Maintenance Phase
Aubrey Gordon & Michael Hobbes
Debunking the junk science behind health fads, wellness scams and nonsensical nutrition advice.
Rank History (30 days)
Recent Episodes
20 episodesThe Diet Crimes of Metabolife
The rags-to-riches tale of how an illegal methamphetamine manufacturer became a legal methamphetamine manufacturer.Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!How the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 Weakened the FDAMad About MetabolifeStimulant Propels Diet EmpireThe dangers of the herb ephedra - Harvard Health An Historical Review of Steps and Missteps in the Discovery of Anti-Obesity Drugs Weight Loss the Herbal Way: No All-Natural Silver BulletOver-the-Counter-Strategy - The Washington Post Anxious Pill-Maker Puts ABC Interview on the WebA 'Neutral' Comment, a Company's Tough ReactionMetabolife Intern., Inc. v. Wornick (S.D. Cal. 1999) Ephedra hearings in the US House of Representatives Expert Panel Finds Flaws In Diet Pill Safety StudyLetter Urging a Criminal Investigation of Metabolife - Public Citizen Perspective; Regulation of Dietary Drugs Is Long OverdueNo Limit, for Now, on a Dieting SupplementU.S. Bans Dietary Supplement Linked to Number of DeathsThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
Raw Milk
Once widely banned, raw milk consumption is on the rise and states are repealing their bans. No one’s happier about that than the far right. How did we get here?NOTE: In the retelling of Pasteur’s early pasteurization, Aubrey misspoke! The culprit wasn’t lactic yeast, it was lactic acid bacteria. Sorry for the slip up!Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!Milk!: A 10,000 Year Food FracasU.S. Consumer surveyThe Effects of Pasteurization on VitaminsLingering Heat over Pasteurized MilkHow pasteurization improves safetySwill-Milk and Infant MortalityAlta Dena (Court case 1, Court case 2, Alta Dena's raw milk history)A Raw Milk Magnate Has Spent Years Fighting Public Health AgenciesShould This Milk Be Legal?The Amish farmer who ignited outrage over raw milkWhy Are People Promoting Raw Milk? The Quest for Raw MilkSome Raw Truths About Raw MilkRight Wing Commentators Are Pushing MisinformationHow Raw Milk Went From Hippie to MAGA Here's why raw milk drinkers need to be concerned about bird fluInfluencers promote raw milk Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
The Food Babe
One blogger bravely pushes back against Starbucks, Subway and basic scientific facts.Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!Taking On the Food Industry, One Blog Post at a TimeHow the ‘Food Babe’ Went From Obama Ally to Trump CrusaderActivist or Capitalist? How the 'Food Babe' Makes MoneyLatest Food Scare: What Is The 'Yoga Mat' Chemical - And Why Is It In Your Food? Almost 500 Foods Contain The 'Yoga Mat' Compound. Should We Care? Are You Eating This Ingredient Banned All Over the World?The "Food Babe" Blogger is Full of Shit Are Microwaves Safe? Global Food Security Index 2022 Differences between EU and US nutrition labels go far beyond ounces and gramsIs Food Really Better in Europe?Vani Hari: How She Grew Her Food Blog Into An EmpireFood blogger asks Kraft to stop using dye in mac and cheeseMeet the food blogger influencing RFK Jr.Food Babe blogger Vani Hari taking heat over health science Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
Seed Oils
Why are you, as a man, afraid of sunflowers.Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!The O6-O3 ratio: A critical appraisalSeed Oils: Are They Actually Toxic?No need to avoid healthy omega-6 fatsOmega-6 Fatty Acids and Risk for Cardiovascular DiseaseDo Seed Oils Make You Sick?Seed oils: Are they healthy or harmful?ToxGuide: HexaneDietary linoleic acid intake and blood inflammatory markersEffect of dietary alpha-linolenic acid on blood inflammatory markersChanges in consumption of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acidsThe Skinny on FatsDietary oleic acid drives obesogenic adipogenesisHow Seed Oils May Be Affecting Your Body Fat and HealthStanford nutrition expert breaks down effects of seed oilsThe Newest Bitcoin Diet Trend Is Hating ‘Seed Oils’Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Coronary Artery DiseaseThe Great Con-olaThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
Herbalife
