Maintenance Phase - Aubrey Gordon & Michael Hobbes

Diet Book Deep Dive: “How To Take 20 Pounds Off Your Man” May 10, 2022

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.

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Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!

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Zombie Statistics Spectacular! Apr 19, 2022

Debunking some of the most widely repeated myths about fat and health.
Here's Mike's new video!
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Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!

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Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma" Apr 05, 2022

How a liberal journalist entrenched a libertarian fantasy.
Thanks to Sarah Taber for helping us with the research for this episode!
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Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!

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Bonus: Fad Diets Mar 29, 2022

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, and see you next week!
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Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!

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Jordan Peterson Part 2: The Moscow Diaries Mar 15, 2022

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!
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Jordan Peterson Part 1: The Carnivore Diet Mar 01, 2022

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 out, we started hearing from listeners that my comment reminded them of fatphobic jokes they’d heard in the past and didn’t feel consistent with the message of the show. They were right! It was a bad joke and we've removed it from the episode. We'll be discussing this and our approach to handling feedback and editing past episodes in more detail soon. Thanks to everyone who wrote in to let us know! — Mike
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"Super Size Me" Feb 15, 2022

Aubrey thought she could swear less in this week’s episode. She was wrong.
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"Illness Influencer" Belle Gibson Feb 01, 2022

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.
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Diet Book Deep Dive: The Karl Lagerfeld Diet Jan 18, 2022

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.
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Fat Camps Jan 04, 2022

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.
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The "Sleep Loss Epidemic" Dec 14, 2021

Matthew Walker's "Why We Sleep" was one of the most popular and acclaimed wellness books of 2017. There's just one problem: Much of it isn't true.
Thanks to University of Ottawa Postdoctoral Fellow Dylan Smith for helping us with the research!
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Vibrators Nov 30, 2021

It's a sexual health episode! This week, Mike and Aubrey dive into the hotly debated medical history of vibrators and ask: who fact-checks the fact-checkers?
Note: A previous version of this episode included language that referred to “the female downstairs,” implying both that gender is linked to genitals (it isn’t) and that vibrators were used primarily by cis women (they weren’t). We love our trans listeners and we don’t want to do anything that makes them feel excluded, so we’ve removed the sections where that language appeared. We'll be discussing this and our approach to handling feedback in more detail soon. Thanks to everyone who wrote in to let us know! — Mike
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Is Being Fat Bad For You? Nov 16, 2021

For nearly four decades, Americans have heard a simple story about health, longevity and obesity. This week, we learn it's a little more complicated.
Thanks to Katherine Flegal, Paul Campos, Jeff Hunger and Jason Salemi for helping us research and fact-check this episode!
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Diet Book Deep Dive: Angela Lansbury's "Positive Moves" Oct 26, 2021

At the height of her "Murder She Wrote" fame, Angela Lansbury released a home workout video full of synth music, peach jumpsuits and ~sensuality~. This week, we’re exploring the anti-Goop-ness of Angela’s fitness book and video, "Positive Moves."! It gets a little heavy toward the end, but we promise: No one was canceled in the making of this episode.

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Links!

Positive Moves video on YouTube (cued up to “moving freely”)
Positive Moves book
What is Gaslighting? The 1944 film Gaslight is the best explainer.

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Rachel Hollis Part 2: Girl, Start Apologizing Oct 12, 2021

In the sequel (sorry) to our first installment, we take a deep dive into Rachel's wildly problematic books and deeply weird downfall. Along the way we discuss allyship etiquette, MLMs and Ronald Reagan. We remain convinced that getting matching tattoos was the right decision for us.
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Rachel Hollis Part 1: Hashtag Relatable Sep 28, 2021

Girl, stop reinforcing the status quo.
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Marianne Williamson Sep 14, 2021

Last year, spiritual leader Marianne Williamson made headlines when she ran for president. But 10 years earlier, she wrote a bestselling book that promised to teach readers how to “surrender" their weight forever. This week, Mike and Aubrey take a deep dive into Williamson’s life story and her 2010 book, “A Course in Weight Loss." Along the way we talk nonprofit drama, Eleanor Roosevelt and gays for Marianne. Plus, Mike’s got a message for the twinks.

