Bonus Episode: Our Inbox is a Mess!

Not sticking up for anti fat bias, but when I smoked my doctor did actually tell me every single visit to quit smoking and why-- probably because he was able to bill my insurance for it.

I just want to say, as a medical student due to graduate at the end of this year, that I am so glad I found your podcast. Not only has it helped me with my food journey and become more understanding of why diets do not work (because I will be honest, 75% of my education has not gone into the history or details of this), but it has also allowed me to confront my bias and hopefully enter the space with a more nonjudgemental headspace. I hope to also assuage your concerns that at least for Australia, our guidelines for history taking specifically say we have to ask about diet and exercise, without asking about weight unless necessary. -- I will say, there was a fantastic article that I read during my GP rotation (I'm Australian) titled "Weight Science: Evaluating the Evidence for a Paradigm Shift" by Linda Bacon and Lucy Aphramor that discussed the Healthy At Every Size (HAES) paradigm. I found this particularly interesting because every point they discussed had many resources to back it up, in comparison to all "lose weight" articles I was recommended, that basically described everything as fact. I'm hoping to incorporate this paradigm into my care.

I'm here to add (late) to the number of people who actually truly get relief from muscle cramps (legs especially) by taking a swig of pickle juice!

Guys!! The “restructuring of water” is a grift of people believing that water molecules need to be “restructured” the way they would be if the water was flowing from a waterfall… i heard through the grapevine that an ex of mine uses a keychain that he has purchased from a grifter to pass his water through before drinking it. 😂

I really love getting book recs from you. Just purchased the Marion Nestle book Audrey (😅) mentioned - it's Why Calories Count. Which book of Stephen Jay Gould should I read? Can you make a recommendation? I am not finding the collectio of essays you mentioned.. I know I'm 4 years late to this.. but only just found out about Mike recently (5 months ago).. I have listened to all of if books could kill, then all of maintenance phase and now I'm onto the bonus episodes while also listening you're wrong about from the beginning! Thank you for all the content, super interesting!

I have a rowing machine!! It’s also my favorite!

My last primary doctor refused to even consider putting me on anti-depressants, but tried to put me on weight loss drugs every visit. My current primary says "I don't care about getting you into a smaller coffin, I'm just here to make sure it isn't an early one."

You had me at V I WEEKEND X

Last thing as I just finished a family trip to Portugal, the talk about how much better it is and such that food is fresh and not processed but I don’t know how to make sense with the way america produces and sells food

also could you do a dive into gym and bulk culture among men? I feel stuck being someone who’s dealt with ed and try to discuss how men are trapped in this extreme disordered culture and nobody wants to call it what it is because it’s only popularized as an issue among women at this point

Please do an episode on putting fruit in your water I feel like it can’t be the heal all people treat it as (I have believed that in my ed and realize now I don’t like flavored water but eat fruit separately) it’s such a common “it’s good for you!” Whenever it’s available and I reject it

Onto the next episode!

I've been inhaling (instead of binging? Is that better non-tw language?) all the episodes and now Patreon because I fell in love with the information/data and perspective these two bring, and I'm extremely moved by and in love with their friendship. Just two genuinely great people talking about some real shit. Nyoice.

54:22 keep it off your boots, sir; eats right through!

Age is an independent risk factor for Covid so maybe the doctors should be telling everyone: "get younger!" Makes a lot of sense.🫠

Thank you for this! I especially appreciate the discussion around how to introduce these topics with others. As a fat woman, this show has helped me feel better about myself and reflect on my habits around food, weight loss, etc. I've been struggling with how to share what I've learned from this show with my mother (fat and dieting my whole life) and my sister (newly having weight gain and constantly talking about what diet she's doing now). Your suggestions were helpful and I'm going to try them out!

Oh the almond and fatphobic Gen X moms, i have so much anger but also sympathy for them, mine included. It's all coming to the surface now that I'm nearing 30 and I feel like it explains so much about my current body dysmorphia and feelings about food. Le sigh 😕

I know this is dumb but can you drop the link for the cheap but reliable rower?! I used to row crew and I miss exactly what you are talking about - chilling and rowing. The ones I know are like 3-5k.

The convo about “you can no longer talk about weight with fat people”, I’ve begun asking to not see my weight or know my weight and even questioning why doctors taking my weight is necessary. Just the idea that we need to question why the intake routine is the intake routine. Thankfully I’ve worked with healthcare providers who are happy to not share my weight with me and respond that they need my weight for accurate prescription dosage. It comes down to “what foes my weight have to do with this conversation?”. Sometimes it matters, sometimes it doesnt!

I’m so sorry, but nose washing is *my* bullshit; it works!

Please please please make this episode available on your main podcast. This connects a lot of dots that are so important. Body autonomy and the right to make your own choices are the goal. And thank you for exposing the myths and pitfalls that we otherwise would feel as personal failure.

What are your thoughts on My Big Fat Fabulous Life?

Loved this convo though, as a health professional working on smoking cessation, it is extremely important for us to ask about smoking (non judgementally of course). There is some research to suggest that 1 in every 33 ‘brief smoking cessation interventions’ leads to a person successfully quitting. There is also a lot of research showing that nearly 100% of people who smoke have thought about quitting. This isn’t to say doctors should offer advice if it isn’t wanted, however, it is extremely important they ask if someone smokes and if they do smoke, that the health professional asks if they have thought about quitting. If they have, then it is important to offer support and ask if they want to hear about quit smoking medicines. Using medicine and counselling means people are around 7-8 times more likely to successfully quit, and a lot of people who smoke try to go it alone. I get it was more of a throw away comment about not stigmatising people but just wanted to put it out there! Love the show

Please discuss: Dani Mathers, 30, pleaded no contest to posting a nude photo of an elderly woman preparing to shower in the locker room at a Los Angeles gym. How appalling is Dani Mathers??

Loved loved loved this episode. Thanks so much 😊 but please, let’s. Talk. Nose washing!!!

The Covid reason for telling people to lose weight is so insidious. I’m sure the doctor that emailed you meant well (not that that means a lot IMO) but fatness has become such a scapegoat for covid anxiety. In the uk it was all over gov and nhs information. It was horrible. Instead of admitting to major flaws in covid treatment plans and guidelines (which resulted in hundreds if not thousands of deaths) the gov pointed the finger out at the fat population. I’m not completely read up on the relationship between covid and weight but if most other research I know on health and weight is any marker, it’s extremely complicated. When you look at fatness and class divides in the uk it becomes even more tricky, because a lot of covid deaths were and are working class people who tend to be bigger for numerous reasons. But they also can’t afford the same resources that can ward off dangerous illnesses like covid. It’s just, so horrible to throw that kind of thinking out there, because it just puts the blame for something completely and utterly devastating on fat people (yet again). Never mind that the uk gov’s response to Covid was ignorant and neglectful.

Electrically charged water!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Love this! This has been my favorite bonus episode so far, insightful and funny, which is what I love about MP!

Send Mom a copy of Shrill!

I’m just listening to this episode and loving it. The stop eating discussion made me think of my most favorite video https://youtu.be/Ow0lr63y4Mw

Please put these people on your show! The publicists trying to get their grifter guest on. Bring them on and ask them about the research! Not just to embarrass and shame, but I wonder if it could help plant a seed. And if you do it enough, word might get out in the grifter community and you might get less requests.

It made me so happy to hear Aubrey loves the rowing machine! I’m listening on mine right now (as I often do!) keep up the good work you two :) you’re doing good stuff

Mike's love for Stephen Jay Gould made my heart soar, I've been reading his book on the Burgess Shale and it is the best combination of sweet appreciation for wildlife and hyper-specific nerd debate

I’d also love an episode on Noom, which reportedly tells any woman who wants to lose weight quickly to eat 1200 calories a day: https://www.outsideonline.com/health/nutrition/noom-app-diet-trend/.

I’m so glad I signed up for your Patreon extras. Btw I am working my way through your podcasts, so if you’ve addressed this already, sorry. But omg Noom and GoLo drive me nuts. Noom was saying they could help you lose the weight for good when they’d been in existence 3 months, and GoLo is cavalierly diagnosing everyone through the teevee with insulin resistance. I know they’re awful, I just want to listen to you take them down.

