'FOOD BABE' VANI HARI: Don't boo the MAHA movement. Our health and safety are bigger than bureaucrats' egos
Apparently, that room full of health care lobbyists and partisan critics didn't want to hear the truth: American health policy in its current form is an absolute and utter failure. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the largest health bureaucracy in the world, needs an overhaul and it needs to happen fast.
The backlash Calley encountered Wednesday came just 24 hours after HHS began laying off 10,000 federal employees — including entrenched officials from agencies like the FDA, NIH, and CMS, who have presided over a stunning collapse in American health.
Shortly after Secretary Kennedy's announcement of the restructuring, the former FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf went on his LinkedIn page and stated "The FDA as we've known it is finished."
Thank goodness it's finished.
Decades of ineffectiveness have allowed our food and chemical corporations to inundate our food system with novel chemicals without third-party oversight or necessary safety studies.
Decades of outdated regulatory actions have let American companies poison us with ingredients they don't use in other countries -- like artificial food dyes that are linked to hyperactivity in children and cancer in animal studies.
Decades of poor nutritional standards have allowed infant formulas with the first ingredient -- "corn syrup solids" -- a form of added refined sugar -- to be given to newborn babies.
If our health authorities worked, we wouldn't be the sickest developed country on Earth. We wouldn't have exploding rates of obesity, infertility, and depression. The facts speak louder than the boos.
We need a total overhaul in how our regulatory bodies operate. We need to replace old thinking. We need new personnel who aren't riddled with conflicts of interest. We need gold-star science that will get to the root cause of why we are in this predicament and how to solve it.
Our government has miserably failed to protect human health and there are countless examples of that -- but now with President Donald Trump and Secretary Kennedy's bold vision to reverse chronic disease, we have a turning point in history that we've never had before.
What Calley said at the summit wasn't complicated: the people who helped create this crisis shouldn't be the ones running the response. And yet, when he pointed out that America has "the sickest children in the developed world" — and that laughing off reform in the face of that reality is disgraceful — the room turned hostile.
He argued that Secretary Kennedy is doing exactly what voters — particularly MAHA moms like me — asked for: removing entrenched bureaucrats who labeled independent experts as quacks, punished dissent, and brushed aside soaring chronic disease rates-- ignoring the fact that food is medicine. To do otherwise, as Calley put it, is "to tell the MAHA moms that their votes and voices are not legitimate."
People voted for change. Not for minor tweaks — for structural disruption. And that's why the MAHA moms are done being laughed at. I understand the outrage. But I also understand what's at stake.
If our health authorities worked, we wouldn't be the sickest developed country on Earth. We wouldn't have exploding rates of obesity, infertility, and depression. The facts speak louder than the boos.
And let's be clear: this isn't the first time reform has made the elite uncomfortable. Calley is a warrior like I've never seen before. He is doing what real reformers always do — facing down institutions that protect themselves at all costs. And he has an army of MAHA moms behind him.
I'm one of them. As a longtime food activist and founder of the Food Babe movement, I've spent over a decade challenging the very same health establishment now being reformed. I've spoken directly with the MAHA moms in and and outside the White House driving this effort — women who've watched their kids suffer from chronic illness, only to be gaslit by the very agencies meant to protect them.
These aren't fringe voices. They're citizens demanding accountability, transparency, and a return to common sense in public health. I'm proud to stand with them.
I've traveled all over the country with Calley, in a grassroots effort to fix what the food industry has done to us -- testifying in various states that are looking to reform antiquated policies that allow harmful chemicals in our food and keep Americans sick.
This moment isn't about optics. It's about outcomes — whether American children are healthier in five years. Whether families feel seen and served by public health institutions. Whether the government finally begins to prioritize prevention over pharmaceutical profits.
Calley should not apologize for prioritizing America's health over bureaucratic egos. He shouldn't back down because insiders are uncomfortable. He is part of a team building a leaner, more transparent and reputable HHS. And if telling that truth gets him booed again, I have a feeling he'll take the mic every time.
