569: Big Food Exposed: How the Food Industry Lies (We’re Slowly Being Poisoned!) | Calley Means
Nov 14, 2023
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This podcast discusses the failures of the medical system, the profitability of chronic disease, front groups as funders of nutrition research, the corruption in healthcare, the impact of pharmaceutical companies on the media, the need to stop subsidizing processed foods, and practical steps to regain metabolic health.
Chronic disease is profitable for the medical system, highlighting the need for a mindset shift and questioning of medical advice.
Food companies fund nutrition research to create confusion, allowing them to promote unhealthy products and perpetuate unhealthy eating habits.
Financial incentives from pharmaceutical and food companies influence medical research, recommendations, and standard care.
Grassroots empowerment, skepticism, and informed decision-making are crucial in challenging the current medical system and advocating for policy changes that prioritize individual health.
Deep dives
The Systemic Failure of the Medical System
The podcast episode discusses the systemic failure of the medical system in addressing chronic conditions, which account for over 80% of US deaths and healthcare costs. It highlights the influence of food and pharmaceutical industries in promoting addiction, fear, and dependency to generate profits. The episode emphasizes the need for a mindset shift, recognizing that the American patient has been manipulated by these industries. It calls for empowerment and questioning of medical advice, understanding the financial incentives behind healthcare institutions, and advocating for a focus on root causes and metabolic health.
The Impact of Conflicting Research and Nutrition Guidelines
The episode explores how food companies fund nutrition research to create confusion among policymakers, doctors, and patients. The goal is to muddy the waters and prevent a clear consensus on healthy eating, allowing food companies to continue promoting products that may be detrimental to health. It also reveals the influence of these companies in shaping nutrition guidelines, such as the USDA's recommendation that a two-year-old can consume up to 10% of their diet as added sugar. The consequences of such guidelines ripple through schools, hospitals, and other institutions, perpetuating unhealthy eating habits.
The Role of Money in Funding Research and Influencing Medical Advice
The episode delves into the financial motives behind medical research, highlighting how pharmaceutical and food companies pay professors and researchers to produce biased studies and recommendations. It exposes the collusion between these industries and medical organizations, with high-profile experts receiving direct payments and influencing standard medical care. The pervasive influence of money extends into lobbying and political donations, shaping healthcare policies and guidelines for industry benefit rather than patient well-being. It sheds light on the conflicts of interest within the medical system and emphasizes the need for skepticism and independent research.
The Need for Grassroots Empowerment and Bottom-Up Change
The episode emphasizes the importance of grassroots empowerment in overcoming the systemic issues in the medical system. It suggests that individuals taking charge of their health journey and seeking information from alternative sources can challenge the status quo. The power of the internet provides access to diverse perspectives and encourages questioning of medical advice. The bottom-up movement of informed individuals can lead to top-down changes, influencing policies and institutions. The episode urges people to be skeptical, follow the money, and trust themselves in making informed decisions about their health.
The Influence of Big Food and Pharma on the Medical System
The podcast episode discusses how the medical system has been influenced by big food and pharmaceutical companies. It traces the history of the medical system and highlights the role of John D. Rockefeller in shaping modern medicine. The episode emphasizes the profit-driven nature of the medical industry and how it prioritizes the treatment of chronic illnesses rather than prevention. It also exposes the impact of subsidies and lobbying on the availability of unhealthy processed foods and the lack of nutrition standards in government programs like food stamps and school lunches. The episode calls for individuals to prioritize their metabolic health by avoiding added sugar, processed grains, and seed oils, and focusing on sleep, exercise, and stress management. It also advocates for grassroots movements to challenge the current system and push for policy changes that prioritize the health and well-being of individuals.
Personal Actions to Protect Against Corruption
On a personal level, the episode encourages individuals to be proactive in their own healthcare by questioning doctors and pediatricians, especially when medications are prescribed without considering nutritional interventions. It advises parents to prioritize natural, whole foods and avoid added sugars, processed grains, and seed oils in their children's diets. It stresses the importance of movement and exercise, aiming for a minimum of 150 minutes per week. The episode also highlights the significance of sleep, exposure to sunlight, stress management, and maintaining circadian rhythms. It emphasizes the need to conduct personal research and make informed choices in order to protect against the influence of corrupt systems.
Grassroots Movements and Advocacy for Change
To bring about broader change, the episode suggests getting involved in grassroots movements and advocating for policy changes. It encourages people to communicate with their elected representatives and voice their concerns about the current healthcare system. Specific issues to focus on include the agricultural bill, USDA guidelines, and the advertising of pharmaceuticals on TV. The episode emphasizes the importance of uniting voices to push for agendas that prioritize the health and well-being of individuals, particularly children. It calls for channeling frustration towards specific issues and exerting pressure through organized communication and financial support.
Calley Means (IG: @calleymeans) is the founder of TrueMed, a company that issues prescriptions for food and exercise, enabling tax-free spending on items promoting health.
He is also the co-author (with his sister, Dr. Casey Means) of an upcoming book on food-as-medicine.
Calley started his career as a consultant for food and pharma companies and is now an advocate for changes to these industries.
In this episode, we discuss:
Fixing our health crisis starts with a mindset shift
Chronic disease is profitable
How you can help create change
Front groups are the biggest funders of nutrition research
Professors are being paid to play
Doctors can’t go against bad guidelines
The broken medical system and doctor debt
How pharmaceutical companies control the media
The Harvard doctor bribed by Ozempic
The corrupt history of healthcare in America
The healthcare system is the #1 money generator in the US
We need to stop subsidizing processed foods
Calley’s pivot from big industry to starting TrueMed
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