I can’t even count how many times as a patient that my health concerns have been dismissed by other white male doctors. The kicker, of course, being that I am now a POC queer woman doctor who grew up as a fat person, left with body image issues who struggled with eating disorders. Over the years, it has been often incredibly difficult be around my own colleagues in the emergency department especially when it comes to conversations about weight, race, poverty, medical “noncompliance,” transgender health, and just so, so much more. It pains me to hear to many stories of patients who feel like their doctors shame and don’t listen to them — I’ve been through it so many times myself. I’ve finally reached a professional level in my life that I don’t fear as much repercussions speaking out against some of the reductive and regressive (and flat out bigoted) things that some coworkers say, but it’s still always a worry that sits with me. There are docs out there who are trying to have perspective changing conversations with their colleagues; that there are docs who treat patients with the care and dignity that all humans deserve, and I hope that eventually the medical community can change.

Please, please do an episode about 'Dr' Joe Dispenza. I had a real bummer of an acupuncture session today where the practitioner wouldn't shut up about Dispenza's BS being the 'future of medicine' and by god, we're all fucked if that's true. No one's done a good deep-dive debunking yet. Help!

BOTCHED BOTCHED BOTCHED

I'm late on this particular Patreon train, due to mistakenly thinking that I already HAD signed up to support the show...probably a fever dream. I'm enjoying the experience of binge-listening to all the patron-extra episodes at every opportunity and it's giving me life. Also, if there was ever a more perfect opportunity to coin the term "fatosphere" than when talking about the swarm of responses to the N**m BS on the Apple Store's Twitter feed...I do not know where or when it could be.

I found the problematic mum discussion interesting - I was a problematic mum and my daughters solution was to have me listen to your podcast. I have now gotten off my diet/weight loss sosp

Okay so this is marginally related but I keep being reminded of it by various other comments/tidbits here and there...While affirming the need to uplift people living in larger fat bodies, it does seem like there is a kind of binary developing around 'straight sizes' vs 'not straight sizes' that is both unhelpful and inaccurate and erasing of various experiences. For example (and this is just one example) people who are very short and fat might still be able to wear "straight" sizes sometimes, but are also underrepresented given how much representation of fat bodies seems to favor those who are taller (both bc of a certain type of figure being favored *and* because when institutions are tokenizing, they want to be really sure their token meets the criteria, and fat short people seem to confuse a lot of people on this front). Also, if you are short you can get crazy amounts of anti fat treatment from BMI-worshipping doctors at a lower threshold than taller people (sometimes even *before* meeting the BMI definition of overweight, like you need to be on alert to not grow anymore in the 'wrong direction' since you've stopped growing in the 'right direction'), so putting the amount of structural biases and oppression people experience in terms of sizes and pounds is also a bit of a misdirect. I know, all labels have limitations etc etc but this is something that keeps cropping up every time there's a conversation about 'who are these spaces for?' and it gets boiled down to whether or not someone can wear straight sizes or fit in an airplane seat rather than opening up the discussion of how diverse experiences of anti fat bias can be and how bodies do not actually exist on a simple continuum from more fat to less fat, particularly given a society that loves to dissect individual body parts for their level of adherence to various norms.

I definitely have some discomfort with some of what was discussed in this episode. I understand why Aubrey and Michael responded in the way that they did to the first email, but I got the impression that the person who wrote it was looking for permission to break a harmful cycle of weight loss attempts, and I don't think that the response they gave would be at all helpful to that individual, and I could definitely see them interpreting it in a way that would cause them harm. I know it's not really a response to that specific email and is more about raising the "genre" of emails that ask for specific health advice, but I can't help imagining what would happen if that person were to hear this episode, and it doesn't sit right with me?

I love this. Please do these regularly. It’s like a grab bag of all sorts of good topics. Michael and “Audrey” are so freaking smart.

I'm a Correctional Nurse in Southern BC and I AM WITH YOU!! 💖

Climate change news is so hard for me *because* there's no good news. After a while, you just learn to say "yup, it all sucks, and it's all because of large institutions, nothing I can do" and roll over like the dog in the shock cage. Learned helplessness. We need hope or we just don't act.

I wish this was a public episode because I’d love to send it to people who aren’t familiar to these concepts at all - these perspectives are really helpful and not ones that I think are heard enough.

I love that Maintenance Phase is being spread around the fat community, but I *really* want the straight sized people in our lives to listen so we don't have to deal with so much bs as fat people.

Thank you for validating the collective fat experience of doctors not believing that you’re actually taking care if your body. My doctor was absolutely DUMBFOUNDED by my labs and blood pressure. I was not lying when i told him I eat lots of fruits and veggies, do yoga, and walk my dogs daily!!!

I was relistening to the Angela Landsbury episode last night in the bathtub. I believe that part at the end where Mike asks Aubrey about her experiences with friends who are trying to lose weight is possibly the best (?!?!) moment of all Maintenance Phase (IMO, and I’ve listened to all of it, twice at least). I was thinking then about this episode and the « be more positive » email, and when Aubrey mentioned that the Angela Landsbury show was one of the positive ones. I bristled at the email, and despise reflexively any calls for positivity over hard topics, or aggressive positivity in general. But I do wonder if discussing a subject that was, with a thousand exceptions, a positive move (sorry!), opened up the conversation to one of the most open and educational conversations I’ve ever heard.

Re: "positive" episode idea (uhm I believe it's positive probably not what writer intended): history of fat activism. Haven't finished episode yet

I feel like a lot of the people who write to aubrey & michael might benefit from podcasts like Food Psych Podcast with Christy Harrison (very deep into intuitive eating, anti-diet, health at every size, and how to heal your relationship with food and your body) or She‘s All Fat (about living in fat bodies in the culture we have),

The $64,000 question! YES! Our moms needed Aubrey and Michael 50 years ago!

I’m gonna need the name of this rowing machine. I have been seeking out exercise specifically for stress relief and I could totally see how the motions of a rowing machine would do the trick!

There are some illnesses/risks that relate to fatness. There are also risks to a lot of things, for example, I have autism and I have a risk for a shorter life span. But a doctor telling me that isn’t going to change anything because I’m not able to just stop being autistic, just like how the majority of the time fat people can’t just stop being fat. Just because a medical correlation exists doesn’t mean it should determine how you treat people, especially when it’s something that just isn’t going to change.

Re: positive news related to this podcast, I would love to hear about (other) fat activists who are doing it right

I'm glad someone asked the big "mom" question. It's hard to talk to my mom about anything because these diets have told her they'll fix my eczema, anxiety, thyroid issues, etc. I try to bring up topics the podcast has covered but it always turns into keto or whole30 being what "works for her" and she feels like crap when she stops. I think one of the episodes talked about that euphoric feeling when being on a diet - I think she's hooked on that. She says she's doing it just to feel good, but then she makes mean comments about her body within the hour and doesn't even understand her own anti-fat bias.

I haven't seen the show yet, but I saw a trailer for a show called Astrid & Lilly Save the World. It's about two fat teenage girls who have to fight evil, similar to something like Buffy. It looks cute and the actresses are very fat for TV standards, so that's awesome to see. But what I think was most interesting was reading the comments on this trailer on YouTube. It's exactly the fat hate you would expect. So perhaps there is something involving this show and the response to explore in a future podcast? Here's a link to that trailer with the awful comments: https://youtu.be/ayF1WXwKA80

could someone put the names of the writers they recommend at the end into the comments? I have a hard time hearing names correctly, and I would love to check out some of the mentioned works. (one is Mary-something I think?)

Aubrey’s glee about and timing of the audience simulator is comedy gold 🦗 🦗 🦗

Wait, but wouldn’t their “proprietary pickle juice” just be vinegar and some spices, if there are no actual pickles? Dying of laughter at this idea…

Every time i hear an ad for noom that mentions it's an award-winning app, i choose to believe that award is a grifty

I just saw a TV ad about a drug called Contrave, that is about controling your appetite. It made me think of Fen Phen & Redux and I read about it on the internet. The side effects are scary. How come TV ads for drug like this are still accepted?

