Debunking the junk science behind health fads, wellness scams and nonsensical nutrition advice.
Aubrey tells Mike about the diet that took over New York City (and its bathrooms). Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Buy Aubrey's book Listen to Mike's other podcast Links! F-Factor drama timeline What Is the F-Factor Diet, and Is it Safe? Tanya Zuckerbrot Sets a Weight-Los…
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Doctors Have a New Plan for Fat Kids
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Last month the American Academy of Pediatrics released a new set of guidelines for "childhood obesity." We have some comments. Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Buy Aubrey's new book Listen to Mike's new podcast Links! The 2023 American Academy of Pediatrics Guidelines The …
History should make you feel weird and so, apparently, should diet books. Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Buy Aubrey's new book Listen to Mike's new podcast Links! Elizabeth Takes Off Elizabeth: The Life of Elizabeth Taylor Elizabeth Taylor: Diet Tips on How to Become a S…
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“Glorifying Obesity” And Other Myths About Fat People
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This week, we're talking about Aubrey's new book, "'You Just Need To Lose Weight' and 19 Other Myths About Fat People." And we're yelling about Piers Morgan as a little treat. Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Buy Aubrey's new book Listen to Mike's new podcast Preorder Aubr…
Charging disabled people more for health care is illegal. But what about ... charging non-disabled people less? Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Buy Aubrey's new book Listen to Mike's new podcast Links! A Review of the U.S. Workplace Wellness Market "Wellness" Based Health…
In the 1990s, the Food Pyramid was one of the most recognizable symbols in nutrition education. But where did it come from? Why was it created by the agriculture department? And why did it tell us to eat a whole loaf of bread every day? Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Buy…
Mike and Aubrey introduce Mike's new show, If Books Could Kill! Find it on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google and wherever else you get your podcasts. Also, don't forget to pre-order Aubrey's new book! Support us: Subscribe on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase shirts, stickers and more Support the show…
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The Daily Harvest Food Poisoning Scandal
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“Herpes is basically living the dream” — Aubrey Gordon. Support us: Subscribe on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase shirts, stickers and more Check out Mike's other podcast, If Books Could Kill Pre-order Aubrey's book! Links! Marion Nestle's "Safe Food" The vomiting, diarrhea, and gallbladder surgeries were bad enough. Daily Harvest’s a…
Pennsylvania listeners check your registration here! Mike and Aubrey break down the policies and promises of Dr. Oz's Senate campaign in Pennsylvania. Plus! A re-run of our complete Dr. Oz episode from last year. Support us: Subscribe on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase shirts, stickers and more Links: Transcript of the infamous Congr…
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Paul Bragg & The Rise of Apple Cider Vinegar
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Health claims about apple cider vinegar are everywhere. But are they true? This week, we hop into the wayback machine for the story of America's first health influencer. (That's not true, but neither is anything else in this episode.) Thanks to David Johnston for providing sources for this week’s episode! Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon …
How an early-'90s newsmagazine show convinced a generation of Americans to start drinking red wine. For the antioxidants! Special thanks to Susanne Stolpe and Alexander H. Sandtorv for helping us fact-check this episode! Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Links! Diet and alc…
Do we even need to write a description? It's the Goopisode! Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Links! How Goop’s Haters Made Gwyneth Paltrow’s Company Worth $250 Million How Gwyneth Paltrow took Goop from a homebrewed newsletter to a controversial $250 million wellness power…
This week's episode is running late so here's something to tide you over! Last year, we did an episode on Gwyneth-adjacent influencer Amanda Chantal Bacon and her wellness company, Moon Juice. This year we decided to TASTE THE DUST. This episode was originally for our Patreon supporters. Click here if you'd like to sign up! Support us: Hear bonus e…
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The Scarsdale Diet Murder feat. Sarah Marshall
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In 1982 a murder captured America's imagination. Forty years later, two podcasts joined forces to talk about it. Hear more from Sarah at You're Wrong About and You Are Good! Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Links! Diana Trilling’s “Mrs. Harris” Shana Alexander’s “Very Much…
A dieting book or a how-to guide for an eating disorder? Pourquoi pas les deux ? Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Links! The By The Book episode The NYT interview with Mireille Guiliano Gabrielle Deydier: what it’s like to be fat in France Inhaling Their Food Publishers se…
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Pete Evans Part 2: COVID & Consequences
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"Celebrity chef Pete Evans has activated his last almond with the Seven Network." Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Links! Pete Evans on COVID-19 restrictions Pete Evans on who gets COVID Introducing the BioCharger Coronavirus treatment spruiked by chef Pete Evans criticise…
How a beloved TV chef became one of Australia's most polarizing public figures. Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Links! Going Paleo: What Prehistoric Man Actually Ate The Paleo Way (video clip) Paleolithic nutrition for metabolic syndrome Paleo diet still lacks evidence At…
