4 things to know about Trump's new surgeon general pick Dr. Casey Means

2. Described healthcare problems plaguing the US as a ‘spiritual crisis’

During an appearance at a U.S. Senate Roundtable on Chronic Disease last year, Means brought up her education at Stanford University. However, she contended that the prestigious institution failed to prepare her for the “spiritual crisis” caused by chronic health problems plaguing the U.S.  

“I took zero nutrition courses in medical school,” she said. “I learned virtually nothing at Stanford Medical School about the tens of thousands of scientific papers that elucidate [the] root causes of why American health is plummeting.”

In addition to highlighting statistics highlighting a poor prognosis for American public health, she alleged corruption on the part of the organizations widely viewed as valuable resources for combating health problems. “I didn’t learn that 82 percent of independently-funded studies show harm from processed food, while 93 percent of industry-sponsored studies reflect no harm,” she asserted.

“I didn’t learn that 95 percent of the people who created the recent [United States Department of Agriculture] food guidelines for America had significant conflicts of interest with the food industry,” she added. “I didn’t learn that professional organizations that we get our practice guidelines from, like the American Diabetes Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, have taken tens of millions of dollars from Coke, Cadbury, processed food companies and vaccine manufacturers like Moderna.”

“This is a spiritual crisis. We are choosing death over life, we are choosing darkness over light.” 

Means called for “a return to courage” as well as a “return to common sense and intuition” and “a return to awe for the sheer miraculousness of our lives,” adding: “We need all hands on deck.”