The internet gets weird investigating the "disappearance" of America's gay best friend. Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Watch Aubrey’s documentary in AU & NZ, or watch it at home anywhere else! Buy Aubrey's book Listen to Mike's other podcast Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Links! Richard Simmons Show Richard Simmons, t…

Before building his fitness empire, America’s most bedazzled fitness guru was a guy named Milton from New Orleans. Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Watch Aubrey’s documentary in AU & NZ, or watch it at home anywhere else! Buy Aubrey's book Listen to Mike's other podcast Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Links! Still Hungry…

How a mother, a daughter and a crackpot Swiss psychologist gave us the world's most popular Buzzfeed quiz. Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Watch Aubrey's documentary Buy Aubrey's book Listen to Mike's other podcast Links! The Personality Brokers by Merve Emre Myers Briggs…

We went a little easy on the Cass Report in our last main feed episode, so we're back to [Mortal Kombat voice] FINISH HIM!!! This was supposed to be a Patreon bonus episode but we'd rather you support the lovely trans people who helped us with the research and fact-checking of this episode! Julia Serano: https://www.patreon.com/juliaserano Parker M…

Thanks to Jules Gill-Peterson (jgillpeterson.com) and Julia Serano (patreon.com/juliaserano) for help researching this episode and Evan Urquhart, Parker Molloy and Katelyn Burns for fact-checking! Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Watch Aubrey's documentary Buy Aubrey's boo…

Thanks to Jules Gill-Peterson (jgillpeterson.com) and Julia Serano (patreon.com/juliaserano) for help researching this episode and Evan Urquhart and Parker Molloy for fact-checking! Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Watch Aubrey's documentary Buy Aubrey's book Listen to Mik…

In the 2000s, Jamie Oliver made a big splash with his work reforming kids’ meals in the UK and US. Was his work wicked slammin’, or just proper rustic? 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! BBC Profile - Jamie Oliver Jamie…

What was missing from America's pandemic response? According to the internet, a sunshine vitamin, a malaria treatment and a whole lot of horse paste. Thanks to Health Nerd (Substack) for helping us fact-check this episode! And thanks to Abby Mahler (Twitter, Tiktok) for help with the research on hydroxychloroquine! Support us: Hear bonus episodes o…

Ozempic is being hailed as “the end of the Obesity Epidemic.” This week, Mike and Aubrey dig through the sensational claims. But will they make it past the caveats? Links: How a Canadian scientist and a venomous lizard helped pave the way for Ozempic The Discovery and Development of Liraglutide and Semaglutide Ozempic and Wegovy maker courts promin…

How a plant-based pejorative went from an alt-right burn to a core concern of mainstream Republicans. 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! Joe Explains the Term "Soy Boy" to Donnell Rawlings Alex Jones Gay Bomb Rant Soybo…

Join us for a 75 minute answer to a 5 word question: Is there mercury in vaccines? 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! Paul Offit’s “Autism's False Prophets” Peter Hotez’s “The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science” Seth Mnookin’s…

A political candidate has some questions and we have some extremely obvious answers. 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! Eric Garcia’s “We’re Not Broken” Mike and Sarah’s episode on autism and the anti-vaxx movement Seth…

Somehow an episode about an old-timey fitness influencer ended up being one of our most wholesome ever. We're as surprised as you are. 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! Pilates and the “powerhouse" Sick Architecture - …

How a fitness influencer went from small-time scammer to one of the Internet’s leading villains. 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! THIS IS DISTURBING goodbye for now… How Dallas-area influencer Brittany Dawn found hers…

We're taking a much-needed break this week so to tide you over here is one of our bonus episodes! 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 Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song! Support the show…

The closing argument of our two-part Oprahsode starts in a Texas courtroom, wanders through some British slaughterhouses and ends with an emu. 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! "How the Cows Turned Mad" by Maxime Schwa…

On April 16, 1996, Oprah Winfrey did a show about mad cow disease. Six weeks later, a couple of Texas cattlemen had a cow (sorry). 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! Original Lawsuit Appeal How Oprah Got Sued for Dissin…

This week we're digging into the weird history of an omnipresent fitness goal. Episode comes free with a happy meal. 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! 10,000 Steps: A Brief History Do We Really Need to Take 10,000 Step…

This week we're tackling three big ideas about sugar: It causes hyperactivity in kids, it's as addictive as cocaine and it raises blood sugar in universal, predictably spiky ways. Thanks to David Johnston for helping us with sources for this week’s episode! Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase T-shirts, …

A viral documentary says a "whole foods plant-based diet" will prevent heart disease and cure cancer. But once we look into the MEAT of the matter will we find factual CREAM of the crop or will we cry FOWL? (we're so sorry) Thanks to Katherine Flegal for helping Mike with this episode! Support us: Hear bonus episodes on Patreon Donate on PayPal Get…

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…

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…

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…

“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…

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…

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…

"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…

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

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…

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…

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…

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 …