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Maintenance Phase

Health & Wellness Podcasts

Debunking the junk science behind health fads, wellness scams and nonsensical nutrition advice.

Location:

United States

Description:

Debunking the junk science behind health fads, wellness scams and nonsensical nutrition advice.

Language:

English


Episodes

COVID Conspiracies

3/7/2024
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 on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastLinks: How Musk Sold MAGA on HCQProminent Anti-Vaxxer’s Snake Oil Store Has a Propaganda OutletNine COVID-19 Myths That Just Won’t Go AwayDisinformation and coronavirusCOVID-19 Conspiracy Theories Discussion on TwitterPain in the NationAre patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus at increased risk for COVID-19 infection?Conspiracy theories as barriers to controlling the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S.Vaccines vs. vitamins: COVID misinformation roils the worlds of wellness and nutritionA Decisive Verdict on Vitamin D SupplementationWhy were Twitter Users Obsessed with Vitamin D during the first year of the pandemic?Vitamin D, the Sunshine Supplement, Has Shadowy Money Behind ItThe Truth about Vitamin D and COVID-19The Strange and Twisted Tale of HydroxychloroquineIs Ivermectin for Covid-19 Based on Fraudulent Research?Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song! Support the show

Duration:01:27:39

Ozempic

10/10/2023
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 OzempicThe Discovery and Development of Liraglutide and SemaglutideOzempic and Wegovy maker courts prominent Black leaders to get Medicare's favorInsurers clamping down on doctors who prescribe Ozempic for weight lossOzempic prescriptions can be easy to get online. Its popularity for weight loss is hurting those who need it mostGlucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in patients with type 2 diabetes: real-world evidence from a Mediterranean areaSemaglutide in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction and ObesityReal-world weight change, adherence, and discontinuation among patients with type 2 diabetes initiating glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in the UKSafety of SemaglutideSemaglutide for the treatment of overweight and obesity: A reviewOnce-Weekly Semaglutide in Adolescents with ObesitySemaglutide 2.4 mg for the Treatment of Obesity: Key Elements of the STEP Trials 1 to 5Association of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Use With Risk of Gallbladder and Biliary DiseasesReal-World Adherence and Discontinuation of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists Therapy in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients in the United StatesMedications and conditions associated with weight loss in patients prescribed semaglutide based on real-world dataThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song! Support the show

Duration:00:58:21

"Soy Boys"

9/12/2023
How a plant-based pejorative went from an alt-right burn to a core concern of mainstream Republicans. Support us: Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastLinks! Joe Explains the Term "Soy Boy" to Donnell RawlingsAlex Jones Gay Bomb RantSoyboys and Sensitivity: Mocking Meat Avoidance from Punch to TwitterHow the alt-right uses milk to promote white supremacyMen's Health 2009 pieceNeither soy nor isoflavone intake affects male reproductive hormonesA Brief History of Conservatives Using Tofu-Eating as an InsultThe Soy ConspiracyAlex Jones’ Protegé, Paul Joseph Watson, Is About to Steal His Crackpot CrownWhy Men Think Plant-Based Meat Will Turn Them Into WomenStangle: Impossible burgers are made of what?Plant-based meat and the knock-down, drag-out fight for the American dietWhy Republicans Can’t Stop Talking About MasculinityReal American men and the liberal war on meat“The Great Replacement:” An ExplainerThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song! Support the show

Duration:00:44:06

RFK Jr. and The Mainstreaming Of The Anti-Vaxx Movement

8/1/2023
Join us for a 75 minute answer to a 5 word question: Is there mercury in vaccines? Support us: Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastLinks! Paul Offit’s “Autism's False Prophets”Peter Hotez’s “The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science”Seth Mnookin’s “The Panic Virus”Jonathan M. Berman’s “Anti-vaxxers: How to Challenge a Misinformed Movement”Steve Silberman’s “Neurotribes”Transcript of the Simpsonwood meetingA Kennedy’s Crusade Against Covid Vaccines Anguishes Family and FriendsImmunizations and Autism: A Review of the LiteratureCDC Studies on Thimerosal in VaccinesRFK Jr’s 2005 article on mercury and vaccinesRFK Jr.’s Inside JobVast Majority of Americans Say Benefits of Childhood Vaccines Outweigh RisksCorrecting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.When Vaccine Injury Claims Go to CourtVaccine Compensation Hearing DecisionThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song! Support the show