I would be interested in hearing an episode on MTV's "I Used To Be Fat." There are some interesting narratives around that, which could tie into how previously-fat people treat fat people, and you could go into the culture of MTV as a whole a little bit, or touch on similar shows like "Revenge Body".

As a mom who made a million mistakes, I feel you. Good for you for putting in the work and trying to do better for your kids.

Wow you guys. Ok here I go and get personal. I took my 11 year old daughter to the doctor about a throat infection. The doctor looked at her throat and this look crossed her face (like an immediate and involuntary bowel movement) and she stopped talking about throats and went to get a BMI/Height weight chart. My daughter is now 16. She’s been terrified and refused to see the GP since. Your podcast has changed my family dynamic. As a family of 5 3 of whom would be classed as ‘overweight’ and me being an obsessive eating disorder for lifer (in my case it has kept my weight down, I’ll note, my description is accurate, I’m disordered and messed up) anyhow… after listening to one of your episodes I found my 8 year old son side eye me before taking a second serving at our dinner table, one by one I watched my children check if I’d admonish them. Every single one. Every single time. How messed up!? By goodness. So I’ve changed my language, my approach and I hope stopped at least some of the future damage I may have done. Now it’s time to (ensure my DR doesn’t bill me for the extra 5 mins it will take me to tell her of her mistake in treating my daughter and the effects) and really stand up meaningfully. Look, I’m going to ask for something. Can you do an Instagram side on what to tell your health care provider. I need stats and help (ie how little diets work, what the medical issues are when people are “doctor hesitant”* Thank you. *also I feel doctor hesitant as a play on “vaccine hesitant” is brilliant and I’m owning it. You guys are awesome. This was hard to write so I hope it’s no TLDR 🤷🏽‍♀️

Hello! I don't mean to be a downer but one of the things you recommend everyone to do was wear sunscreen. I think you should actually dig into that a little more. The institutional racism with that recommendation could be a whole episode.

Thank you for asking this, I have also been wondering what that means 😜

I have dumb question. I’ve heard Aubrey and Michael use the term “err example.” What is an “err example”? From context it sounds like maybe it means “epitome,” but I have never heard the term before that I can recall. Thanks MPers!

listening to this one again reminded me: I'd love to hear you two talk about "Productivity" as it relates to the health and wellness industry. I see lots of influencers etc. using the term productivity instead of health, wellness, weightloss... I think exploring that trend, while keeping the intersections of capitalism and the wellness industry in mind, would be super interesting!

2. When we talk about risk factors, we talk about uncontrollable (ie race, sex, genetic disposition) and controllable (smoking, diet, exercise, etc). Nobody is saying there is no independent risk, it would just be nice if we stopped considering fatness controllable. We don’t counsel black people by saying “hey you know, your risk of hypertension would be a lot lower if you were white, you should work on that” because that would be absurd but we do say “you can reduce your risk by eating less sodium.” (Also I’m assuming neither of you are smokers but trust, they get hassled about it at evvvery medical interaction, just fyi)

1. I want to know what it means to “hate electrolytes”

I would donate extra $ to help pay to have that guest speaker that was pitched to you on the show to talk about "clean electrically charged water" and have you two talk to this grifter like you believe him (but all the listeners would know we're all just laughing at him) lmao

I'd really love to hear you 2 take on Gerson Therapy.

Just joined. I have been listening to this podcast for months ( and Mike for years) and I just want to say how much I admire your analytical approach and your debunking mission!

I joined this Patreon and I'm so glad I did. I've been bulimic for 20 years and this podcast is the first thing in a long time that is shifting me to thinking recovery might be possible and that I may be able to accept my body wherever my weight lands. I'm not there yet, but I am being nudged for the first time in many years. Thank you for a supportive community ❤️

Oh my god I am know obsessed with people who pitch guests to podcasters.

Two weeks postpartum, visiting my GP for an anxiety med check. One of the first questions out of his mouth: “so how are you going to lose the baby weight?” Byeeeee!!

I have never once listened to this podcast as a fat listener and wished for more good news. In fact, this is the first time I feel my experiences being explicitly unpacked and represented in a meaningful way. I have never heard people talk about things like having hateful anti-fat things shouted at them from passing cars on the street, something I've experienced multiple times. I never get to hear from other people who grew up fat from a young age. Being fat in our society is fucking traumatic. Just hearing someone speak these things back to me lifts such a weight off my shoulders. Just hearing from another fat person eases so much of the discomfort I walk around with each day, even as someone who has done a lot of work to move past the ingrained anti-fatness we all grew up with in our culture. Thin people have a lot of catching up to do to begin to understand fat experiences. Things like this podcast bring fat people out of the shadows and out of isolation from each other.

Such a great episode! I feel like this one could be good for mainstream release too, if you ever feel comfortable doing that. Clarifies a lot about the show, which I find very helpful even as a super fan!

Aubrey’s obvious joy about the rowing machine made me smile. After reading your book, I hope you swim sometimes too — I’m a fellow fat swimmer and there’s really something amazing about the grace and freedom I feel in the water.

I would be interested in your take on the TLC shows highlighting fat people and their various approaches to losing weight or not giving a hoot about losing weight. There is My 600 lb Life, My Big Fat Fabulous Life, 1,000 lb Sisters and 1,000 lb Best Friends. The people are dieting, having surgery, dating, working out, trying to find clothing that is cute and sassy, dealing with strangers treating them poorly - it's really a grab bag.

Also personally my last encounter with a new to me health professional was an absolute shit show. I’m small fat, I work out, eat well, I don’t smoke, I watch the booze etc. - And I also have a long history of eating disorders. It in my chart. -In therapy for ED, Don’t talk about weight loss as a treatment option. - It’s the FIRST THING out of this bitch’s mouth. And I quote, “the only thing you can do about your high blood pressure is lose weight” (I have slightly high blood pressure but also white coat syndrome) me, thanks, I’m on medication I don’t wish to discuss my weight. 3 routine questions later: “still you are overweight so you should look at weight loss as an option.” Me: I have an eating disorder, I will not discuss weight loss any longer. She brought up weight loss 2 more times during the 40min appointment. I was there to discuss getting an IUD.

I’m still thinking about the doctor’s email and so many like them. Hannah talks bodies (on tiktok and Instagram) recently posted about a study that showed that on the surface larger bodies have worse health out comes - but if you account for delay in care, there was virtually no difference between health outcomes for straight sized versus fat bodies. I believe this was in relation to covid but I’ll see if I can find it.

Omggg is the company “Beauty & The Broth”..?!

The only thing I can say about people's obsession with electrolytes is that it means that Gatorade/Powerade/etc is a lot cheaper than Pedialyte, which is great for poor people with dysautomia in the middle of a bad flare. Even when you're so sick of it that you'd picket HQ with a flaming pitchfork if you could stand for long enough. It's SO BAD I HARE IT.

I love, Mike, that you hate electrolytes because I started a C25K (couch to 5K) back in august and I noticed that, particularly on days I ran, when I went to bed the muscles in my legs would do all of these microspasms in a way that was seriously annoying but not particularly painful. Dr Google suggested that the easiest explanation was an “electrolyte imbalance”, which seemed more likely than degenerative nerve conditions or brain cancer or the like. Okay, so I Google what foods are high in electrolytes: everything. Every fucking plant based thing you have ever put in your mouth, voluntarily or not, is fucking full of electrolytes and unless you’re in an Olympic level training regimen, there’s almost no chance you have sn electrolyte imbalance. That said, I now add a tiny spoon of “electrolyte powder” to a smoothie (to hide the taste) on days I run and the little spasms have stopped. Go figure.

I made the mistake of googling “Actor Beauty Broth” and now I’m getting soooo many ads. Save yourself, it’s not worth it

Aubrey’s laugh gives me life!

I would love if you would do a deep dive on Richard Bernstein/Dr Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution. I think the guy is coming from a good place but oof.. the fatphobia, some weird anti medical/technology vibes, and the recipes are hysterically bad.

