The Fat Doctor Podcast

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1743876/open_sms] Medical weight stigma creates dangerous catch-22 situations for patients seeking care. In this episode, I share Cameron's story of developing gallstones after weight loss surgery, only to be denied treatment because their BMI was "still too high."  In this episode, I expose how rapid weight loss can trigger gallstone formation and how medical professionals often ignore evidence-based care when treating higher weight patients. I challenge the "lose weight to get treatment" narrative while offering practical advocacy strategies for navigating a biased healthcare system.  Today’s journal article was Gregori, Matteo et al. “Day case laparoscopic cholecystectomy: Safety and feasibility in obese patients.” International journal of surgery (London, England) vol. 49 (2018) For free resources on the management of galbladder disease head to noweigh.org [https://www.noweigh.org/gallstones/]  And don't forget to check out my masterclass on gallstones  [https://learn.fatdoctor.co.uk/courses/gallstones] Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know [contact@fatdoctor.co.uk]! Connect With Me * FREE GUIDES [https://www.noweigh.org/free-resources/]: evidence-based, not diet nonsense * NEWSLETTER [https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/302291/82456463212020836/share]: Life-changing insights straight to your inbox * UNSHRINKABLE [https://learn.fatdoctor.co.uk/courses/unshrinkable]: Find out why your body is not designed to shrink * MASTERCLASSES [https://www.fatdoctor.co.uk/events/]: All the evidence doctors should give you * NO WEIGH PROGRAM [https://www.fatdoctor.co.uk/no-weigh/]: Join the revolution against weight-loss lies * THE WEIGHTING ROOM [https://www.fatdoctor.co.uk/the-weighting-room/]: A community where authenticity thrives and every voice matters * CONSULTATION [https://www.fatdoctor.co.uk/consultations/]: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journe Find me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thefatdoctor/], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyRJX02ILxbqSqXee4QGGAQ], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefatdoctor/].

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1743876/open_sms] The obsession with calculating the "cost of ob*sity" to society reflects our troubling tendency to commodify human life and health. In this rather ragey and explosive episode, I expose how a widely-cited figure of £98 billion was manufactured by pharmaceutical interests to sell weight loss drugs.  I challenge the notion that we "owe" society a debt of health and explore how weight stigma, not weight itself, drives depression and poor health outcomes. Through a rather provocative thought experiment, I reveal the absurdity of reducing human experience to economic calculations and argue that tackling stigma, not eradicating fatness, is the real path forward.  Today's journal article was:  Stevens, Serena D et al. “Adult and childhood weight influence body image and depression through weight stigmatization.” Journal of health psychology vol. 22,8 (2017): 1084-1093. doi:10.1177/1359105315624749  Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know [contact@fatdoctor.co.uk]! Connect With Me * FREE GUIDES [https://www.noweigh.org/free-resources/]: evidence-based, not diet nonsense * NEWSLETTER [https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/302291/82456463212020836/share]: Life-changing insights straight to your inbox * UNSHRINKABLE [https://learn.fatdoctor.co.uk/courses/unshrinkable]: Find out why your body is not designed to shrink * MASTERCLASSES [https://www.fatdoctor.co.uk/events/]: All the evidence doctors should give you * NO WEIGH PROGRAM [https://www.fatdoctor.co.uk/no-weigh/]: Join the revolution against weight-loss lies * THE WEIGHTING ROOM [https://www.fatdoctor.co.uk/the-weighting-room/]: A community where authenticity thrives and every voice matters * CONSULTATION [https://www.fatdoctor.co.uk/consultations/]: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journe Find me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thefatdoctor/], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyRJX02ILxbqSqXee4QGGAQ], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefatdoctor/].

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1743876/open_sms]  Medical trauma is more than an abstract concept—it's a physical reality that impacts millions of people daily. In this episode, I share my transformative experience at a gender identity clinic, contrasting it with previous healthcare encounters that left me hypervigilant, tense, and bracing for judgment.  I explore how our bodies physically store medical trauma—in our gut, our muscles, our posture, and even our skin—creating patterns that repeat with each new medical encounter. For fat people and those with other marginalized identities, this trauma compounds exponentially.  This episode invites listeners to recognize medical trauma's physical manifestations while questioning a healthcare system that continues to perpetuate harm despite decades of evidence.  Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know [contact@fatdoctor.co.uk]! Connect With Me * FREE GUIDES [https://www.noweigh.org/free-resources/]: evidence-based, not diet nonsense * NEWSLETTER [https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/302291/82456463212020836/share]: Life-changing insights straight to your inbox * UNSHRINKABLE [https://learn.fatdoctor.co.uk/courses/unshrinkable]: Find out why your body is not designed to shrink * MASTERCLASSES [https://www.fatdoctor.co.uk/events/]: All the evidence doctors should give you * NO WEIGH PROGRAM [https://www.fatdoctor.co.uk/no-weigh/]: Join the revolution against weight-loss lies * THE WEIGHTING ROOM [https://www.fatdoctor.co.uk/the-weighting-room/]: A community where authenticity thrives and every voice matters * CONSULTATION [https://www.fatdoctor.co.uk/consultations/]: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journe Find me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thefatdoctor/], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyRJX02ILxbqSqXee4QGGAQ], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefatdoctor/].