Duration:01:13:53

RFK Jr. and The Rise of the Anti-Vaxx Movement

7/18/2023
A political candidate has some questions and we have some extremely obvious answers. Support us: Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastLinks! Eric Garcia’s “We’re Not Broken”Mike and Sarah’s episode on autism and the anti-vaxx movementSeth Mnookin’s “The Panic Virus”Jonathan M. Berman’s “Anti-vaxxers: How to Challenge a Misinformed Movement”Brian Deer’s “The Doctor Who Fooled the World”Paul Offit’s “Autism's False Prophets”Steve Silberman’s “Neurotribes”Peter Hotez’s “The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science”Behind The Bastards episode on smallpox anti-vaxxersRFK Jr.’s Inside Job The Conspiracy CandidateDavid Pitts's "Jack and Lem”RFK Jr.’s autobiographyImmunizations and Autism: A Review of the LiteratureWakefield’s article linking MMR vaccine and autism was fraudulentCorrecting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vaccine ‘facts’Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song! Support the show

Duration:01:14:30

Pilates

7/4/2023
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 PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastLinks! Pilates and the “powerhouse"Sick Architecture - Ibiayi Briggs - Body Culture and ContrologyWorld War One: Internment centre 'will unlock' family talesThe Acrobatic Immigrant Who Invented Pilates in a Prisoner of War CampThe exercise phenomenon born in a prisoner-of-war campHistory of PilatesAn Introduction to Clinical PilatesThe Fight for the Soul of PilatesDid you know Pilates was born in prison and inspired by cats?Inside The Shocking (Black) History Of PilatesThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song! Support the show

Duration:00:44:59

Brittany Dawn

6/20/2023
How a fitness influencer went from small-time scammer to one of the Internet’s leading villains. Support us: Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcast Links! THIS IS DISTURBINGgoodbye for now…How Dallas-area influencer Brittany Dawn found herself at the mercy of social media's double-edged swordConversations with the Inspiring Brittany DawnInfluencer Asks Customers to Sign NDA Before RefundBrittany Dawn's archived apology videoInfluencer Called 'Scammer' for Not Providing Coaching‘You can’t cancel me’: embattled TikTok star reinvents herself as a warrior for JesusHere’s what to know about the lawsuit against Texas influencer Brittany DawnFollowers Of Christian Influencer Brittany Dawn Said They Are Angry That She Pivoted To Religion To Avoid ScrutinyFitness gurus and 'muscular Christianity': how Victorian Britain anticipated today's keep fit crazeThe Fitness-Driven Church | Christianity TodayChristian influencer Brittany Dawn defends her foster parent journey amid criticism of her past, monetized baby postsPolice Brutality Against Black Kansas City Man Caught on VideoBrittany Dawn Fitness LLCThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song! Support the show

Duration:01:01:08

BONUS: The Conservative Diet Books of Yore

6/6/2023
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 PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song! Support the show

Duration:00:56:17

Oprah v. Beef Part 2: Apocalypse Cow

5/23/2023
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 PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastLinks! "How the Cows Turned Mad" by Maxime Schwartz“Deadly Feasts” by Richard Rhodes "Mad Cow USA"UK Parliamentary inquiryHow The West Was Won OverTexas Cattle Feeders v. Oprah Winfrey: The First Major Test of the “Veggie Libel Law”Having a Cow: Reactions To "Veggie Libel" Laws and the Oprah TrialsThe Unconstitutionality Of Iowa's Proposed Agricultural Food Products Act And Similar Veggie Libel LawsAppealOriginal LawsuitFood Safety Vs. Promotion Of Industry: Can The USDA Protect Americans From Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy?Apocalypse CowHarvard Risk Assessment of Bovine Spongiform EncephalopathyMad Cow congressional hearingGAO reportThe Harvard Risk AssessmentThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song! Support the show

Duration:01:08:01

Oprah v. Beef Part 1: The Rise of "Veggie Libel"