In 1998, a researcher rolled out an innovative approach to education. And in 2015, Methodology Twitter had a big fight about it. Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Links! The original 2004 paper The 2015 re-analysis The 2015 meta-analysis The Tanzania dissertation Doing Good…
This year, the UK implemented a law requiring chain restaurants to list calorie counts on their menus. Where did these policies come from? What impact do they have? And why is a Julia Roberts quote from 1990 the best way to describe them? Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more L…
Weight loss is as simple as “calories in, calories out,” right? Or — gasp — could the reply guys be wrong!? This week, we dig in on the surprisingly complex science behind a seemingly simple calculation. Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Links! History of the Calorie in Nut…
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Diet Book Deep Dive: “How To Take 20 Pounds Off Your Man”
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This week, Mike and Aubrey take on a manual for creep behavior masquerading as a diet book. Along the way, we cover shopping guides, journalism salaries and the proper preparation of Cornish game hens. We love our curvy husbands. Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Links! How…
Debunking some of the most widely repeated myths about fat and health. Here's Mike's new video! Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song! Support the show
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Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma"
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How a liberal journalist entrenched a libertarian fantasy. Thanks to Sarah Taber for helping us with the research for this episode! Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Links! Julie Guthman's "Weighing In" Rachel Laudan's "Cooking and Empire" Heidi Zimmerman's "Caring for the …
This week's show is still in the oven so we're releasing one of our first Patreon bonus episodes. We asked our listeners for the wildest and wackiest fad diets they've ever tried and ended up doing mini-deep dives into The Rotation Diet, The Shangri-La Diet, The Special K Diet, Bethenny Frankel's "Naturally Thin" plan and the Blood Type Diet. Enjoy…
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Jordan Peterson Part 2: The Moscow Diaries
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In 2019, Jordan Peterson disappeared from public life. One year later, he re-emerged with a diagnosis, a story and no self-reflection whatsoever. Thanks to Katelyn Burns and Talia Lavin for help fact-checking this episode and Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song! Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phas…
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Jordan Peterson Part 1: The Carnivore Diet
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Oops all meat: How a '50s bodybuilder, a Grateful Dead roadie and an unreadable professor accidentally launched one of America's wildest fad diets. Here's Mike's "Cancel Culture" video! Note: In our discussion of Jordan Peterson’s political correctness lecture, I made a sarcastic comment about looking “slim in this dress.” After the episode came ou…
Aubrey thought she could swear less in this week’s episode. She was wrong. Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Links! Super Size Me Trailer "Super Size Me" - CBS NewsWhere's the Beef? The Challenges of Obesity Suits Morgan Spurlock on Sexual Misconduct Confession, 'Super Size…
In 2015, Belle Gibson was an Australian "eco-preneur" with a vegetarian cookbook, a blockbuster wellness app and a terminal cancer diagnosis. Today, she's one of the most hated figures in the country. Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Links! The Woman Who Fooled The World W…
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Diet Book Deep Dive: The Karl Lagerfeld Diet
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Who’s that Bond villain stroking a cat and yelling at beloved public figures? It’s Karl Lagerfeld! This week, Mike and Aubrey go in on fashion’s favorite turbo troll and his fancy, joyless diet. This episode serves four. Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Links!: The Karl La…
How America's oldest fat camp — and the inspiration for Disney’s "Heavyweights" — became the symbol of a health intervention that enjoys worldwide popularity despite no evidence that it improves anyone's health. Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Links! The Epic Family Feud …
Matthew Walker's "Why We Sleep" was one of the most popular and acclaimed wellness books of 2017. There's just one problem: Much of it isn't true. Thanks to University of Ottawa Postdoctoral Fellow Dylan Smith for helping us with the research! Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and m…
It's a sexual health episode! This week, Mike and Aubrey dive into the hotly debated medical history of vibrators and ask: who fact-checks the fact-checkers? Note: A previous version of this episode included language that referred to “the female downstairs,” implying both that gender is linked to genitals (it isn’t) and that vibrators were used pri…
For nearly four decades, Americans have heard a simple story about health, longevity and obesity. This week, we learn it's a little more complicated. Thanks to Katherine Flegal, Paul Campos, Jeff Hunger and Jason Salemi for helping us research and fact-check this episode! Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance P…
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Diet Book Deep Dive: Angela Lansbury's "Positive Moves"
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At the height of her "Murder She Wrote" fame, Angela Lansbury released a home workout video full of synth music, peach jumpsuits and ~sensuality~. This week, we’re exploring the anti-Goop-ness of Angela’s fitness book and video, "Positive Moves."! It gets a little heavy toward the end, but we promise: No one was canceled in the making of this episo…