I was adminining a very small eating disorder/"body positive" Facebook page. I shared an article from the Timberland Knolls website about the dangers of keto. (That's a well respected eating disorder treatment program.) And I had someone in the comments saying, "I reported you to Facebook for spreading misinformation!" - because keto is good actually? 🙄

I would LOVE for you to invite anonymous podcast available guest with expertise in SO MANY areas to the show. But I'm kind of petty that way.

I'm a little sad that only your most loyal supporters will hear the response to the doctor/biased doctors in general because that was the most on point, hitting every point I was hoping you'd hit, amazing explanation of anti-fat bias in medicine ever! I want that to play on NPR or like hack everyone's airpods and make it play on all of them simultaneously

In a sense, I’m doing exactly what I’m critiquing right now in this episode because I am pausing it half way to rant on your behalf without waiting to see if this doctor has an excuse or you address this but here it goes- this is the Internet after all- Where do you get off giving unsolicited feedback of any kind, but in particular, that which is critical or entirely dismissive of a major argument of the authors, WITHOUT ACTUALLY LISTENING to any of the work you are critiquing???? Not to mention him situating himself as a “responsible” savior inherently situates you both as irresponsible… what a dick… one of the sad things to me is that even if he had listened to your incredible episodes, I don’t think he could actually hear your beautiful nuance because of how right he already thinks he is about everything… alright, going to finish the episode now. I’m so grateful the world has you both; it really benefits from your thoughtful approach to life.

I love you guys so much. I’m so sad every time I realize I’m caught up on all of your content again. 🙃 I wanted to recommended a topic that’s kind of wild and interesting. I ran into it when we were trying to conceive our second child, it’s called gender swaying. Most of the “rules” for it are hidden in Facebook groups that you have to join to see — but it is 100% unproven, non-scientific, EXTREME diet and exercise changes that are recommended to people trying to have either a boy or a girl. It’s insane and also something I thought you guys might find interesting to deep dive. (Or shallow dive, I don’t know.)

That’s terrible, Jana. I feel like there could be an entire subcategory of content around WORST TIMES TO LECTURE PEOPLE ABOUT THEIR WEIGHT. After almost 3 days (DAYS) of labor and a baby that just would not come out, I elected to have a CSection. As I was being wheeled into surgery, the surgeon on call told me the best way to avoid another C-section in the future was to lose weight and exercise. Even in my drug addled and hormonal haze, I managed to blurt out “whuuut? Is my vagina fat?” It was so fucking absurd and such the wrong time. I feel like this podcast does a really good job of pointing out the ridiculous nature of the medical establishment and weight by making it funny, while at the same time, acknowledging how painful it is.

I've been an ICU nurse for 20 years. I recognize that some health conditions are affected by a person's weight, especially in the context of a critical illness. I'm also a fat person who suffered a severe pulmonary embolism. I was laying on a gurney in the ED literally gasping for every breath and in shock. A young physician, who was a very slim Asian woman took it upon herself to lecture me about my weight and tell all about some documentary I just had to watch on Netflix because that show "changed her relationship with food forever." Until my blood clot, I had been a very healthy fat person. On my feet for 12 hour shifts, hiking in summer and snowshoeing in winter. Stable normal lab results with my annual health checks with my primary care provider. Not only did she judge my overall health by my weight, she prioritized my weight lecture over treating my emergent life threatening condition. And her recommendation was a freaking Netflix documentary! It's not unreasonable to include weight in an overall health assessment, but it needs to be in the context of all the rest of the physical, psychological, and social factors that can affect overall health.

I would really love to get your thoughts on the concept of food addiction. The concept that certain foods are capable of engaging the neuro-biological reward system in a similar way to other addictive compounds. I'm studying it, but I feel really conflicted because I feel like I'm perpetuating anti-fat rhetoric by studying it in some ways. Then, at the same time, in my qualitative work, so many of the participants within my studies have appreciated the model because it helps to show how much the industry has really set people up to want, crave and desire their products just like the tobacco industry did... I'm so conflicted

I loved your answers for the letter about introducing anti-fat stuff to their mom because I've inadvertently gone through some of it! My mom and her side of the family are very much a Weight Watchers family (also, that was a good intro into "stuff you didn't realize would be triggering/upsetting for you because you were able to handle other episodes" for me. Whoops.). My mom's already skeptical about BMI, for one example. She was easiest to introduce about things like Snackwell's, since she saw that shift in marketing and shift away, historical things, and things that are about scientific and journalistic ethics (ok, she was a journalist, so that last one may be her specifically). She and her best friend who she talks to stuff about and therefore hears about stuff (and disagrees way harder about WW) are the hardest to shift about Weight Watchers, the thing they're most directly involved in. Except, even there, the whole sketchy business practice side of things was still something that greatly upset my mom. So yeah! Just showing them things that they don't have the weird hangups on seems like a good bet! Send them the pharmaceutical episodes, the P hacking episode (especially if they're STEM adjacent or media adjacent), the fat camps episode, the vibrators, the wellness to QAnon pipeline, those kinds of things. Or just talk to them about the episodes, if they aren't fans of podcasts or this podcasting style.

I’ve started to feel as though cosmetic surgery is a part of fad culture now. (Just a thought!). Would love your take(s) on this.

I love this podcast and the two of you as a team. There’s just not enough people talking about the B.S. we’ve all been told about weight and fitness. Its inspired me to politely push back on the nonsense people sometimes throw my way. Side-note: the change to the genus name Brontosaurus was only formalized in 2015 after a century of arguing and there are still scientists who either won’t use it or insist on putting it in quotes. The Karens of Paleontology.

Haven’t listened yet, I’m in my first bath after having my cast removed from my broken foot. My kids are outside with the hubby. I am. Here. For. This!!!!!!!

That doctor email, omg. I was feeling like doctors were getting a little better in recent years, but then of course this guy shows up. I have great respect for many people who go into medicine but omg they need to be trained differently or something. Even the good ones need to learn the difference between correlation and causation, how to communicate complex information to lay people, and that nothing in the human body works I dependently of everything else in the human body (at a minimum).

Aubrey & Michael, I love you so much! And I totally think it’s bullshit that people would try to sell just pickle juice for cramps 😹 My household’s favorite pickles are by Grillo’s Pickles, and when all the pickles are gone we keep the container of juice because in the throughs of a leg cramp, front or back, drinking pickle juice will defuse my cramp within 30 seconds. Which is a blessing to me because I usually suffer in the middle of the night, ugh. Keep up the awesomeness that is this podcast, I look forward to every, single episode!

Toxic positivity is the worst. And often comes the minute someone resists the dominant narrative. Keep talking about scary hard things. Makes me feel less alone (even as a woman who is on the larger end of straight sizes). I loved your insomnia episode, as a lifetime member of #TeamInsomnia.

I just wanna comment that I love and think about the ´wellness qanon pipeline’ ep all the time. In particular right now in Canada as I watch my essential oil stans spiral into posting more and more anti-Semitic & racist af BS.

Partway through the Belle Gibson episode and jumping in to enthusiastically second your idea of a fluoride episode.

this was so enjoyable! You guys blend no-bullshit (fuck that guy) with so much compassion, and it is wonderful to listen to!! I think the conversation about how to sway moms around health and dieting is so complicated; from experience it's like a very slow moving train and never a big sit down conversation. You're right, we need to listen and respect other people's bodily autonomy. Thank you!!

Hey Mike and Aubrey! This episode was great. :) I was just wondering if you might be considering an episode about acne treatments? As a nearly-thirty-year-old woman, I've had acne for over half my life and I've heard of every treatment under the sun. There has to be something shady going on in skincare, right? I also just wanted to say that as a woman who has always struggled to self identify as anything but "curvy" or "plus-size" that this podcast has been so amazing at undoing my own internal anti-fat biases toward myself. Legitimately, I was considering doing one of those "shake diets" in the weeks before discovering your podcast, so thank you from the very bottom of my heart ♥️

Question for the community — my partner is a medical professional, and we have a standing argument about anti-fat bias in medicine. It is our most contentious disagreement. How do I work to convince a person educated in the medical establishment who says things like “weight loss efforts work”, “health at every size is junk science on par with anti vax”. It drives me up the wall. How do you present this disagreement to a person who thinks they already know???

After listening to the Belle episode, I have come here to request a bonus episode of Aubrey talking about supervising small children for an entire hour.