5/9/2023
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 PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastLinks! Original LawsuitAppealHow Oprah Got Sued for Dissing a BurgerTwo Degrees of Speech Protection Texas Cattle Feeders v. Oprah Winfrey: The First Major Test of the “Veggie Libel Law”Having a Cow: Reactions To "Veggie Libel" Laws and the Oprah TrialsHoward Lyman talkThe Unconstitutionality Of Iowa's Proposed Agricultural Food Products Act And Similar Veggie Libel LawsHow the Cows Turned MadFood Safety Vs. Promotion Of Industry: Can The USDA Protect Americans From Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy?Apocalypse CowGAO reportA is for Apple, Alar, and ... Alarmist?Alar Five Years LaterAuvil v. CBS 60 MinutesAlar and Apples: Newspaper Coverage of a Major Risk Issue.Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song! Support the show

Duration:01:03:40

The 10,000 Steps Myth

4/25/2023
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 PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastLinks! 10,000 Steps: A Brief HistoryDo We Really Need to Take 10,000 Steps a Day for Our Health?A Japanese first-mover in the fitness wearables raceCounting Every Step You TakeWhen does wearing a fitness tracker do more harm than good?McDonald's Enlists Trainer To Help Sell Its New MealGet happy with McDonald's Go Active Happy Meal for adultsMcDonald's StepometerMcDonald's pushing salads and pedometersThe fight for healthier McDonald's Happy MealsStep-It Canadian TV adMcDonald's serves up Happy Meals for grow-upsMcDonald's removes fitness tracker from Happy MealsA Very Serious Review of McDonald’s Flesh-Burning Fitness TrackerMcDonald’s quietly ended controversial program that was making parents and teachers uncomfortableWatch your step: why the 10,000 daily goal is built on bad scienceWhen does wearing a fitness tracker do more harm than good?Why Counting Your Steps Could Make You UnhappierHow many steps are enough? Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song! Support the show

Duration:00:49:07

The Trouble with Sugar

4/11/2023
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 PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcast Links! Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture by Virginia Sole SmithSugar Rush: Science, Politics and the Demonisation of Fatness by Karen ThrosbyIs sugar really as addictive as cocaine? Scientists row over effect on body and brainSugar Is Not the EnemyDr. Benjamin F. Feingold, Controversial PediatricianIs There Such a Thing as a ‘Sugar High’?Effects of Diets High in Sucrose or Aspartame on The Behavior and Cognitive Performance of ChildrenSugar and the Hyperactive ChildSome popular diets are based on this carb-rating scale. Here’s why it could be misleading.Glycemic Index: History and Clinical ApplicationGlycemic Index and Glycemic Load Low glycaemic index or low glycaemic load diets for overweight and obesityWhat is the glycaemic indexDon't Play a Numbers Game, Experts Say, Just Eat Your VegetablesSugar addiction: the state of the scienceThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song! Support the show

Duration:00:49:21

"Forks Over Knives": Is a Vegetarian Diet Better For You?

3/28/2023
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 PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastLinks! Health effects associated with consumption of unprocessed red meat: a Burden of Proof studyUnprocessed Red Meat and Processed Meat Consumption: Dietary Guideline Recommendations From the Nutritional Recommendations (NutriRECS) ConsortiumPresent status of the aflatoxin situation in the PhilippinesThe role of natural consequences in the changing death patternsDietary Protein and Amino Acids in Vegetarian Diets—A ReviewQuality of Plant-Based Diet and Risk of Total, Ischemic, and Hemorrhagic StrokeParachute use to prevent death and major trauma when jumping from aircraft: randomized controlled trialDo We Really Know What Makes Us Healthy?Observational evidence does not necessarily imply causationThe Problem with Observational Studies (Epidemiology)Vegetarian Diet Patterns and Chronic Disease Risk: What We Know and What We Don’tThe rise, the fall and the renaissance of vitamin EThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song! Support the show

Duration:01:02:33

The Instagram Fiber Feud

3/14/2023
Aubrey tells Mike about the diet that took over New York City (and its bathrooms). Support us: Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastLinks! F-Factor drama timelineWhat Is the F-Factor Diet, and Is it Safe?Tanya Zuckerbrot Sets a Weight-Loss ExampleWhat Is the F-Factor Diet? Here’s What You Need to KnowF-Factor Under Fire After TONS Of Women Come ForwardTanya Zuckerbrot and an Instagram Crusade Against the F-Factor DietDietary fiber and health outcomes: an umbrella reviewClosing America’s Fiber Intake GapF-Factor has sent legal threats and deleted Instagram commentsF-Factor Diet Allegations: What Dietitians Want You To KnowCorrecting the RecordUnpacking the F-Factor Diet DramaInsider rundown of symptoms Tanya Zuckerbrot addresses health concernsInsider rundown of workplace issues Tanya Zuckerbrot Files Lawsuit Over F-Factor Diet Criticism on InstagramTanya Zuckerbrot sues Emily Gellis in new defamation suitIn a Lawsuit, Eight Women Claim the F-Factor Diet Made Them SickSubmit concerns to F-FactorThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song! Support the show

