#Maintenance phase podcast series#

#Maintenance phase podcast series#

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. 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. Interested in “Maintenance Phase” and don’t know where to start? Here are a couple of my favorite episodes from their moderate back catalog.The BMI is EVERYWHERE. Both hosts do a really nice job of intersectional analysis, which I find extremely refreshing. What caused this rapid shift Who’s gonna join our group of B-roll vigilantes And did we just hear Morgan FreemanSupport us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts. Over the last 30 years, fatness has been defined as a risk factor for disease, then a disease in itself, then a global epidemic. Obviously not everything is relevant for every subject, but when it is, it’ll be mentioned at the very least. Listen to this episode from Maintenance Phase on Spotify. There is a concerted effort to look at the effects of diet culture from as many sides as possible: gender, class, race, sexuality, etc. I also want to give Micheal and Aubrey props for creating one of the most inclusive podcasts I’ve had the pleasure of listening to. Micheal and Aubrey break these complex factors down for the listener, and make the truth accessible. Fatphobia especially is part of the water we all swim in. Everyone I know (especially women) has internalized at least one of the extremely harmful narratives deconstructed here. The dieting industry makes billions of dollars preying on people’s manufactured insecurities and should be called out for manipulating scientific data and sacrificing people’s health for a quick buck. This wonderful set up is all the more beneficial because the subjects discussed on the show are incredibly important. And because Micheal and Aubrey have such great chemistry, the format makes for an engaging back and forth. Special guest Mike Rothschild tells us how the road to wellness can be an on-ramp to a conspiracy theory. The experience of this podcast is more like being told a story or talking with friends than being given a science lecture. I think this format helps the podcast stay engaging: each host researches with the assumption that their co host doesn’t know anything at all, which keeps their delivery approachable. The other host is an audience surrogate and is meant to come in with as little knowledge of their topic as possible. We post memes and show announcements on Twitter and Instagram and transcripts on Buzzsprout. You can support us on Patreon, make a one-time donation on PayPal or get Maintenance Phase shirts, mugs & more on TeePublic.

New episodes are out every other Tuesday. Micheal brought over a unique approach to podcasting from his show “You’re Wrong About,” wherein the two hosts take turns teaching each other about a given health fad. Michael Hobbes and Aubrey Gordon debunk the junk science behind health and wellness fads. In addition, he’s a self proclaimed ‘methodology queen” and has a real talent for breaking down dry and complex research.īoth of these skills fit the format of their show exceptionally well. And while Micheal himself isn’t fat, he grew up with a mother who constantly dieted. She brings much needed lived experience and emotional potency to the episodes alongside her outstanding research. Aubrey is a fat woman herself, and has a long and horrifying history with dieting and diet culture. Both hosts come at their work on this podcast from different angles. Journalist Micheal Hobbes (most notably of the podcast “You’re Wrong About”) teams up with writer Aubrey Gordon on Instagram) to present deep dives into the many, many failings of the dieting and health industry. But it only took a few episodes for me to become irrevocably hooked. Its stark, minimalistic cover art wasn’t doing it any favors either. Billed as a podcast ‘debunking the junk science behind health fads,’ I thought the podcast would be dry and heavy on scientific jargon. I’ll be honest: when I first heard about “Maintenance Phase,” I didn’t think I’d find it interesting in the least. Well edited, professionally done even though it’s not connected to a podcasting network.Relatively informal and conversational delivery.

Longform, standalone episodes (with the occasional two parter).

Hosts do a good job of warning the audience up front.

Content Warning: Fatphobia and eating disorders are discussed at length in several episodes.