Reminder that wellness grifters like Trump’s new Surgeon General Casey Means spread misinformation about vaccines and health because it is extremely profitable for them to do so. (Chart by @epidemiologistkat.bsky.social) - ThreadSky

luckytran.com • 8 hours ago

Reminder that wellness grifters like Trump’s new Surgeon General Casey Means spread misinformation about vaccines and health because it is extremely profitable for them to do so.

(Chart by @epidemiologistkat.bsky.social)

Comments

dr-thang.bsky.social•8 hours ago

Reminds me of when Edolf Muskler pushes those Soros conspiracy theories even though he's much richer than Soros and openly does all the stuff he accuses him of doing.

qwtchz.bsky.social•6 hours ago

😱

jenni4iowa.bsky.social•8 hours ago

And, for the most part, extremely not "evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration"

jannymp.bsky.social•7 hours ago

catkimbriel.bsky.social•8 hours ago

OTOH, mind-boggling. OTOH, I believe it. :(

admiralfrosty.bsky.social•8 hours ago

"shocked but not surprised" is pretty much my baseline reaction to anything these days

smikesme.bsky.social•8 hours ago

Point taken but I am not sure of the wisdom of relying on revenue figures from the Global Wellness Institute. There is an obvious conflict of interest and the industry is infamous for its distortions

angryallosaurus.bsky.social•4 hours ago

There's value in hitting back with in-group numbers, even if they're sketchy, yeah?

"You're afraid of Big Pharma, but by the Global Wellness Institute's own numbers, the wellness industry is nearly 4 times larger than Big Pharma? How can you trust them to be honest when so much money is at stake?"

angryallosaurus.bsky.social•4 hours ago

Also just cuz something like yoga has some value doesn't mean it's not part of the wellness industry or given exaggerated health claims. Some people really do need certain supplements for medical reasons, doesn't mean there's not a whole bunch of snake oil in the supplement industry, too.

athx1138.bsky.social•8 hours ago

It’s almost like this is the real reason people like RFK and Joe Rogan push their antiscience claims…because they’re making a fortune on it

https://nypost.com/2025/01/30/us-news/rfk-jr-in-cash-grab-to-market-maha-vitamins-crypto-t-shirts/

ai7gu-wkh45.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Snake oil salesperson of lotions and potions. No license, no residency. There are many things wrong with our healthcare system and she will make it worse.

rainofclones.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Don't think this is best comparison as press release cited https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/press-room/press-releases/the-global-wellness-economy-reaches-a-new-peak-of-6-3-trillion-and-is-forecast-to-hit-9-trillion-by-2028/ makes clear wellness figure made up of very diverse markets (e.g. includes "Physical activity" so: yoga & personal trainers?). Apt comparison maybe is prescription meds vs supplements.

rainofclones.bsky.social•6 hours ago

I don't think a comparison using that 6.3 trillion figure withstands examination.
Perhaps more robust point is that pharma is high barrier to entry (capital & medical qualifications) - whereas grifters marketing supplements on more flimsy grounds is easier to get into & get a cut of (self interest).

talkingsnake.bsky.social•8 hours ago

In all of the horror and disbelief I had over the Trump administration’s hatred of preventative healthcare, I forgot that money is their god. Thank you for pointing this out, it makes so much sense now why they attack medical research.

scarpity026.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Might want to put some quotation marks around "wellness" too.

dp7ui.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Hol’ up, that wellness institute is taking lots of liberties to inflate the numbers. https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/press-room/press-releases/the-global-wellness-economy-reaches-a-new-peak-of-6-3-trillion-and-is-forecast-to-hit-9-trillion-by-2028/

https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2024-GWE_bubble-chart-1536x1083.jpg

drg0nzo.bsky.social•5 hours ago

This. Actual problematic wellness isn't nearly this big.

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