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Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!

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The Great Protein Fiasco Aug 31, 2021

How Nestlé executives, global health institutions and a very racist white lady seeded a series of nutritional misconceptions we're still living with today.
Special thanks to John Nott for helping us out with this episode! Here's his papers on the history of protein and the British Empire.

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The Obesity Epidemic Aug 17, 2021

Over the last 30 years, fatness has been defined as a risk factor for disease, then a disease in itself, then a global epidemic. What caused this rapid shift? Who’s gonna join our group of B-roll vigilantes? And did we just hear Morgan Freeman?

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Books!

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The Body Mass Index Aug 03, 2021

The BMI is EVERYWHERE. But is it scientific or scientif-ish? While many Americans think of the body mass index as an objective measure of health, its history reveals a more complicated story. This week, Mike and Aubrey tackle the first in a two-part series about the BMI and the “Obesity Epidemic.” Along the way they visit 18th century Belgium, learn a gross new acronym and dissect Dracula's facial features.
LINKS!:

The Bizarre and Racist History of the BMI (Elemental)
Adolphe Quetelet, Social Physics, and the Average Men of Science, 1796-1874 (University of Pittsburgh Press)
Mindful of eugenics’ dark history, researchers are reexamining the genetics of social mobility (Quartz)
Adolphe Quetelet (1796–1874)—the average man and indices of obesity (Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation)
For Researchers on Obesity: Historical Review of Extra Body Weight Definitions (Obesity)
Quetelet, Adolphe (Canada’s Eugenics Archives)
Top 10 Reasons Why The BMI Is Bogus (NPR)
The False Science Linking Body Shape to Personality (The Atlantic)
Obesity task force linked to WHO takes “millions” from drug firms (The BMJ)
Impact of weight bias and stigma on quality of care and outcomes for patients with obesity (Obesity Reviews)

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School Lunches, P-Hacking and the Original "Pizzagate" Jul 20, 2021

This week we're diving into one of the biggest-ever scandals in nutrition research. For nearly two decades, Brian Wansink's Food and Brand Lab told Americans that lower weights, healthier workplaces and better school lunches were just a few small tweaks away. Then, in 2015, he wrote a blog post and it all came crashing down.
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The Keto Diet Jul 06, 2021

So long, root vegetables! This week, we dive into the strange and surprising history of the 100-year-old ketogenic diet. Along the way, we encounter a Victorian bodybuilder, an infamous podcast bro and the possibility of a bad Meryl Streep performance (!). Get in, loser, we're counting macros!
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Links!

What Is the Keto Diet and Does It Work? (NYT)
The Ketogenic Diet for Weight Loss (Today’s Dietitian)
Meet the Wackiest Billionaire Ever to Run for President (Money)
Trailer for "First, Do No Harm"
Keto Diet History - How the Ketogenic Diet Went Mainstream (Men's Health)
7 Dangers of the Keto Diet | Health.com (Health Magazine)
15 Keto Diet Side Effects to Know – Possible Keto Diet Dangers (Prevention)
Ketogenic Diet May Lead to an Increased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes (The Physiological Society)

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Oprah Winfrey & "John of God" Jun 22, 2021

Special guest Kimberly Springer joins us to talk about an infamous, dangerous faith healer and his two — two! — appearances on Oprah's talk show. This episode contains, we're sorry to say, detailed descriptions of sexual assault.
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Oprah Winfrey & The “Wagon of Fat” Jun 08, 2021

Do you have weird feelings about Oprah? So do we, and so does our guest! Kimberly Springer, co-editor of "Stories of Oprah: The Oprahfication of American Culture," joins us to talk about the rise of Oprah Winfrey and her infamous "wagon of fat" weight loss episode.

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Clips!

Oprah Winfrey Rolls Out A Wagon Of Fat (Buzzfeed)
How Oprah's Weight Affected Her Relationship with Stedman (Oprah)
MadTv - Oprah - Fat Cam (Mad TV)

Links!

