I don’t think I’m saying anything new here but I want you to know how deeply grateful I am for your work in the world. The other night I just played one of your episodes to fall asleep. There’s so much comfort for me in people that are taking the shackles of diet and oppression crap off. and you guys do it in such an intelligent, succinct, whole hearted way!

I’m going back to the office now and then I have a meeting with the kids at work so we will have a plan

Everything will work for you guys in a little while and we are doing good to have a great weekend love love

I love this show so so much and I laugh with Aubrey every time I listen

Aubrey and Michael are hilarious, and the podcast is both informative and entertaining. I do take issue with the mockery of people’s experiences, which can be a bit dismissive (especially if it goes against their core belief system or their personal experiences). They also seem to question most scientific studies or findings (which is important to do) but at the same time use scientific studies or articles that are aligned with their own core beliefs pretty unquestionably. Additionally, as a person of color, it can be exhausting hearing Aubrey mention how marginalized we are all the time. For example, if a diet requires you to spend money at the grocery store or someone mentions people who eat fast food, she’ll be like “And who they’re really excluding are poor people of color.” or “who they’re really talking about when they say people who eat fast food are poor people of color.” Like girl I get it, but also, stop trying to sum up all of our experiences based on what you think you know about people of color’s experiences, situations, or interests (FYI plenty of black people are into wellness stuff too). These issues aren’t so large, however, that I don’t still thoroughly enjoy the podcast most of the time, but their “you all are dumb and we know best” attitude is starting to become grating…

This podcast is entertaining and if it lived up to its charter- to highlight problems in the health and wellness industry- it would be gold. The problem is that the hosts make sweeping generalizations even while criticizing others for doing just that. They ignore facts that do not align with their world view and it seems to be a project to make themselves feel more secure about their own physical condition. If you listen to this podcast long enough you’d be convinced that there is simply no difference between eating healthy and unhealthy food, there is no obesity epidemic, and nothing you do to improve your health will make any difference whatsoever. Michael has never actually acknowledged the research cited in his article that actually explains the changes in our food system that have been responsible for the rise in obesity. Love the hosts but there needs to be an honest appraisal of fitness and nutrition research and not just a barrage of criticism.

Undoing layers of generational trauma…

I have listened to every episode at least twice. I am a subscriber for the extra content but I really wish there were more frequent episodes.

I listen to every episode and love all that they’ve taught me as well as their incredibly kind and hilarious banter. <3

Michael and Aubrey are so entertaining, witty and just all around lovely people. Your shows are hilarious and informative, I have never laughed so hard and leaned so much at the same time. Thanks and keep it up!❤️

Love Mike and Aubrey! Love this podcast!!

Welcome to maintenance phase, the podcast where we present proof that we were right all along.

I love this podcast and have been listening since the beginning. I am a thin person who has held subconsciously biased beliefs about fatness since always; I feel like I am who this podcast was made for. (Because let’s face it, the belligerent bigots who need this content most will never listen at all.) But even I am souring on the let’s-see-if-we’re-right- AHA!-we-are! format of this pod.

I’ma keep listening, but I am issuing a loving reminder to Aubrey and Michael that intelligent ppl are willing to be wrong occasionally, vs rogering every piece of data to fit their already-determined narrative.

There are so many redeeming moments that make me look past the harsh lack of nuance when it comes to health. I unfollowed when they tore apart a new wellness program from my city for baseless reasons like not having more participants in the first year of operation.

I understand that the host has been through a difficult time with regards to existing at her size in society and I honestly hope she can work through her need to add overly snarky commentary with some sort of therapy.

I’ve never listened to a show this good. I love Aubrey and Michael with all my heart, they are super smart people who research their topics in a deep and conscious way.

This used to be a fun and interesting show, but lately has turned political. If you don’t think like them, they will make fun of you.

What does being a Democrat have anything to do with health and fitness? Don’t bring politics to a show about health and fitness. You lost a subscriber now. I don’t care what anyone is in a maintenance podcast.

Excellent content and thorough research. Aubrey and Michael have extensive backgrounds in policy and statistics, but manage to keep the podcast funny and engaging with their great rapport and wit. This is truly my favorite podcast!

