Wellness, Actually with Emily Oster & Perry Wilson, MD

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Latest Episodes:

What's the deal with Botox? Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

This week, Emily and Perry explore Botox, literally the most toxic substance in the universe, so why not inject it into our faces? From its discovery to its biomechanics to its myriad uses, it might just turn out that smooth foreheads are the least interesting part of this cunning little spore.

Plus: it's Nobel Prize week! Also, the plague is back, baby, and GLP-1s might make your fingernails fall off.

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Rerun, Actually - What's the deal with GLP-1s? Oct 01, 2026

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This week, we're rebroadcasting our episode on GLP-1s, those blockbuster weight-loss drugs that have taken the world by storm -- and not just what you already know about them. From the origins in Gila monster venom to the surprisingly long history of their use, they explore their effectiveness, side effects, lingering questions about long-term usage, and the weird knock-on effects in both the brain (libido?) and our society (protein water?). These drugs are here to stay, so let's understand them from every angle.

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It's the First Annual Wellness, Actually Grab Bag Episode! Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

This week, Emily and Perry are joined by Producer Tamar to answer series of short health and wellness suggestions - by you, the listeners! - that don't merit a full deep dive but are still fun to dissect. From vampire facials to vibrating plates to salt lamps to toxic salmon, we're here for you.

Plus: U.S. officials failed to detect flaws in the covid vaccine, President Trump wants to split other vaccines up, science be damned, and Montana eschews the FDA.

Past episodes referenced:

The Vagina Whisperer

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What's the deal with artificial sweeteners? Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

This week, Emily and Perry dive into the sweet, calorie-free world of artificial sweeteners. What poor lab hygiene brought them into existence? Do they actually make us fatter and/or cause cancer? What regulatory shenanigans got us so scared of aspertame? And, most importantly, why is Diet Coke seriously so good?

Plus: an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in New York, hot beverages and esophageal cancer, and a frightening new opioid has entered the chat.

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What's the deal with seed oils? Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

This week, Emily and Perry dive into the slippery world of seed oils. Canola, vegetable, safflower, yes, even avocado: why have these plant-based oils gotten such a bad rep compared to their animal-based counterparts? How does processing and frying play in? Is it beef tallow's world and we're just living in it? Note: this episode is best enjoyed with a big plate of fries.

Plus: a disappointing heart drug, the military is no longer testing testosterone (thanks to us??), and exciting news in the pig kidney community.

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What's the deal with poop? Sep 03, 2026

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This week, Emily and Perry are bravely tackling one of our most beloved bodily functions, polite company be damned: poop! Is it, as Emily asks, truly the window to our souls? How much about our health and wellness can be ascertained by studying the texture, transit time, and frequency of our poop? What's the optimal way to poop? Should we be fibermaxxing? How special are our gut biomes? It's not a gross episode if you learned something.

Plus: the deadly duo of rabies and measles, and how to get ahead of both.

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Rerun, Actually - What's the deal with peptides? Aug 27, 2026

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This week, we're rebroadcasting our episode on peptides, the purported panacea for all health ailments. Can an injection of these tiny bits of protein actually boost your metabolism, plump up your skin, heal your injuries, and overall prolong your life? And what could possibly go wrong when you inject a peptide stack of dubious origin anyway?

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What's the deal with ticks? Aug 20, 2026

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This week, Emily and Perry explore the creepiest, crawliest topic yet: ticks! What's the deal with these little bloodsucking jerks? How do they infect us? What are the differences between tick-borne illnesses, and which ones do you really need to watch out for? Is Lyme disease a bioweapon? And how much should you worry about becoming allergic to meat? Tuck your pants into your socks and join us.

Plus: a new study advocating for more screen time is just as bad as all the others, updates on good cholesterol levels, and be sure to take extra vehicular precautions the next time Tay Tay drops an album.

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What's the deal with fluoride? Aug 13, 2026

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This week, Emily and Perry take on fluoride, a mineral with proven benefits for your teeth and an army of skeptical influencers ready to fight their municipal water supplies, (weakened) tooth and nail. What is fluoride? When did we start putting it into the water? Do we still need to? Is there any truth to the skeptics' concerns? And can we all agree that the best hope for our kids' IQs is Dolly Parton?

Plus: the shady backroom dealings of flavored vapes, the specious reasoning behind vaccine "choice," and a padded bra scandal in the Tour de France Femmes (avec Zwift!).

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What's the deal with gluten? Aug 06, 2026

Show notes

This week, Emily and Perry explore gluten, the protein responsible for everything that makes bread, bagels, pasta, and all of their other favorite foods chewy and delicious. Why has gluten gotten such a bad rap lately? Is it really responsible for all the ailments it's blamed for? When is an allergy an allergy, and how do we have compassion for any number of very real sensitivities without throwing the baby out with the sourdough discard?

Plus: the inevitable protein backlash has arrived, Viagra is unfortunately not a cure for cancer, and though it's out of the news cycle, the Ebola outbreak in the DRC is still raging.

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