Your conversation in response to the radiologist is so important i want to share it with everyone i know

So great! So hilarious! I snorted so loud in my office at the M. Night Shyamalan reference. You guys are such smartypants, and I love it!

I finally, for the first time in my life, found a family doctor that didn’t bring up my weight during my physical. They weighed me but made no comment about “how I should lose weight.” I literally had anxiety going into the appointment but left feeling so relieved that she had an actually conversation with me about how I live my life, my health, and any concerns I have. I wish everyone could have that experience too.

You were quite kind to the doctor writer, making generous and benevolent attributions that I’m sure some deserve! But, can we just talk about the confidence it takes to say, I have not actually listened to any of your content but still feel like my opinion is important enough for you to hear and spend time on? And the lack of intellectual humility required to prevent someone from stopping and thinking, hmm maybe I don’t have the whole story or any perspective and I should explore further? 🙄

Thank you Michael and Aubrey for making TWO Mariah Carey references in “illness influencer”. As a lamb I am very very happy. 😂❤️

Age is the biggest risk factor for Covid death so healthcare practitioners should be telling people to get younger!

Can we please please please talk about why a lot of physicians are forced into talking about BMI at every visit with patients and “Meaningful Use” it is literally what the government uses to track us and deem us competent providers as a core “quality measure”

This might be a silly comment for the episode, but Aubrey, what rowing machine do you have? I've been wanting to buy one for a while and would love a cheapy cheap rec!

Pickle juice is high in potassium which helps with muscle cramps 😂 My mom had gastric bypass (episode to come?) which can cause nutrient deficiency and severe muscle cramps and pickle juice was effective as hell when those bad boys would hit.

I want to make everyone I know listen to the part about that letter you got that inspired this episode.

Lol … just re-read my comment. Not pretty comma (hair toss) thin lady. Pretty (as in fairly) thin lady. 🤣

Such a great episode! I would love to see an episode about diets etc targeting the chronic illness community just an eye-watering amount of grift with a nice dollop of guilt (if you truly wanted to get better you’d try this truly expensive diet/supplement/oil/treatment). It’s bad enough for me, a pretty thin lady, but for my fat fellow sufferers, it’s a nightmare. Getting a diagnosis or treatment is difficult when you have chronic fatigue or unexplained pain. You’re just sent away and told to lose weight. And the self-experimentation in this stuff is crazy. It’s a crazy, crazy world!!

Omg my in-laws are obsessed with pickle juice and it’s supposed ability to cure muscle cramps! Luckily I don’t think they’d fall for this grift. Loved this episode!

Really good episode. I can't stop thinking about a dr recommending to a very sick person (cancer, covid, etc.) that they need to lose weight. Like....I think there are bigger issues at hand here than weight!

NIGHTMARE JUICE

I would love to hear more about how doctors and other health professionals (therapists, nutritionists) can address weight and eating constructively. What you said here was so good, and I would really love to be able to share a conversation like this with health professional friends. It’s not just about being fat — we had health professionals send my 13yo daughter with restrictive anorexia home with a meal plan she was supposed to follow. A child with an ED was expected follow a meal plan and to shop and cook for herself! They never asked us anything about how we eat in our family. They never sat down with me to come up with a plan that made sense for us. They just assumed that because she was malnourished, it was because we weren’t feeling her enough good food! I cook for the family. We always eat at least dinner together as a family. There was plenty of food she loved bed. She just couldn’t fight the voices in her head! This f’ing meal plan tore our family apart and made her ED worse in many ways. It took us weeks (and lots of help from F.E.A.S.T.’s Around The Dinner Table Forum — an amazing resource for parents) to get back to being able to cook for the family again. All they had to do was ask questions and listen and work with that information.

I’d still like to get an episode on weight and Covid.

I really loved this episode and all your bonus content 💜

I want a bonus episode about all the things you guys have like mentioned in an episode and collectively like.. audibly eye-rolled about without elaborating on. The one that come to mind first is zinc but I know there are others. Also the 3-hour rant about elon musk from mike.

I would love an episode about what a workplace wellness initiative could do right…obvi there’s a lot wrong with all of them, but are there things that could be good?

I’m still blown away by the statement about doctors recommending weight loss as a treatment, but weight loss only succeeding a small percentage of the time, and in what case would a doctor start by recommending something with such a low success rate. I never thought of weight loss in that way before (having been recommended it by multiple docs, including one who recommended I try the Blood Type diet).

This episode is too important not to be free!! If only to dunk on that doctor's email! Love y'all so much!

this episode is gold. love and totally agree with the idea to bring up the history of the BMI as an intro to shifting someone’s thinking. Christy Harrison was brilliant in starting out Anti-Diet in that way - my personal gateway out of my eating disorder into this world.

two thoughts: 1) people need to learn the phrase "concern trolling," and anytime they're about to 'but' something, pass it through the concern trolling filter and see if it still checks out. 2) I really wish this episode was public, because there are a lot of distilled nuggets in here that I feel like I have had to explain to people about this show. One of my friends has has that exact bone about it being so negative. He is the unicorn who (thus far) has benefitted from traditional wisdom about diet and exercise and hates to hear things that he has benefitted from be denigrated, even though I keep reminding him that the success rate for all interventions is vanishingly small, therefore it is almost certainly not the intervention, but something else that lead to his success.

I am moved to tears by this episode. When are these two getting their Nobel Peace Prize?

Where do I sign up for my 300 copies of The Joy of Movement?

I wish your response to the first email was a sound clip outside of Patreon that could be shared because so many health/wellness/non-fat people need to hear that message over and over and over again. Full disclosure, I have a BS in exercise science, worked in hospital based fitness, have taught a whole variety of group ex over the past 20+ years, am still working in the “alternative healthcare” world as a massage therapist, AND I live in a fat body. As a child of the 80s and a 90s trained wellness professional, I’ve worked hard to make peace with the fact that I was drawn to this work in part because of all the negative messages I constantly received during my youth about how “bad” it was to have a fat body…and by extension how bad my fat body was. Secretly I think I thought if I just learned all I could about helping others “fix” their “unhealthy” bodies, then I’d be able to permanently change mine too. I could be a living example that hard work and determination did work. That if you wanted it bad enough, your could succeed. It was war tactics for changing the body I was genetically inclined to have. Fast forward almost 25 years and guess what? Still fat. In fact, in part thanks to depression, peri menopause, and years of weight cycling and marginally disordered eating, I’m at my fattest. Still love hiking and yoga and lifting heavy things and fresh foods that fuel my activities, but can no longer shop in many common clothing retailers unless they have a plus sized section. (And I realize that as a smaller fat body, I can shop at many more places than those in larger fat bodies.) The early years of my career were constantly spent trying to force my body into a box of “acceptability” so I felt worthy of calling myself a wellness professional while HATING my body for not complying. It was so frustrating and stressful I totally stepped away from the work I love, and that I’m actually damn good at, for almost a decade. I also birthed 2 daughters and the thought of them spending their whole lives hating and wanting to change their perfectly perfect bodies angered me to the core. I love the work I have stepped back into as a massage therapist and joyful movement enthusiast committed to HAES principles and creating inclusive space for ALL bodies. I still personally struggle at times to feel some neutrality about the image of my own body even though I LOVE all the amazing things it allows me to do. I am thankful for the growing community of individuals who have come together to promote body acceptance, body autonomy, and being able to do whatever the fuck you want in whatever sized/abilitied body you happen to be living in at any given stage of life. Thanks for the work you do, and the humor you infuse, as part of that community of individuals creating change. It really does help those of us on our own journey, whether personally or professionally (or in my case both) to keep moving forward to help craft a different narrative that all bodies are good bodies. ❤️

The idea that fat justice and equity has become an early wave of change is so, so hopeful. This podcast has given me the information I needed to bolster my intrinsic self worth. Like, I walk into rooms like I own the place now. You guys are the best. I cannot even imagine the amount of research you guys are doing all of the time. But know that it is catalytic and so appreciated. But also, you two are hilarious. Your rapport with one another is so genuine and effortless and Aubrey making Michael uncomfortable with poop jokes is an endlessly hysterical.