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1743876/open_sms] In this episode of The Fat Doctor Podcast, I'm joined by Elle Bower Johnston, a  breathworker, rest teacher, and somatic trauma resolution practitioner who describes herself as a "body witch." Our conversation explores the intersection of trauma, embodiment, and healing beyond traditional therapy. Elle explains trauma as "when our body-mind experiences something that it can't digest in the moment - either too much too fast, or not enough over too long." While our protective mechanisms (fight, flight, freeze, and fawn) are natural responses to threats, trauma occurs when these responses get stuck and can't complete. We discuss how systems of oppression create ongoing trauma, particularly for marginalized bodies accessing healthcare. Elle shares how our bodies develop protective mechanisms that may have been necessary for survival, but can become limiting patterns later in life. The conversation moves beyond cognitive understanding to explore embodied healing. As Elle notes, "You can't think your way through" trauma - we need approaches that engage the multifaceted aspects of our bodies: physical, emotional, energetic, and relational. In a world disconnected through capitalism and colonialism, Elle suggests that rest isn't just about lying down or taking a bath - it's about reconnecting with something larger than ourselves. This might be as simple as noticing the seasons changing or feeling gravity's pull on your body. These small moments of connection become pathways to true rest and healing. This episode invites listeners to honor the wisdom in their protective responses while exploring gentle ways to expand beyond them, finding rest and embodiment in a world that often disconnects us from our bodies and each other. You can learn more about Elle through her website [https://www.ellebowerjohnston.com/].  Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know [contact@fatdoctor.co.uk]! Connect With Me * FREE GUIDES [https://www.noweigh.org/free-resources/]: evidence-based, not diet nonsense * NEWSLETTER [https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/302291/82456463212020836/share]: Life-changing insights straight to your inbox * UNSHRINKABLE [https://learn.fatdoctor.co.uk/courses/unshrinkable]: Find out why your body is not designed to shrink * MASTERCLASSES [https://www.fatdoctor.co.uk/events/]: All the evidence doctors should give you * NO WEIGH PROGRAM [https://www.fatdoctor.co.uk/no-weigh/]: Join the revolution against weight-loss lies * THE WEIGHTING ROOM [https://www.fatdoctor.co.uk/the-weighting-room/]: A community where authenticity thrives and every voice matters * CONSULTATION [https://www.fatdoctor.co.uk/consultations/]: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journe Find me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thefatdoctor/], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyRJX02ILxbqSqXee4QGGAQ], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefatdoctor/].

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1743876/open_sms] In this episode, I explore the journey of Robin, a 45-year-old art teacher navigating a high cholesterol diagnosis and the frustrating world of weight-centric healthcare. Through their story, I break down the actual science of heart disease risk factors (spoiler: weight is the least of your concerns), explain the difference between primary and secondary prevention, and reveal how the medical establishment's obsession with numbers obscures more important social determinants of health. I also dissect the evidence (or lack thereof) for dietary and lifestyle interventions, highlighting how medication decisions should be based on informed consent, not fear. This episode asks: What if doctors treated us as whole people instead of just collections of numbers? This week's journal article is:  Ras, Rouyanne T et al. “LDL-cholesterol-lowering effect of plant sterols and stanols across different dose ranges: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled studies.” The British journal of nutrition vol. 112,2 (2014): 214-9. doi:10.1017/S0007114514000750  Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know [contact@fatdoctor.co.uk]! Connect With Me * FREE GUIDES [https://www.noweigh.org/free-resources/]: evidence-based, not diet nonsense * NEWSLETTER [https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/302291/82456463212020836/share]: Life-changing insights straight to your inbox * UNSHRINKABLE [https://learn.fatdoctor.co.uk/courses/unshrinkable]: Find out why your body is not designed to shrink * MASTERCLASSES [https://www.fatdoctor.co.uk/events/]: All the evidence doctors should give you * NO WEIGH PROGRAM [https://www.fatdoctor.co.uk/no-weigh/]: Join the revolution against weight-loss lies * THE WEIGHTING ROOM [https://www.fatdoctor.co.uk/the-weighting-room/]: A community where authenticity thrives and every voice matters * CONSULTATION [https://www.fatdoctor.co.uk/consultations/]: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journe Find me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thefatdoctor/], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyRJX02ILxbqSqXee4QGGAQ], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefatdoctor/].