We’re talking about our first diet MLM and IT’S A REAL DOOZY!Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!Herbalife: Weighty Profits and Government Probes Herbalife Exec's Death Prompts Bizarre FalloutAutopsy on Herbalife founder finds death caused by accidental overdose The Uncertain Start of a Remarkable LifeNobel Prize Winner Didn't Disclose Herbalife Contract Latinos crucial to Herbalife's financial healthLatino Group Demands Herbalife ProbeThe Big Short War The Siege of HerbalifeAfter Big Bet, Hedge Fund Pulls the Levers of PowerHerbalife Will Restructure and Pay $200 Million to Settle FTC Charges An inside look at the $200 million FTC settlement U.S. says Herbalife to pay $123.1 million to resolve China bribery case Herbalife announces new CEO to lead the L.A. nutrition companyClips!Mark Hughes' origin storySenate committee hearing Celebrity endorsementFormer Herbalife Distributors Speak OutThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
Ultra-Processed Foods
Everyone agrees that processed foods are bad for you. When it comes to defining what they actually are, however, there is considerably less agreement. Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!Nutrition and health. The issue is not food, nor nutrients, so much as processingUltra-Processed Foods: Definitions and Policy IssuesExamining the Nova Food Classification System and the Healthfulness of Ultra-Processed FoodsA new classification of foods based on the extent and purpose of their processingUltra-processed diets cause excess calorie intake and weight gainWhy Is the American Diet So Deadly?Ultra-processed foods and mortalityAssociation of ultra-processed food intake with risk of inflammatory bowel disease: prospective cohort studyAcademic and doctor Chris van Tulleken: ‘Ultra-processed products are food that lies to us’Food addiction: a valid concept?The study of food addiction using animal models of binge eatingObesity and the brain: how convincing is the addiction model?Ultra-processed foods and cardiovascular disease: analysis of three large US prospective cohortsSugar addiction: the state of the scienceThe Plastic Chemicals Hiding in Your FoodPremature Mortality Attributable to Ultraprocessed Food Consumption in 8 CountriesUltra-processed food intake and animal-based food intake Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
BONUS: MAHA's First 90 Days
From our Patreon feed, we're catching up with RFK Jr. and his cadre of "Make America Healthy Again" influencers.Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
The Bulletproof Diet
Meet the tech bro on a noble quest to double his lifespan, improve his productivity and irritate his waitress. Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!Mycotoxins Myth: The Truth About Mold in Coffee Guidance for Industry: Action Levels for Poisonous or Deleterious Substances in Human Food and Animal Feed You, Only BetterFTC letter to Dave AspreyAlternative medicine fans see RFK Jr. as a hero. The field’s skeptics worry. The Bulletproof Diet is everything wrong with eating in America Bulletproof Coffee: Debunking the Hot Buttered Hype Buttered Coffee Could Make You Invincible. And This Man Very RichThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
Blue Zones
The places where humans live the longest are explained by traditional lifestyles, widespread incest or systematic fraud, there is no fourth option.Thanks to Catherine MacDonald for helping us research and fact-check this episode!Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!The global pattern of centenarians highlights deep problems in demographyLate-life mortality is underestimated because of data errorsSupercentenarian and remarkable age records exhibit patterns indicative of clerical errors and pension fraudDo People in ‘Blue Zones’ Actually Live Longer?They really are that old: a validation study of centenarian prevalence in OkinawaThe Real Facts Supporting Jeanne Calment as the Oldest Ever Human A Population Where Men Live As Long As Women: Villagrande Strisaili, SardiniaTypologies of Extreme Longevity Myths Sardinian dietary analysis for longevity: a review of the literatureIdentification of a geographic area characterized by extreme longevity in the Sardinia islandSpecific features of the oldest old from the Longevity Blue Zones in Ikaria and SardiniaMaking the Blue Zones: Neoliberalism and nudges in public health promotionHuman longevity: Genetics or Lifestyle?Familial transmission of human longevityThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
BONUS: What's New With RFK Jr.?