The Importance of Being Oprah (New York Times Magazine)
Oprah's 'Fattest' Mistake (CBS News)
5 awesome objects from the new Oprah exhibit (Washington Post)
Oprah's biggest on-air mistake? The wagon of fat (Today)
Diet That Made Oprah Winfrey Slim Demands Discipline, Specialists Say (New York Times)

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Celery Juice May 25, 2021

Do you have viruses? Cysts? Cancer? Are you tired sometimes? According to Instagram, the problem might be a lack of liquefied vegetables! This week, Mike and Aubrey take on a troubling taste test, meet a ghost with bad intentions and encounter the longest list of problematic celebrities we've ever seen.
Plus, we start the show with an announcement: We're doing Patreon-only bonus episodes! Sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/maintenancephase
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Anthony William on Extra
Anthony William on Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Celery Juice Is the Perfect, Probably Pointless Trend for 2019 (Vanity Fair)
Food Isn't Medicine. Here's Why It's Dangerous to Believe It Is. (Huffington Post)
Is celery juice a viable alternative to nitrites in cured meats? (McGill University)
Is Celery Juice a Sham? (The New York Times)
Today's Diet Fads (Today's Dietitian)
People think celery juice can protect you from COVID-19. Here's why that's categorically false. (Mama Mia)

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The Wellness to QAnon Pipeline May 11, 2021

Special guest Mike Rothschild tells us how the road to wellness can be an on-ramp to a conspiracy theory. Along the way we debunk oil pulling, explore Instagram aesthetics and bemoan anti-vaxx argumentation tactics . Mike gets the date of the January 6th insurrection wrong and he is sorry.
Mike Rothschild is on Twitter and you can pre-order his book here!
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Thanks to Ashley Smith for editing assistance and Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!

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Diet Book Deep Dive: Ed McMahon’s “Slimming Down” Apr 27, 2021

This week is our first Diet Book Deep Dive, where we dig into some of the worst and wildest weight loss advice we can find. First up: Tonight Show sidekick Ed McMahon's pun, alcohol and misogyny-fueled diet plan from the 1970s. Hope you like broiled steak and Sanka!

Clips!

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Thanks to Lynn Barbera for editing assistance and Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!

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Olestra Apr 13, 2021

In 1996, Proctor & Gamble launched an artificial fat substitute that promised all of the taste but none of the calories. There was just one problem.
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Thanks to Ashley Smith for editing assistance and Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!

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Eating Disorders Mar 30, 2021

Fat people have them too! This week, special guest Erin Harrop tells us about one of America's most under-diagnosed and misunderstood problems. Along the way we talk about elbow bumps, Twitter etiquette and '90s sweatpants. Our content warnings are becoming increasingly threatening.
Here's Erin's faculty page and a bunch of her research!
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Thanks to Mitra Kaboli for production support and Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!

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Weight Watchers Mar 16, 2021

Get your flex point calculators and food scales! This week, Mike and Aubrey are talking about one of America's most iconic diet programs: Weight Watchers. Along the way, we encounter The Rock, the mating habits of straight people and a new James Bond villain.
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Thanks to Ashley Smith for editing assistance and Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!

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The Master Cleanse Mar 02, 2021

Are your moods too stable? Is your face free of cold sores? Get your lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper ready, because this week we're talking about celebrity favorite THE MASTER CLEANSE!
Along the way we roast New Atheism, praise Gwyneth Paltrow (!) and endorse garbanzo bean salads. Mike wishes to clarify that he adores Kate Bush and quips with the utmost affection.

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The Master Cleanser by Stanley Burroughs
I Heard It Through the Diet Grapevine (New York Times)
Improving Ourselves to Death (The New Yorker)
Cleansing's Dirty Secret (Marie Claire)
Mr. Clean: Jeffrey Steingarten Puts the Master Cleanse to the Test (Vogue)
The Dubious Practice of Detox (Harvard Health)

Thanks to Ashley Smith for editing assistance and Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!

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Dr. Oz Feb 16, 2021

This week we're dissecting "America's Doctor." How did a smart, hardworking surgeon become one of TV's leading purveyors of junk science? Along the way we debunk green coffee bean extract, raspberry ketones, conversion therapy (!) and a salad dressing skincare regimen.
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Thanks to Ashley Smith for editing assistance and Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!

