Big Pharma Doesn’t Want You Reading This About Dr. Casey Means
Most of you know by now—I’m not your typical physician.
If we’ve worked together, you’ve likely heard me emphasize that food and mindset are the first priorities. That’s not just a nice philosophy; it’s because they have the power to shift everything. I’ll often bluntly point out when one's lifestyle isn’t aligned with one's goals. In most cases, when we align our environment with how the body is designed to function, medications become less necessary—or even unnecessary. This is the heart of Functional Medicine, or what Dr. Peter Attitia refers to as Medicine 3.0.
Health isn’t about privilege. It’s about education, choices, and removing the blocks that keep our bodies from doing what they’re designed to do. Many of these blocks are man-made—deeply embedded in our systems, policies, and industries. And some of the most damaging ones are hiding in plain sight: how we grow and process our food and how the medical system is set up to encourage medications rather than restore health.
The prior Surgeon General and the appointed officers focused on genetics and technological advancements to gain insights into disease. These are not unsubstantiated ventures; however, they fail to address the underlying epigenetic triggers or lead to meaningful disease reversal, as evidenced by the continued downward trajectory of the US population's health as a whole.
Let me be direct: our healthcare system is being held hostage by two massive cartels—Big Food and Big Pharma. These aren’t fringe conspiracy theories. These are facts you can trace through campaign donations, lobbying records, and policy decisions. These two sectors are the most significant influencers of both major political parties. Without a shift in who holds the pen on policy, we’re going to keep circling the drain.
It’s time we stop pretending the doctor-prescription model is working. It’s not. The United States has become the sickest nation in the developed world. Even news outlets are reporting this. We make up just over 4% of the world’s population but account for 16% of global COVID deaths. The average American now has nearly four chronic diseases. We consume 75% of the world’s prescription drugs. At least 26% of the federal budget is now allocated to healthcare and Medicare. These numbers should raise alarms.
As a physician, I’ve witnessed how health care has become increasingly difficult to access and more expensive, with reduced coverage. And I’ve seen how broken systems cling to power by attacking those trying to create change.
A recent example is the wave of criticism directed at Dr. Casey Means, who’s being dismissed as “unqualified” for the role of Surgeon General. However, let’s be clear: the Surgeon General’s role isn’t about one-on-one patient care; hence, she let her medical license lapse in 2024, as her focus isn't on direct patient care. And Dr. Means is far from unqualified. She completed four years of pre-medical studies, earned her medical degree from Stanford, and underwent five years of rigorous training in ENT surgery. She has spent the last six years studying Functional and Lifestyle Medicine, co-founded the health company Levels, pushing the needle on how metabolic disease is the instigator of most chronic diseases, spoke before Congress advocating for new health legislature focusing pushing back on Food and Pharma, and co-authored a wellness book called "Good Energy'.
She didn’t walk away from a promising career due to lack of skill—she stepped away because she could no longer support a system that doesn’t prioritize true healing or the necessary education for patients on a public level. Since leaving conventional medicine in 2019 and turning toward Functional Medicine, she’s been a vocal advocate for reimagining healthcare—realigning it with nature and the body’s innate design.
This isn’t fringe or “woo-woo” medicine. Frankly, this is the same medicine I practice, and I can proudly say I have reversed the disease of many. It’s about honoring how the human body is built to heal and thrive when given the right environment.
And here’s the bigger picture: the Surgeon General is not a clinical role. It’s an educational and policy-driven position. "Its mission is to give the public the best scientific information to improve health and reduce risk." That is precisely what Dr. Means is doing—and why she’s being targeted because she’s advocating for food, lifestyle, and personal empowerment over prescription dependency.
The numbers behind this are telling. In 2025 alone, eight of the top twenty lobbyists in the U.S. came from the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. Of the $148 million spent by those groups thus far, $63 million—more than 42%—came from medicine and pharma. That’s not a coincidence. That’s influence. And it’s why we must stay awake.
So before judging someone regardless of party affiliation, I invite you to ask a different set of questions: Are the doctors and health professionals being criticized pointing people toward root-cause healing? Are they advocating for the basics—nutrition, mindset, movement, rest, connection—or defending a broken system because they benefit from it?
I’ll continue to speak out, even when it’s uncomfortable. I’ve seen too much to stay quiet. I’ve worked with thousands of patients, and I know what moves the needle. It’s not more specialists. It’s not another pill. It’s returning to the foundations that support human health and teaching people how to become the CEOs of their bodies.
If you’re curious and have time, I encourage you to watch the full hearings—not just snippets and headlines. Journalism today is often filtered through outrage and spin. One resource I’ve found helpful is the show Facts Matter (starts around 4:46). It gives a clear look at how and why the healthcare system has veered off course in policy—and the individuals in power today trying to bring it back.
This is why I support the MAHA movement—not because of personalities, but because of the policies. The direction. The vision. It aligns with everything we teach through Functional Medicine. Food first. Mindset matters. Medications when necessary, not as a first resort. And a belief that the body is far more capable than we are being led to believe.
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BeBioFIT- Be Educated, Not Influenced.
Grateful to be your physician guide.
Kevin Hoffarth MD, IFMCP
BioFIT Medicine