The Chronic Disease Industry Explained

Calley and Dave unpack how chronic disease became the dominant, profitable focus of U.S. healthcare.

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Back in 2024 with Calley Means at South by Southwest, we sat down and talked about his mission to flip the old American food pyramid upside down for the greater good. Well guess what, the pressure is finally working! This rerun is the ultimate receipt that focus, repetition, and smart lobbying for human health can still move the needle!

Host Dave Asprey sits down with Calley Means, entrepreneur, policy advocate, and co-author of Good Energy. Together, they break down how the U.S. healthcare system became a sick-care system, why ultra-processed food dominates public policy, and how individuals can reclaim autonomy over their biology. From CGMs and metabolic health to food subsidies, lobbying, and free speech, this episode challenges deeply held assumptions about medicine, nutrition, and personal responsibility.

You’ll Learn:

• Why chronic disease is the most profitable business model in modern history

• How metabolic dysfunction drives obesity, diabetes, depression, and infertility

• Why ultra-processed food sits at the root of America’s health collapse

• How CGMs and metabolic data threaten entrenched healthcare incentives

• What “food is medicine” really means and where it gets weaponized

• How HSA and FSA dollars can legally support food, exercise, and prevention

• Why fixing incentives matters more than blaming individuals

• How reclaiming health autonomy is tied to free speech and human resilience

Dave Asprey is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, and the father of biohacking. With over 1,000 interviews and 1 million monthly listeners, The Human Upgrade is the top podcast for people who want to take control of their biology, extend their longevity, and optimize every system in the body and mind. Each episode features cutting-edge insights in health, performance, neuroscience, supplements, nutrition, hacking, emotional intelligence, and conscious living.

Episodes are released every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (audio-only) where Dave asks the questions no one else dares, and brings you real tools to become more resilient, aware, and high performing.

Keywords: Calley Means Good Energy, Calley Means interview, Good Energy metabolic health, metabolic dysfunction America, ultra processed food policy, food is medicine debate, healthcare incentives crisis, chronic disease economics, insulin resistance epidemic, CGM health data access, metabolic health lobbying, seed oils sugar inflammation, glyphosate food system, HSA food exercise eligibility, health autonomy biohacking, metabolic freedom podcast, american food pyramid, rfk food pyramid, 2026 food pyramid

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