>Take Means’ book *Good Energy*, a *New York Times* bestseller cowritten with her brother Calley Means. The latter is a key figure in the MAHA movement, and serves as a senior adviser to RFK Jr. The book’s primary thesis is that metabolic dysfunction is at the root of every ailment you can think of, from acne to cancer. The front half of the book cites many true things about metabolism. For example, it goes into how mitochondria — the ol’ “powerhouse of the cell” — turns nutrients into cellular energy. She explains in digestible terms how mitochondria produce ATP, what ATP is used for in various bodily processes, and then goes into how certain factors of modern life may lead to “mitochondrial dysfunction.” She also goes into concepts like insulin resistance — when your body, over time, gets less responsive to the hormone leading to a less efficient use of blood sugar — and how it is heavily tied to conditions like diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. If you remember high school biology, or even searched these basic claims on Google, much of the information passes the smell check.


>Throughout the book, Means also dispenses some solid, common-sense health advice. Things like sleeping eight hours a day, exercising, and opting for whole, unprocessed foods whenever possible. At the end of each chapter, Means includes a link to her references. Combined with Casey Means’ background as a graduate from Stanford School of Medicine, **this can easily give the impression of a well-researched book by an expert with ample scientific backing.**


>**The problem is those facts are interspersed with less convincing assertions, which all get tied together in service of questionable or misleading conclusions.**

Trump’s surgeon general nominee is running the wellness grifter playbook perfectly