

"The core process of being able to create, you know, and transform. Energy is broken."

• This quote highlights the disruption of natural energy processes due to poor nutrition and systemic food issues.