Movement Logic: Strong Opinions, Loosely Held 124: Doctor or Brand? Amanda Thebe on the Midi Health Model
Mar 4, 2026
Amanda Thebe, menopause educator, author, and Naya Health co-founder, critiques venture-backed telemedicine and wellness pivots in menopause care. She highlights marketing that oversells hormone therapy, the move into unproven longevity and weight-loss offerings, and how profit motives reshape clinical priorities. Practical tips for finding ethical, evidence-based care are discussed.
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How Amanda First Encountered Midi Health
- Amanda first noticed Midi when Dr. Heather Hirsch left Brigham Women’s Hospital to join their telemedicine platform and thought it might improve access to menopause care.
- Amanda later watched Midi’s public messaging and marketing evolve and began seeing “amber flags” about hormone therapy claims.
VC Funding Shifts Care Toward Profit Motives
- Venture capital pressure creates incentives to prioritize revenue growth over careful medical decision-making once a company raises large rounds like Midi's Series D.
- Amanda explains that investors expect outsized returns, which pushes companies to expand offerings beyond finite, time-limited menopause care.
From Menopause Care To Wellness And Longevity
- Companies under VC pressure often convert low-cost evidence-based medicine into high-margin wellness products and longevity offerings to keep customers paying long-term.
- Amanda highlights rapamycin and GLP-1 drops as examples of unproven or mismatched products being marketed to menopausal women.