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Many people dread going into the doctor's office for a Pap smear or HPV test, but that's no longer the only cervical cancer screening option. Now, we have the Teal Wand, the first and only at-home vaginal sample self-collection device for cervical cancer screening in the US. It allows people with a cervix to easily screen themselves for the highly preventable cancer from the comfort of their home. After receiving FDA approval in May, the Teal Wand is now available in California. By 2027, it should be accessible across the US. If you're curious about giving it a try, here's everything you need to know. How the Teal Wand works "The Teal Wand is a self-collection device in which the collected sample is mailed to a lab to test for high-risk HPV using an FDA-approved Primary HPV test," said Kara Egan, Teal Health's CEO and co-founder. 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(CLIA, or Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments, are regulations requiring any facility examining human specimens, like tissue, blood and urine, for diagnosis, prevention or treatment purposes, to be certified by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.) After the lab processes your sample, a Teal provider reviews the results in accordance with the screening guidelines defined by the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP). You'll receive results in your secure Teal portal within about a week after sending your sample. You'll be given the opportunity to virtually connect with a Teal provider to discuss any next steps. If follow-up care is needed, the Teal team will coordinate your referral. What the Teal Wand tests for Just like in the clinician's office, your sample is tested for 14 types of high-risk HPV (Human Papillomavirus) that present the highest risk of causing cervical cancer, Egan said. According to the World Health Organization, 99% of cervical cancer cases are linked to HPV infections. Primary HPV tests are the most sensitive tests recommended by the American Cancer Society and the US Preventive Services Task Force for cervical cancer screening. According to Teal Health, the Teal Wand uses the Roche cobas Primary HPV test, which is the same test your doctor would use. Teal's national clinical trial also concluded that "self-collection using the Teal Wand is as accurate as going into the clinic where a provider collects the sample using a speculum and tests for HPV." The Teal Wand is simply a different way of collecting the sample. Teal Health Who can use the Teal Wand? There are three types of cervical cancer tests: Primary HPV testing every five years, Pap tests every three years and co-tests that combine both an HPV test with a Pap test every five years. According to the ASCCP's guidelines, Primary HPV testing through self-collection, which the Teal Wand uses, is suitable for people at average risk for cervical cancer. Teal Health follows the American Cancer Society's guidelines, which recommend HPV testing every five years for people aged 25 to 65 who have an intact cervix. Note that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people between the ages of 30 and 65 get either an HPV test, a Pap test or both as a co-test. (This is different from the American Cancer Society's recommendation, which starts at age 25 instead of 30.) If you're considered at risk of cervical cancer, the CDC recommends that you start getting Pap tests as early as age 21. For those over age 65, consult your doctor. You may not need to be screened anymore if you've received normal or negative results from at least three Pap tests or two HPV tests in the past 10 years, or if you've had your cervix removed during a total hysterectomy for noncancerous conditions like fibroids. Regardless of how, it's important to get screened regularly, even if you've been vaccinated against HPV. If you're not sure which test is right for you, your doctor can help you decide. Who shouldn't use the Teal Wand? Egan said that self-collection with the Teal Wand is not currently recommended for: patients with a history of cancer in the reproductive system patients with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) patients with DES (diethylstilbestrol, a synthetic form of estrogen) exposure patients with immunosuppression patients who have had a treatment for cervical precancer, such as LEEP (Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure) or cold knife cone patients who are pregnant or within six weeks of giving birth Does the Teal Wand replace a Pap smear? The Teal Wand is not the same as a Pap smear (cervical cytology). Instead of in-office, clinician-collected samples with a speculum, like you'd have with a Pap smear, Primary HPV screening allows for self-collected samples. Teal describes a Pap smear as being less sensitive compared to HPV testing because it can only detect cell changes once they've happened, a potential sign that cancer is already present. That's why Pap smears are performed more often than Primary HPV testing (every three years versus five years). On its own, a Pap also doesn't test for HPV, which is the primary cause of almost all cervical cancers. "Universally, a cervical cancer screening is often called a Pap smear, but Pap smear, along with the HPV test, are both types of tests for cervical cancer screening," Egan said. "Screening for HPV using the Teal Wand is an alternative to screening in person." In other words, once you screen using the Teal Wand, you don't need to do the test again in your doctor's office. However, if your results are abnormal and positive for HPV, you may need to get additional in-person testing, such as a colposcopy or a Pap smear, to check for cell changes. Your Teal provider will advise you accordingly, per medical guidelines, based on the HPV type detected and your screening history. While Teal Health aims to help people stay up-to-date on cervical cancer screening, it's always recommended to continue yearly in-person preventive care visits. Teal Health Teal Wand costs and health insurance With select insurance companies, the full at-home screening experience with telehealth consults is available for $99. Without insurance, it's $249, but is eligible for HSA/FSA reimbursement. Teal Health is currently working with the following insurance plans in California: Cigna, Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California and United Healthcare. The company aims to expand its coverage and also provide financial assistance when needed. When will the Teal Wand be available outside California? Teal Health is planning to have the Teal Wand available across the US before the end of 2026. What's the goal with the Teal Wand? According to Egan, Teal Health is on a mission to improve women's healthcare experiences. Teal Health is also a member of the Cervical Cancer Roundtable, a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the Biden Cancer Moonshot, a coalition of industry leaders working to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health concern in the US. "By creating the option for a woman to screen for cervical cancer from the comfort of home and providing telehealth follow-up, Teal can increase access to this life-saving cancer screening, get more women screened and work toward eliminating cervical cancer in the US, as it is the only cancer nearly 100% preventable with proper screening," said Egan.