Duration:00:46:36

Doctors Have a New Plan for Fat Kids

2/28/2023
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 PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's new bookListen to Mike's new podcastLinks! The 2023 American Academy of Pediatrics GuidelinesThe 2007 guidelinesPros and cons of bariatric surgery in adolescentsSerious Issues With the American Academy of Pediatrics Guidelines For Higher-Weight Children and AdolescentsSemaglutide treatment for obesity in teenagers: a plain language summary of the STEP TEENS research studyPatients’ views of long-term results of bariatric surgery for super-obesity: sustained effects, but continuing strugglesLong-Term Outcomes After Bariatric SurgerySuicidal thoughts and behaviors in adolescents who underwent bariatric surgerySupport the show

Duration:01:14:25

Elizabeth Taylor's "Elizabeth Takes Off"

2/14/2023
History should make you feel weird and so, apparently, should diet books. Support us: Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's new bookListen to Mike's new podcast Links! Elizabeth Takes OffElizabeth: The Life of Elizabeth TaylorElizabeth Taylor: Diet Tips on How to Become a Size 6Just Look at Her NowElizabeth Taylor: Born to the PurpleElizabeth Taylor: The Lost InterviewElizabeth Taylor’s Glorious ExcessElizabeth Taylor’s Astonishing Health HistoryElizabeth Taylor’s Cook Not To Blame Support the show

Duration:00:58:17

“Glorifying Obesity” And Other Myths About Fat People

1/3/2023
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 PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's new bookListen to Mike's new podcastPreorder Aubrey's book at your favorite bookstore or here: Bookshop.orgPowell's BooksBlackstone BooksBlack Pearl BooksAmazonBarnes & NobleBook DepositoryAudibleLibro.fmSupport the show

Duration:00:49:46

Workplace Wellness

12/20/2022
Charging disabled people more for health care is illegal. But what about ... charging non-disabled people less? Support us: Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's new bookListen to Mike's new podcast Links! A Review of the U.S. Workplace Wellness Market"Wellness" Based Healthcare is a Scam2013 Rand ReportWorkplace Wellness Produces No SavingsWorkplace Wellbeing Is a ScamEmployers should disband employee weight control programsUsing Incentives in Workplace Wellness ProgramsCoerced into HealthCurrent Trends in Reducing Cardiovascular Risk Factors in the USThe effectiveness of worksite nutrition and physical activity interventions for controlling employee overweightManaging Manifest Diseases, But Not Health Risks, Saved PepsiCo Money Over Seven YearsThe Dubious Empirical and Legal Foundations of Workplace Wellness ProgramsToward A Critical Theory of Corporate WellnessThe development and growth of employer-provided health insuranceThe Ideological Construction Of RiskWellness Incentives In The WorkplaceA Fatter Butt Equals a Skinnier WalletThe Outcomes, Economics, and Ethics of the Workplace Wellness IndustryWhat’s Bad about Wellness? Support the show

Duration:01:12:32

The Food Pyramid

11/15/2022
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 PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's new bookListen to Mike's new podcast Links! Anna-Britt AgnsäterRounding Out the Food PyramidFood Lobbies, The Food Pyramid, and US Nutrition PolicyThe Fattening: Reassessing The Food PyramidCatering to Cows and ConsumersUS Drops New Food ChartAre Cattlemen Now Guarding the Hen House?Testing of the Food Pyramid Comes Full CircleTopping the Food PyramidFood Pyramid Replaced By 'MyPlate'Is The Food Pyramid Obsolete?Coca-Cola Funds Scientists to Shift BlameExperts Say Lobbying Skewed the US Dietary GuidelinesFood Politics Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song! Support the show

Duration:00:51:52

Bonus: Mike's New Podcast!

11/8/2022
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 PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase shirts, stickers and moreSupport the show

Duration:01:18:06