I wanted to like this podcast. I like the idea of it, however I am an actual scientist and have the knowledge and ability to properly critique scientific research papers and how to understand analyze data that is presented in these papers. These two have no science background from my understanding and their commentary and “takes” are usually wildly out of context or completely misinterpreting data. This podcast would be so much better if anyone with a strong scientific research background could help them!

Loved when the early episodes covered goop and Bragg. Not sure when it went off the rails and became so anti-science and anti-health.

Aubrey and Michael are the friends you didn’t know you needed. Incredibly fair and kind and inclusive without being overly ‘woke’. This show has given me a whole new perspective on weight stigma. So funny and listenable.

Aubrey and Michael have great rapport and are fun to listen to. Some of the episodes are quite entertaining, particularly ones where they dig into some of the more ridiculous fads and health advice out there. I think it’s also great they address anti-fat bias as it’s something no one else seems to want to talk about.

Where the show becomes exhausting is when their episodes tackle more established and accepted science (e.g. 10,000 Steps Myth, The Trouble With Sugar, The Trouble With Calories, etc.). It’s one thing to poke holes in these topics and find where the research or science is imperfect or incomplete. Fair enough. But they seem to take their criticism too far with these subjects, almost as if to write them off entirely as things we should not listen to at all. I think it’s reckless to be so dismissive of science that is well established in the medical community. It would be better if they identify the shortcomings of the research and then provide alternative ideas or solutions, but they don’t.

So just be aware that this show is more for entertainment purposes than practical health advice.

This show has helped me heal from the trauma of growing up fat in an extremely fatphobic world and the years of disordered eating it caused. Thank you 💜💜💜

i love this show

this podcast has pushed me to think about the biases I have and how deeply deeply ingrained the “thin = healthy” idea is in just about every aspect of our lives that I didn’t really notice too much before this podcast. Some reviews say that the hosts are too negative and don’t give advice on what to do after debunking a topic, however they always emphasize to eat in ways that make YOU feel nourished, and to find activities that YOU love. I like how they challenge the idea that being fat is a lack of willpower, that it means you don’t care about yourself and your wellbeing, and that it’s a morality issue. It’ll be a long road ahead of breaking these all down but I really do want to thank the hosts for creating this podcast. Not only are they super well spoken and articulate ideas well, but the two have a great energy and great humor that they feel like friends to me! Thanks again!

for a podcast that prides itself on “debunking,” it is absolutely full of disinformation…

i’m a leftist who thinks people of all sizes should be treated with love, but the hosts misrepresent information and cherry pick things to fit their narrative… it’s pretty clear that the reviewers claiming this is a “well researched” podcast that has “taught them so much,” haven’t looked into the data presented by the hosts.

lastly, the hosts can be quite mean and condescending, even when they are very wrong.

as someone suffering from an eating disorder i really wanted to like this podcast, but i just can’t.

Love the show but couldn’t get through the mad cow disease episode lol. Freaked me out too much and so gross. Looking forward to the next one.

Very funny and super informative. And they list all their citations in the podcast notes, which 😍

Thought provoking information presented by two likable hosts with great chemistry between them. I already knew of Michael Hobbes from other podcasts, and Audrey is a true joy who challenges my perspective on every episode. I appreciate you two!!

I hate waiting for each new episode. This is my all-time favorite podcast, and I can’t get enough of either Aubrey or Michael. More please!

But really would have appreciated a content warning for describing disgusting brain diseases I got so nauseous hearing about sponge brains

Aubrey: “Hang on. We’ve got to unpack cannibal hamsters.”

Aubrey is so ultra-zesty and a true observational wit, and Michael is truly darling and impishly funny. Would love to have at least two spiked beverages with both of them.

I really liked Mike from You’re Wrong About so I followed him over to this podcast which has so many topics that intrigue me. Unfortunately I had to stop listening bc I found the tone and volume of Audrey’s voice extremely grating. I appreciate her enthusiasm and passion but she is practically yelling into the mic and I feel like it’s such a different vibe to Mike’s podcast voice that’s it’s almost jarring to hear the back and forth. I wish volume can be balanced a bit more in post production.

Aubrey and Mike are incredible and I am so grateful for their ability to synthesize really nuanced topics with excellent research and humor. #MethodologyQueens for life!