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Rachel Hollis Part 2: Girl, Start Apologizing
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In the sequel (sorry) to our first installment, we take a deep dive into Rachel's wildly problematic books and deeply weird downfall. Along the way we discuss allyship etiquette, MLMs and Ronald Reagan. We remain convinced that getting matching tattoos was the right decision for us. Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Ma…
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Rachel Hollis Part 1: Hashtag Relatable
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Girl, stop reinforcing the status quo. Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Videos! The infamous Tik Tok Momfession: I get up at 5 am The "bikini mom" talk How To Start A Podcast Support the show
Last year, spiritual leader Marianne Williamson made headlines when she ran for president. But 10 years earlier, she wrote a bestselling book that promised to teach readers how to “surrender" their weight forever. This week, Mike and Aubrey take a deep dive into Williamson’s life story and her 2010 book, “A Course in Weight Loss." Along the way we …
How Nestlé executives, global health institutions and a very racist white lady seeded a series of nutritional misconceptions we're still living with today. Special thanks to John Nott for helping us out with this episode! Here's his papers on the history of protein and the British Empire. “No one may starve in the British Empire”: Kwashiorkor, Prot…
Over the last 30 years, fatness has been defined as a risk factor for disease, then a disease in itself, then a global epidemic. What caused this rapid shift? Who’s gonna join our group of B-roll vigilantes? And did we just hear Morgan Freeman? Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and …
The BMI is EVERYWHERE. But is it scientific or scientif-ish? While many Americans think of the body mass index as an objective measure of health, its history reveals a more complicated story. This week, Mike and Aubrey tackle the first in a two-part series about the BMI and the “Obesity Epidemic.” Along the way they visit 18th century Belgium, lear…
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School Lunches, P-Hacking and the Original "Pizzagate"
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This week we're diving into one of the biggest-ever scandals in nutrition research. For nearly two decades, Brian Wansink's Food and Brand Lab told Americans that lower weights, healthier workplaces and better school lunches were just a few small tweaks away. Then, in 2015, he wrote a blog post and it all came crashing down. Support us: Hear bonus …
So long, root vegetables! This week, we dive into the strange and surprising history of the 100-year-old ketogenic diet. Along the way, we encounter a Victorian bodybuilder, an infamous podcast bro and the possibility of a bad Meryl Streep performance (!). Get in, loser, we're counting macros! Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on Pa…
Special guest Kimberly Springer joins us to talk about an infamous, dangerous faith healer and his two — two! — appearances on Oprah's talk show. This episode contains, we're sorry to say, detailed descriptions of sexual assault. Buy Kimberly's books: Stories of Oprah: The Oprahfication of American Culture Living for the Revolution: Black Feminist …
Do you have weird feelings about Oprah? So do we, and so does our guest! Kimberly Springer, co-editor of "Stories of Oprah: The Oprahfication of American Culture," joins us to talk about the rise of Oprah Winfrey and her infamous "wagon of fat" weight loss episode. Buy Kimberly's books: Stories of Oprah: The Oprahfication of American Culture Living…
Do you have viruses? Cysts? Cancer? Are you tired sometimes? According to Instagram, the problem might be a lack of liquefied vegetables! This week, Mike and Aubrey take on a troubling taste test, meet a ghost with bad intentions and encounter the longest list of problematic celebrities we've ever seen. Plus, we start the show with an announcement:…
Special guest Mike Rothschild tells us how the road to wellness can be an on-ramp to a conspiracy theory. Along the way we debunk oil pulling, explore Instagram aesthetics and bemoan anti-vaxx argumentation tactics . Mike gets the date of the January 6th insurrection wrong and he is sorry. Mike Rothschild is on Twitter and you can pre-order his boo…
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Diet Book Deep Dive: Ed McMahon’s “Slimming Down”
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This week is our first Diet Book Deep Dive, where we dig into some of the worst and wildest weight loss advice we can find. First up: Tonight Show sidekick Ed McMahon's pun, alcohol and misogyny-fueled diet plan from the 1970s. Hope you like broiled steak and Sanka! Clips! Ed McMahon & Britney Spears on Star Search Ed McMahon for American Family Sw…
In 1996, Proctor & Gamble launched an artificial fat substitute that promised all of the taste but none of the calories. There was just one problem. Support us: Subscribe on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase shirts, stickers and more Links! Marion Nestle’s The Selling of Olestra Jeffrey Steingarten's The Man Who Ate Everything The 1996…
Fat people have them too! This week, special guest Erin Harrop tells us about one of America's most under-diagnosed and misunderstood problems. Along the way we talk about elbow bumps, Twitter etiquette and '90s sweatpants. Our content warnings are becoming increasingly threatening. Here's Erin's faculty page and a bunch of her research! Support us…
Get your flex point calculators and food scales! This week, Mike and Aubrey are talking about one of America's most iconic diet programs: Weight Watchers. Along the way, we encounter The Rock, the mating habits of straight people and a new James Bond villain. Support us: Subscribe on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase shirts, stickers a…