I love you guys so much. I was trying to think of what to say to be more specific, but that encompasses the breadth and depth of it pretty well. Please keep doing what you do, I’m hooked!

I would love a discussion on the MLM Wellness companies… Beach Body, Plexus, It Works!, a million more…

That last line was everything

I would love an episode on clothing/fashion, “plus size models” and the availability (lack there of) clothing for fat people

I loved this episode so much! It touched on so many great points. I absolutely loved how they drove home that the snark is directed at institutions and not individual choices.

“grump city for the greater good” is a great phrase

I completely agree that I don't think those "what is something positive?!" emails are coming from fat people, as soon as I heard her read it my eyes rolled. We love exactly what you are doing now, and you are a very lovely show!

Ok, I love you both just the way you are. Don't change a thing, and, especially never, ever stop being snarky and mean to the wellness/diet/grifter assholes out there! Thanks, love you, bye.

Well**^^

So we’ll put on the individual advise vs the holes and misdirection of messaging around weight and health 🤍

I could listen to the two of you for-ev-er. Please never stop talking to each other about any damn thing at all and letting us listen.

Omg, my mom went on a bone broth kick this past summer and I hope she never hears anything about that MLM you guys mention 😬🚩

Thank you for answering the mom question! I’ve watched my mom struggle with her weight my entire life (as I’m sure so many of us have). I’ve brought it up several times in the wrong way so thanks for this good jumping off point!

I listened to this on the rowing machine 🤯

Not sure if this has been brought up before but I'd love to see an episode on Orange Theory Fitness. I had a weird experience there and would love to know if there's something more to look into in that company...I think it's great when someone else loves rowing machines but my experience at OTF has turned me off of them for life! Plus I think you guys would have a field day with the tech part of it, like the broadcasted calorie counts for the whole group and all that

Re: positive stuff, honestly I don't think there's enough out there to fill an episode BUT... At least plus size clothing is not as shitty, prohibitably expensive, ugly, and difficult to find as it used to be. But then I encounter a size chart that puts an XXL at a size US 12 and just NOPE. SHOPPING WHILE FAT STILL SUCKS.

I'm a physician and I have been recommending your podcast to Allllllll of my physician friends. I wish I had the ability to get your perspective (and Aubrey's book!) into medical school curriculum. You are doing good work. Thank you.

I love the idea that the spon-con emails are an inadvertent episode to-do list.

I haven’t even finished the episode, but it is SO AMAZING. Please share this episode with the general audience. I am a patron because I love these conversations, but EVERYONE needs to hear this.

After this episode, I just want to refer to you as Audry and Matt, health heroes

I would LOVE for y’all to do an episode/s about “inflammation” “gut health” and also sugar - is it actually horrible for you or just diet/purity culture? Also I recently heard about “structured water” and when I looked it up I got irrationally angry that it’s a thing that even exists, especially because the “health benefits” were the exact same as…just drinking enough water.

Something I tried with my mom, because I was worried that me jumping straight into the BMI stuff would be sussed out as an agenda: I said "oh hey, I found out that when you go to the doctor and they tell you to get on the scale, you can say no! Did you know that? I've been trying it for a couple months; it's surprisingly freeing" and she said "I had no idea." Then a couple weeks later she said "I tried it! It worked!" and I was able to segue into "isn't it weird how people talk about BMI as this all-important health metric, but you can just casually refuse to be weighed? It's like your weight isn't actually giving the doctor any valuable information! I read that BMI (etc etc)." And the fact that she had already made the choice to take an action, I think, made her feel empowered rather than lectured to or manipulated. Not that going straight to BMI is actually lecturing or manipulating, I just have a mom who can be defensive along those lines -- so if anyone else does, too, maybe this will help? In any case, this podcast is wonderful and validating and empowering and I'm glad it exists.

Gonna need to know the name of that rowing machine.

Tired: Electrified water Wired: Electrified pickle juice / bone broth cocktail

Very much agree with starting my mom on the BMI episode. Presidents physical fitness test was also indirect enough of commentary that she was able to enjoy it without feeling like I’m commanding she change through forced content absorption.

I’d love an episode on ‘manifestation’ such as to be magnetic and the ilk. Also, do things like 23 & me have any real value for our health? And what about at-home test kits: are people self doctoring or self-medicating and doing harm? Are they really useful?

1. Is it possible that some of the documented poor outcomes for fat people are actually caused by postponement/avoidance of medical care due to bias? And 2. When I was a smoker, it came up at every doctor’s appointment. So that’s not the greatest example of what Michael was trying to demonstrate. Also 3. Thank you! Love this program so much, and have learned a lot.

I would love some episodes about MLM’s! Beachbody, Kangen water, Young Living, etc!

Thought of y'all when I saw noom trending yesterday and was relived to see it was because people hate it for the right reasons

Aubrey.. your laugh gives me life ❤️

So the discussion right at the end, I studied archaeology at university and when I started as a brand new student I came from school where if it was written in a book it was true, that was the answer, that’s how you passed the test. What I discovered though that so much of what I’d been given as fact was simply “a white man said this once” and there were so many essays by archaeologists with wild and confusing conclusions based on minimal evidence, and the debate articles that followed would be so… childish? Everyone had their own agenda, they would simply ignore evidence if it didn’t fit with their stories of “ritual” and ultimately it made me feel that the academic side of the industry was a fairly awful place, and mostly consisted of fiction writers. My point is that most people go to school like I did, and were taught that if someone writes with confidence then what they say must be true, so no wonder unpicking this type of thing is so hard, you’re questioning a core structure of belief!

Honestly, this episode feels so important, I wish it were publicly available. P.S. Please don't stop talking about the bad stuff. <3

I googled so many phrases from the bone broth lady's pitch to try and find the underwater Mario chrome bike shorts picture that I'm sure I will be getting targeted ads for bone broth now

“There’s so much dystopia there” 😘🤌🏼

I love that the episode is looooong 😁😁

Someone at the stoplight next to me looked over and saw me cackling at this episode and I wished I could have telepathically sent them the link. I truly adore this show. And Mike pronouncing “ask us anything - AUA” as “ah-wuh” 😹😹😹

I find Mike's loathing of electrolytes hilarious because I have POTS and I literally need salt and electrolytes constantly to be able to exist as an upright human so they're my favourite thing ever!!

I think for me, the biggest “A-Ha!” moment that really encapsulates what Maintenance Phase means to me was in the very first episode. Aubrey shared a story of a friend who, due to living circumstances and dietary needs, relied on Hungry Jack TV dinners. That’s when I was sold on the podcast and I think that’s a key aspect of the show regarding health: shit’s complex, and only sometimes because of medical reasons, and people deserve love and support regardless.

This is fantastic. My only complaint is that this episode and the Grifties are important enough that I wish they were in the regular feed. I hope you do release them eventually to get more people here.

I’ve had really bad covid for the past two weeks, and this is the first thing that’s made me feel any sort of good since I got sick. You two are just so delightful. Thank you for being lovely.

As a scientist who cares about SciComm (and drama), I really appreciated the recs near the end of the episode, and I'm looking forward to checking those out.

The not “uplifting” episodes make me the happiest! As another user said, it validates that I’m not absolutely insane and making up what happens to me! Even the fat camp one had the most laughs for me because it’s unbelievable therapy to hear people laugh at these ridiculous weight loss methods. This podcast is unfucking my brain one Aubrey “oh fuck right off” at a time

This was great. I hope they eventually release this episode to the public. I am not fat but my mother has struggled with her weight her entire life. Time and time again she’s said she’s reluctant to go see this or that specialist because the doctor will say something like “don’t come back here until you’ve lost X pounds.” My mother constantly diets and restricts her eating but she just can’t lose enough weights to please these doctors. I know she has put off seeing certain doctors because of this issue. It makes me so angry.

Re: the comment about why physicians don’t just ask people about their histories with food and weight, it’s also because medical professionals generally don’t trust or believe patients about their own experiences, and that is x1000000 for anyone who is further stigmatized than the baseline (weight, disabilities, race, etc)

I’d love to hear you talk about mike and molly.

I’d love to hear you talk about the show Dance Moms. Also Mike & Molly.