My favorite podcast of all time. Period. I NEVER want them to stop making episodes!!!

We are steeped in anti fat bias by the weight loss/exercise (not going to call it fitness) industry so completely we don’t even notice it. Thanks for shining a light on the cruelty.

Aubrey’s lovely voice on Science Friday today, more please!

The hosts are so fun to listen to! I love both of them. They do excellent research and discuss complex topics with superb critical thinking skills. Yet the podcast is super accessible and fun to listen to. They are fair and compassionate. I highly recommend this podcast!!

I love this podcast as it’s not only challenging the convention of thin=healthy (rhetoric that’s very much rooted in white supremacy, for those of you who are struggling) with analytical gusto, but also because it’s breaking down how fatphobia is used to police, control, and dehumanize others. Even if fat ppl aren’t healthy, we still deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. If you don’t agree that any human, on the basis of being alive and existing, is enough to “deserve” positive community care/treatment- you can keep drinking the white cishetero koolaid, but that’ll never make you their equal.

they are both funny and witty whilst having good information about the topic.

Totally.

My favorite thing about this podcast is that from the first episode I ever listened to I felt like I made two really cool new friends. The dynamic between the hosts makes me feel like we are all out to lunch together as I learn about their latest investigation. I often listen when I feel sad or lonely and they always make me smile. The subject matter and quality of reporting is excellent, but the friendly vibes are what makes this podcast my favorite.

This is more of an argument against negative comments. The hosts actually research their topics! They’re actually explaining how being fat isn’t necessarily bad, some people fat and that’s completely fine! Being fat isn’t always a choice, so you can’t treat it like one. Let people be comfortable in their own bodies! That’s the message of this pocast!

The health of 21st century americans is the LEAST of the problems sugar has caused.

I just made the mistake of scrolling through some of the reviews and couldn’t miss the negative ones - these trolls are gobsmackingly stupid (I know gobsmackingly isn’t a real word but it really works here) - I mean, go ahead and write a negative review but at least do an iota of critical thinking before you bother to post it. These episodes are thoroughly researched, articulated in a way that’s accessible, AND they’re funny. Keep up the excellent work MH & AG 🤩

I have come to think of them as friends. The information and humor are perfectly combined to keep me listening.

I’m a Pediatrician. I started listening to this because I thought it would be fact based information about health rather than weight loss. What bothers me about the many episodes I listened to is the disregard for the actual health affects of being obese. They act as if this isn’t real, with the hostess bragging about her low cholesterol levels. Well, she’s got good genetics and she’s young. For the population I work with (I’m a Pediatrician in a community hospital), obesity is literally killing young Native Americans and Hispanic children. We have seen a dramatic increase in type 2 diabetes, gallbladder disease, fatty liver, and asthma - all directly related to obesity and a sedentary lifestyle with American diets. A more effective podcast would be “I’m fat but healthy (for now), and these are the things I plan to do to stay that way).” Promote health for obese people and identify how exactly you plan to stay that way as you age. Sorry but would certainly not recommend to my families as this is not what they need to hear.

This podcast is an interesting and light-hearted discussion about how bad science and even worse reporting are weaponized against people that are already an easy target for bigotry. It’s an exercise in critical thinking, not a diet plan. If you’re looking for calorie counting and inspo, this ain’t that.

Love Michael from MP and you’re wrong about Aubrey’s laugh is so delicious, I feel so full of joy and knowledge after every episode, leaves me smiling every time.

I love Aubrey and Michael! They are my favorite podcasters. I listen to everything that they do. One of my favorite things to do is to google interviews with them and other people. I love seeing how mad Michael get when the interviewer ask what the best diet is. He face is the best. If you want see some literally want to make another person head explode on television just google Michael google and being interviewed about the best diets.

I’m super fan. They are incredible.

I have been devouring the episodes of this podcast in the recommendation of my historian friend. Kudos for making incredibly complex and fascinating stories so accessible to the listener with pop culture related topics and the most authentic rapport between cohosts.

In one day, I listened to the goop episode, one about Jordon Peterson, super size me, and the cherry on top: the vibrator episode. What a masterclass on historian bias, public opinion construction, and critical media consumption. THANK YOU!!! I can’t wait to listen to the whole backlog.