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Snake Oil Feb 02, 2021

The world of dieting and wellness is full of so-called snake oil salesmen—but what IS snake oil? This week, we take a wild ride through the history of health scams and discover a startling twist about an everyday idiom. Along the way, Aubrey delivers fun facts about sanitation from memory and Mike roasts the state where most of his family lives.
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Thanks to Ashley Smith for editing assistance and Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!

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The Biggest Loser Jan 19, 2021

This week we dissect the content and impact of one of America's most harmful TV experiments.
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Thanks to Ashley Smith for editing assistance and Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!

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Halo Top Ice Cream Jan 05, 2021

WE’RE BACK! A new diet ice cream is taking your grocery store by storm. But what even is it? This week, Mike and Aubrey talk biohacking, dieting for straight dudes and the extremely ill-advised "Halo Top diet."

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Thanks to Ashley Smith for editing assistance and Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!

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Anti-Fat Bias Nov 24, 2020

To celebrate the release of her new book, Aubrey takes Mike on a tour through the statistics and debates surrounding weight bias. Anyone interested in body positivity, airline seats, 'skinny shaming' or the sugar content of melons is legally obligated to join us.

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Get Aubrey's book in the U.S.:

Get Aubrey's book outside the U.S.

Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!

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The Twinkie Defense Nov 17, 2020

The Twinkie Defense has become a shorthand for disingenuous legal defense strategies. But was it disingenuous? (Yes, but not in the way you think!)
Thanks to Ashley Smith for editing assistance and Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!

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Moon Juice Nov 10, 2020

What's that Gwyneth Paltrow's drinking? It's MOON JUICE! This week, we're talking adaptogens, brain dust, hot sex milk and the wellness company that's taken L.A. by storm. Be sure to take your quinton shots before you listen to this one.

Thanks to Ashley Smith for editing assistance and Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!

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Links!:

How Hollywood's Favorite Juice Bar Owner Eats Every Day (Elle)
How Amanda Chantal Bacon Perfected the Celebrity Wellness Business (NYT)
What Are Adaptogens? (NYT)
Wellness Brand Moon Juice Has Plenty of Haters - And Its Founder is Cool With That (Entrepreneur)
The Moon Juice Gospel of Self (The New Yorker)
How Wellness Got Whitewashed (Glamour)

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Snackwell's Cookies Nov 03, 2020

They hit the market in 1992. Three years later, they were the best-selling cookie in America. This week, Mike and Aubrey dive into the low-fat craze of the 1990s and sample the snack that became the symbol of its rise and fall.
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Fen Phen & Redux Oct 27, 2020

Fen-Phen & Redux were "the next miracle drugs" in the '90s, claiming to help people lose dramatic amounts of weight in just three months. But within a few short years, they'd been pulled from the market. They were just too effective! (Just kidding, they killed some people.)
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Dispensing with the Truth by Alicia Mundy
The New Miracle Drug (Time Magazine)
How Fen-Phen, A Diet 'Miracle,' Rose and Fell (the New York Times)
Blowing the Whistle on Fen-Phen (Journal of Business Communication)
Purdue OxyContin settlement would rank among largest in pharma history (Reuters)
National Trends in Antiobesity Medication Use (JAMA Network)
The Fen-Phen Finale: A Study of Weight Loss and Valvular Heart Disease (Obesity Research)

Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!

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The President's Physical Fitness Test Oct 20, 2020

The shuttle run! The flexed arm hang! The v-sit reach! These terms are seared into the memories of an entire generation of American schoolchildren. But did the President's Physical Fitness Test actually make us fitter? (Spoiler: lol no)
Thanks to Ashley Smith for editing assistance and Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!
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What's Our Deal? Oct 11, 2020

Welcome to Maintenance Phase! In our first episode, we tell our origin stories and talk about some of the basic ideas behind the show.
Here's where to find us:
Aubrey: https://www.yourfatfriend.com/
Mike: https://rottenindenmark.org/
Thanks to Ashley Smith for editing assistance and Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!
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