I'll be honest, this pod is a good news pod for me because it validates that I'm not crazy and I don't deserve the treatment I've received throughout my life. And knowing how popular it's gotten, how many people are having minds changed by it, any time they discuss some new BS I'm excited to know at least some people will stop believing in it because they listened.

Please do Mikhalia Peterson and her steak only diet and rampant health misinformation on her platform.

I feel the family history struggle, I am in a larger body but certainly not at a size that receives as much criticism and scrutiny as larger bodies. I am 24 and recently went to my doctor because of some bleeding in the ~behind~ (sorry Michael!), and since my grandma died of colon cancer I was pretty keen to get it checked out. However, the first thing my doctor asked was how much weight had I lost since our last meeting and I nearly burst into tears. There was no comfort, only criticism that I wore an Aus 18 dress.

It may not be "good" news, but as a fat person, I find all of it to be uplifting. Pulling back the curtain on this shit makes me feel like I have tools to assess my world in a way that isn't all about my personal responsibility. Also, please continue to beam the word "fat" into my ears. I'm starting to refer to myself as fat and it feels good.

This was awesome. I had a doctor for like 13 years (who I had to stop seeing when my insurance changed, boo). She never brought up my weight. I asked her why once. She said, "Do you know you're fat?" Me: Yes. Doctor: Do you want to lose weight? Me: No. Doctor: Well, there we go. We talked about it.

as someone who is currently mid trying to get a slightly alarming dysautonomic thing diagnosed & has spent most of the past few months being told the only thing that will help is losing half my body weight like i had never in my life been told i was fat...whoof, this felt vindicating

History of gastric bypass surgery and it’s awful post surgery statics. Would also love some exposure of why so many doctors push it ($) how many people get it a year and what if any psychological evals patients need to go through to get the green light

I have a bachelors degree in science, that being said what bothers me to most is the doctors assuming that fat people are unhealthy!!! The first thing that you are taught as a scientist is that correlation is not causation!!! On a side note I had the most awesome statistics professor who on day one told us statistics are bullshit and you can make data prove any point you want just using different statistical analysis models.

I would start by sending friends the Angela landsbury episode. They will fall in love and want more. Then BMI. Then maybe Snackwells. Or you could start with Rachel Hollis parts 1&2! I’m going to pretend like I’m contributing to the workshopping.

I really need to know which rowing machine you recommend; I want one for all those reasons but I need it to hold my weight!

Would you ever consider doing an episode detailing ways to navigate health care spaces and tips for self advocacy? I was re-listening to previous episodes and I know in the first episode around 15:57 you mention a great rule of thumb you've picked up on is if your doctor always slips in mentioning weight loss as part of your treatment for every visit, that means they're generally very ill equipped to provide you competent care because their biases against weight are so front and center. I was wondering if you have more tips on navigating that and if you could compile them for either a Patreon post or a bonus episode. Another great one Michael brought up was that he didn't even want to be weighed during one of his check ups and was prepared to fight on it- I really love that energy and would love to hear what he would have said in that situation if they had given him flack for it and what Aubrey would have to say, maybe theorizing or having some ideas/experiences of the difficulties of trying to advocate in that manner AS a fat person. (Because as Michael said, they didn't give him any fuss over it, but as a fat person, the experience would be different) and just ideas on how to approach that, what to bring with you (if that would help) and how to go about getting help/who to contact if you still aren't getting the help or care you need. I understand tho if that is asking too much, but even just giving a general talk on it and pointing us in the direction of advocates to follow up with who have talked about it and can offer good insights would be really lovely. (I love your book list on your website, Aubrey!! I'm slowly working my way through it now!) Thank you for all you do, you've really helped me have the means to start actually advocating for myself more and standing up against anti-fat rhetoric and your work is invaluable!

I had a crap day & my family sent me into a homicidal rage and your laugh, Aubrey, made it all better. Apparently it works even if you are not the one laughing ❤️ Love you guys

I am deeply frustrated by that doctor's comment that they would be irresponsible not to tell people that their risks would go down if they lost weight. The data that says obesity is a risk factor can't tell you what the risks look like for people who used to be fat but aren't anymore, unless those people were actually looked at as a separate group. Which they weren't, because there aren't enough people who have gone from being fat to being not fat to do that. It is an assumption that formerly fat people would be physiologically just like people who have never been fat, but that is not something that has been empirically proven.

The Dr. who sent in that note made it clear he’s not the type of person to first ask a few questions to establish context when he decided to write into a podcast without first putting in the effort to listen to some of that podcast to gain context for what you said on NPR. And it’s bizarre that he’s self-aware and admits that his not having listened to the podcast might be skewing his perception of your thesis? Like my man, you’re skipping a few steps and clearly know it, at this point how are we supposed to interpret your message as anything other than “I believe my job is not to improve health, but rather to be an arbiter of morality for things that fall even tangentially in the scope of my profession.”

marry me, aubrey (for your health)

Aubrey’s “brosef” voice at “are you against people improving themselves?!” in response to the apple app tweet had me chortling hard.

I really loved the part about it being unethical to recommend something that has a single digit success rate as a health professional. Definitely keeping that in my back pocket for the next time anyone recommends weight loss to me!

I really liked your suggestion to start with BMI! I just did a unit with my elementary school students on "myths about health" (aka me indoctrinating them into fat liberation) and because my kids get really riled up about anything around racial inequity, they really liked scoffing at the origins of the BMI! I've also used some of your info from Katherine Flegal in talking to my own parents.

I’m also very much looking forward to Michael’s Noom episode!

Pop Culture Happy Hour just did an episode about Peloton and I’d love your views as a companion/comparison piece to their takes.

I'm a brand new patron, been listening to the show for a while and I love it. I recently read Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia by Sabrina Strings and it was super informative, I would love to hear y'all talk about that intersection.

I would love a deep dive on Michael Pollan. He’s dripping with accolades and cis-het white male privilage.

Thoughts on an episode on 600 lb life / 1000 lb sisters

The doctor who said that being fat is a risk factor for some cancers—why not treat that like any other risk factor (eg a particular genetic marker) and do more screenings etc. rather than offer advice that is almost impossible to follow

But what ARE the four secrets to good teeth? 🤔🤔🤔

I hope you all invite on the all-purpose Grifter [Name Redacted] to talk about “the four secrets to healthy teeth” - somehow that specific topic suggestion just cracked me up! And be sure to ask how they became a healthcare hero.

I just thought I’d ad that I have no idea how I found your podcast, but I’ve turned my eating disorder therapist and my nutritionist onto your podcast and they absolutely love it.

Just here to say I LOVE ROWING!!

Love this! Thank you! I'd love a show on the ableism/anti-fat bias entrenched in the media Covid communication.

There's a park near me that has a free outdoor gym right next to the playground and there's a rowing machine. The kids love it but they especially love the step machine.

Mike - your point about listening is so so so true with doctors and patients. Follow up thought…. Even the doctors trained to listen are also trained that patients lie. And that humans are bad at reporting our own behavior. Sorry to pile on to the layers, but it’s actually so much more than asking and listening… but trust. And again there are so many biases that come into play about who we are trained to “trust”

To the doctor that send that follow up email to your NPR interview: take them at their word, send them the episode “is being fat bad for you” first, and I’ll gladly pay their $6/month to listen to this episode!

i wish this episode was titled "i fat all along"

Cosigning everyone requesting that you post all or part of this as a regular episode! I'd especially love it if you posted the first letter (clarifying your overall message) and the doctor's letter -- maybe as mini-sodes?

I wonder what kind of mail the devil gets in his 666 mailbox LOL (in the image for this podcast)

I need to see this chrome bone broth lady

I’m only partly through listening to the episode, but something struck me about the letter from the doctor who thinks it’s irresponsible not to tell his patients to lose weight. My question to him would be this: what are other risk factors? Are there any your patients could actually change? Because in my experience doctors tend to stop there. Almost as if they have unloaded all responsibilities onto their patient and, from this point on, aren’t interested in us as people. They only consider how we look.