Because we live in hell, here is last month's bonus episode about RFK Jr.'s presidential campaign with a new intro about what he could do at HHS. See you next year! Support the show
Richard Simmons Isn't Missing
The internet gets weird investigating the "disappearance" of America's gay best friend. Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonWatch Aubrey’s documentary in AU & NZ, or watch it at home anywhere else!Buy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!Richard Simmons ShowRichard Simmons, the Original Queer EyeThe Grand Duke of Diet and the Clown Prince of Fitness The Sultan of Svelte The Deregulation Of Commercial TelevisionSimmons Says Slapping Mesa Man Was Meant as Playful Richard Simmons’ Life Was a ‘Never-Ending Work in Progress’ Richard Simmons ordered to pay $130,000 after transgender lawsuit Richard Simmons' family asks Pauly Shore to please stopPauly Shore's Richard Simmons biopic might actually be deadRichard Simmons' Death Was an 'Accident'Richard Simmons' Housekeeper of 35 Years Breaks Her SilenceHow eating disorders can damage the heart Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
Growing Up Richard Simmons
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 PatreonWatch Aubrey’s documentary in AU & NZ, or watch it at home anywhere else!Buy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!Still Hungry...After All These Years by Richard Simmons "Hair-Do" Anatomy Asylum CommercialRichard Simmons: New Orleans's hometown heroA Speedy History of America’s Addiction to Amphetamine Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
The Myers-Briggs Personality Test
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 PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastLinks!The Personality Brokers by Merve EmreMyers Briggs Type PreferencesWhat Personality Tests Really DeliverThe $2 Billion Question of Who You Are at Work Cautionary Comments Regarding the MBTIThe Barnum Effect in Personality AssessmentThe Mysterious Popularity Of The Meaningless Myers-BriggsWhy the Myers-Briggs personality test is totally meaningless Can you truly know yourself in a quiz?What You Don't Know about This Personality Test Can Hurt YouMBTI, If You Want Me Back, You Need to Change TooPersonality Tests Aren't All the Same The Utility of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
BONUS: Breaking Down The Latest Anti-Trans Victory Lap
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/juliaseranoParker Molloy: https://www.readtpa.com/Katelyn Burns: https://www.patreon.com/katelynburnsEvan Urquhart: https://www.assignedmedia.org/supportErin Reed: https://www.erininthemorning.com/Or organizations that work with trans youth in the UK: Gendered Intelligence: https://genderedintelligence.co.uk/Mermaids: https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/Stonewall: https://www.stonewall.org.uk/Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
"Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria" Part 2: Panic! At The Endocrinologist.
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 PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastLinks!Origins of "Social Contagion" and "Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria"The "Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria" Controversy at AACAP's Annual MeetingMethodological Critique Of The Cass ReviewMethodological Critique of Littman (2018) Parent reports of adolescents and young adults perceived to show signs of a rapid onset of gender dysphoriaA critical commentary on ‘rapid-onset gender dysphoria’.Foundations Of The Contemporary Anti-LGBTQ+ Pseudoscience NetworkRapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria: Parent Reports on 1,655 Possible CasesOpinion: England's Anti-Trans Cass Review Is Politics Disguised As ScienceTavistock v BellActually Nothing: The Non-Starter Non-Story of the WPATH FilesAs anti-trans legislation proliferates in 2024, community fears erasure from public viewStates Passed a Record Number of Transgender Laws. Here’s What They Say.Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
"Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria" Part 1: The Cooties Theory of Transgender Identity
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 PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastLinks!Origins of "Social Contagion" and "Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria"What does the scholarly research say about the effect of gender transition on transgender well-being?Mental Health Outcomes in Transgender and Nonbinary Youths Receiving Gender-Affirming CareFresh trans myths of 2017: “rapid onset gender dysphoria”Rapid Onset of Gender Dysphoria in Adolescents and Young Adults: a Descriptive StudyThe Detransitioners: They Were Transgender, Until They Weren'tHow the idea of a “transgender contagion” went viral—and caused untold harmMental Health Outcomes in Transgender and Nonbinary Youths Receiving Gender-Affirming Care'Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria' Is Biased Junk ScienceA careful step into a field of landminesDetransition, Desistance, and Disinformation: A Guide for Understanding Transgender Children Debates Recognizing and responding to misleading trans health researchThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
Jamie Oliver
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 PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastLinks!BBC Profile - Jamie OliverJamie Oliver Puts America's Diet on a DietAll The Times Jamie Oliver Made Everyone AngryUnpacking School Lunch: Understanding the Hidden Politics of School FoodA brief history of school meals in the UKTurkey Twizzlers: A Complete HistoryMarcus Rashford Is Fighting the Government on Free School Meals. He’s Also Fighting Jamie Oliver’s LegacyHas Jamie Bitten off More Than He Can Chew?Jamie Oliver, you haven’t tasted real povertyJamie Oliver’s campaign against childhood obesity has classist undertonesJamie’s jerk rice is a recipe for disasterThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
COVID Conspiracies
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 HCQ Prominent Anti-Vaxxer’s Snake Oil Store Has a Propaganda OutletNine COVID-19 Myths That Just Won’t Go Away Disinformation and coronavirus COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories Discussion on Twitter Pain in the Nation Are 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 nutrition A Decisive Verdict on Vitamin D Supplementation Why were Twitter Users Obsessed with Vitamin D during the first year of the pandemic? Vitamin D, the Sunshine Supplement, Has Shadowy Money Behind It The Truth about Vitamin D and COVID-19 The Strange and Twisted Tale of Hydroxychloroquine Is Ivermectin for Covid-19 Based on Fraudulent Research? Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
Ozempic
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 prominent Black leaders to get Medicare's favor Insurers 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 most Glucagon-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
"Soy Boys"
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 Conspiracy Alex 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