Rethinking Wellness

Rethinking Wellness

Casey Means's Book Is Full of Dubious Claims, Anti-Fat Bias, and Rigid Diet Rules

Plus, the links: vaccine system upended, fluoride supplements under fire, AI in pre-K, and more

Christy Harrison, MPH, RD's avatar
Christy Harrison, MPH, RD
May 22, 2025
∙ Paid
Photo by Tamanna Rumee on Unsplash

Welcome to another installment of the Rethinking Wellness link roundup! Twice a month I share a small selection of links from around the internet that are relevant to the conversations we have here, along with some quick takes and occasional deeper dives for paid subscribers.

This time the take/dive is about the dubious claims, anti-fat bias, and rigid diet rules in Surgeon General nominee Casey Means’s bestselling book, Good Energy.

Links

Here are some pieces that got me thinking in the past few weeks. I found value in all of these, but links are not endorsements of every single detail in the piece or everything the writer ever wrote.

What Nonsense Does Trump's 'Wellness Influencer' Surgeon General Nominee Want To Sell Us? (Robyn Pennacchia / Wonkette)

  • Related: Casey Means' Inactive Medical License Comes Under Scrutiny (Newsweek)

  • Related: The Nuances of Casey Means’s Medical Exit and Antiestablishment Origins (Vanity Fair)

A.I. starting in pre-K would be an “unmitigated disaster” (Jessica Grose / NYT)

FDA moves to ban fluoride supplements for kids, removing a key tool for dentists (NPR)

  • Related: Texas attorney general targets toothpaste companies amid increased scrutiny of fluoride (CNN)

HHS to Stop Recommending Routine Covid Shots for Children, Pregnant Women (WSJ)

RFK Jr. pledged not to upend US vaccine system, but big changes are underway (AP)

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Take/Dive: The Dubious Claims, Anti-Fat Bias, and Rigid Diet Rules in Surgeon General Nominee Casey Means’s Book, Good Energy

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