Y'all can still do an "AMA" Ask Mike and Aubrey

This is a bit unrelated but I would be really interested to hear y'alls thoughts on Abbey Sharp, the Youtube dietician who reviews influencers' wellness and diet videos. She does "gentle nutrition" and I generally agree with her videos but I think there's a decent amount to unpack about her approach!

Audrey (sic) and Mike are the good news about Wellness!

Loved this one so much! I want a sticker that says "fuck your problematic doctor" 🤣

idk who the grifter is but my [toxic] mother definitely listens to them🤣🤣🤣

I love this podcast so much. I publicly broke up with dieting about 10 years ago after approximately 20-something years of diets and disorders and what not. In the years since diets and I broke up, I have likely tried every wellness fad disguised as a diet out there, including Noom and other “lifestyle changes.” I love the compassion and understanding you have for people that struggle to get off this wagon. Regardless of topic, that comes through. To have empathy and be funny AF is a gift- you guys are the good news.

You are the good news. This podcast is the good news. You're talking about these things regularly, consistently and in an informative, interrogative way.

2nd year med student here who was fat-shamed out of going to the doctor as a kid 🙋🏼‍♀️ i’m still fat now & hope to be part of fixing the stigma in the medical community

Not done listening to your episode, but I just wanted to pause when you're reading the email about talking about positive stuff. As a fat person who's been fat my whole life pretty much, sometimes it's really hard to listen to your podcast since it is so much hard stuff and it can be really triggering for me. It's all super important to hear about and talk about. And again, I truly love your podcast. But I'm wondering if you could have an episode once in awhile with fat activists sharing their stories and sharing how they advocate for fat people. While I know that's different than your current stuff and that it would still be hard to hear, I think it would be uplifting in some ways. Like yes, being fat in our society sucks, but here's this activist that's trying to make it better and here's some things you can do to advocate. Just wanted to add my 2 cents! ☺️

i like bone broth. it is tasty. but i make it myself.

I'm curious if the book Michael mentioned at the end was the new Johann Hari book about waning attention spans. I just got it yesterday. I've got all 3 of his books but also gave up reading all 3 because his explanations seem overly simplistic and platitude-y.

Can you please tell the grifter with publicist that I have a podcast? Because I absolutely need to spend a solid hour taking to someone about how you restructure water. Also, in my long list of way too many pods, you guys get listened to the day of every time. Love the show. Seriously, I need to know how to restructure water.

I love how doctors are like “but I gotta mention their weight” when it’s like “yes, but does that follow the *first do no harm* model?” Doctors be like golem to the ring when it comes to telling fat ppl to lose weight. My precious cut the soda pamphlet. 💍

There’s one small area where I think y’all are fairly off base in this episode, and I offer this only because I think these comments were off the cuff and not as thoughtful as I generally see from you. It is simply not true that people with substance use disorders (smokers, people who drink, people addicted to any kind of prescription or non-prescription drugs) avoid shaming at the doctor, even for non-related issues. Doctors tell people with substance use issues to “just quit” ALL THE TIME with little to no interrogation into their past efforts etc. In my experience it’s actually very similar to the treatment of fat people and just as intractable and absurd a suggestion. But yeah, if you’re a smoker in a car accident, you absolutely will get lectured about your smoking. Also, would LOVE an episode on fat stigma and prenatal/maternal health.

Why is this a bonus episode and not in the feed! You could point the doctor who emailed Mike to listen to this episode!!! 😂

I just want them to invite on one of those grifters that emails them to do a debunking at them in real time.

I would love to see an episode on deodorant/anti-perspirant and the trend of "natural deodorant."

I died at the M. Night Shyamalan twist comment 🤣🤣🤣

Yes to diet culture taking different forms today! I am so tired of opening the New York Times app to read NEWS and they now always have diet and exercise articles on that home page.

In my experience, MALE doctors are especially problematic. I had lost 20+lbs in the span of a few months from acid reflux related issues. My Male GI doctor recommended the following after my endoscopy: keep taking medications to "manage symptoms", & lose weight. One episode I would be interested to hear about is on healing the gut. I have seen more and more talk of "gut healing" recently and it all gives me bad vibes/diet culture/woo woo fake science. Where did it come from? Is there any real research behind it? Lord knows I'm desperate to fix my stomach issues without continually taking expensive medications for the rest of my life, but I cannot get over how ridiculous "healing the gut" sounds, no matter how many people boast of its supposed benefits.

Okay but I need to know what rowing machine, because like all at-home gym shit has weight limits of like ~250lbs :(

Oh my word I’d love you to have that guy on the show and then just throw all his bs back at him 😂

Wrt the mom question: I got my mom on board through the P-Hacking Brian Wansink episode! It was a good entry point for her bc it was about problematic research and not directly about weight. She also LOVED the Angela Lansbury ep! I got her a used copy of the book; she was so excited to read it and now follows Angela's stretching routine. Since then, she's listened to a lot more episodes, and her perspective has definitely evolved; for the first time in my life, she isn't trying to lose weight or beating herself up for not being able to do so despite having a very healthy diet. It's been great to see her slowly come around to the stuff y'all talk about.

I adore Maintenance Phase and I am always delighted when a bonus episode comes out. Listening to this podcast has been incredibly validating to me in ways I didn't realize I needed until I had it. I hope there is a preponderance of positive feedback compared to people reaching out to criticize the amazing stuff Aubrey and Michael are doing with this.

Here’s a possible topic for a “good news” topic (from a fat person)- a lot more nutritionists are looking at how constant dieting wreck your hormones and that *more dieting* is not the way to get healthy. Eating enough consistently is, and paying attention to your body having the right micro and macros. Given that my literal hormone doctor is like “only eat vegetables and chicken breast! I’m a middle aged man!” this feels like a huge deal that at least some people are pushing back on “losing weight is always the answer” and are paying attention to the negative consequences of constant restriction. Imagine.

As a Registered Dietitian, I have soooooooooooo many questions for the Oncology Dr who listen to NPR and then wrote in. Why are they seeing patients prior to cancer? So are they telling pts who currently have cancer that they should've lost weight to prevent cancer?? The person's weight does not specify their diet. You can eat all the wonderful veggies in the world, be fat or skinny, and still get cancer. The best thing your work has reminded me is that correlation is not causation. And we jump to that conclusion WAY too quickly.

DROP THE LINK TO THE MACHINE AUBREY

Aubrey makes me want a rowing machine now! I always loved rowing exercise so much when I was younger. Maybe I could save up for a secondhand one. I don't want to drive my neighbours nuts by trying to use a wheelie cart.

“How do you have a mom who has a body” got me good. Y’all are speaking directly to me

I'm also an epidemiologist (PhD infectious disease epidemiologist). I disagree with the 'epidemiologist' who complained in this episode. WOW are they wrong on both COVID and cancer. I bet they also think drinking alcohol in the 80s is a confirmed direct causative risk factor for lung cancer.... sigh.

A deep dive into Dr. Gundry and the plant paradox. His books and plan really messed me up - super restrictive and there's elements of intermittent fasting, expensive supplements (that he sells) and I think is Dr Oz adjacent.

Aubrey, PLEASE link your rowing machine. I have such a hard time finding affordable workout machines that don't of a weight limit of 200lbs 🙄

I'd love to hear a crossover episode with Sydnee from the Sawbones podcast someday, bonus or otherwise

That All Things Considered repeat is how I found this show!

Can't wait! Except for darn job getting in the way of not being able to listen to later. Lol

Love you guys ❤️

Idk if you've gotten this request before, but I'm desperate for you to do an intermittent fasting episode! I have friends that need to know it's dangerous and I messed up my metabolism bad when I tried it. I'd love a deep dive of where it came from and why it has long term bad effects!

Oh I am so here for the roasting

I recently saw a series of social media comments talking about red flags in the call her daddy podcast and barstool podcasts in general. Figured I'd comment here to see if you are willing to do the deep dive. Thanks 💜

I'm feeling PERT AF today.

I'd love to hear a Diet Soda episode! I love the stuff, but everyone I know says it's killing me.

Oh, thank god. Thanks Aubrey and Mike for saving my night. Hope you're well! Hugs from Sweden

This is exactly what I needed to help me get of bed this morning. Bless

Can’t wait to listen!!!