A Grand, Unified Theory of Why Americans Are So Unhealthy

A Grand, Unified Theory of Why Americans Are So Unhealthy

Americans are unusually overweight and chronically ill compared to similarly rich countries. This episode presents a grand, unified theory for why that's the case. Our food environment has become significantly more calorie-rich and industrialized in the past few decades, sending our obesity rates soaring, our visceral fat levels rising, and our chronic inflammation surging. The result is an astonishing rise in chronic illness in America. That's the bad news. The good news is that GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic and Zepbound, seem to be astonishingly successful at reversing many of these trends. This episode blends two interviews with Dr. David Kessler and Dr. Eric Topol. Kessler was the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration under the Bush and Clinton administrations, from 1990 to 1997. He helped lead Operation Warp Speed in its final months. He is the author of the book 'Diet, Drugs, and Dopamine.' Topol is a cardiologist and the founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute. He is the author of the book 'Super Agers.' If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com. Host: Derek Thompson Guests: Dr. David Kessler and Dr. Eric Topol Producer: Devon Baroldi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episoder(348)

How the American Revolution Changed the World, With Ken Burns

How the American Revolution Changed the World, With Ken Burns

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The Problem With Sports Gambling

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Last week, an FBI investigation into gambling led to the arrest of several prominent basketball stars, raising questions about the state of legalized sports betting, which has enriched professional sp...

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Michael Lewis on How the Global Financial Crisis Explains Trump, Crypto, and Everything Else

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What Happens When AI Learns to Do Our Jobs

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Today’s guest is Ethan Mollick. Ethan is a professor of management at Wharton, where he specializes in entrepreneurship and innovation. He is the author of the book 'Co-Intelligence: Living and Workin...

24 Okt 202554min

Can "Touch-Grass Populism" Save America?

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By some measures, the Democratic Party has never been so unpopular as a political brand. While this fact obviously reflects some difficult realities for the party, it also creates an opportunity for D...

21 Okt 202559min

Everybody Thinks AI Is a Bubble. What If They’re Wrong?

Everybody Thinks AI Is a Bubble. What If They’re Wrong?

Two weeks ago, in one of our most popular podcasts of the year, the investor and author Paul Kedrosky explained why he thinks AI is a bubble. In the last few days, practically everybody seems to agree...

17 Okt 202552min

The Future of Entertainment, Part 2: What’s the Matter With Broadway?

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In the second episode of our two-part miniseries on the future of entertainment, Derek goes from Hollywood to NYC to understand why Broadway musicals are in trouble. "With the cost of staging song-and...

14 Okt 202547min

The Future of Entertainment, Part 1: Is Hollywood's Business Model Broken?

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The film and TV business has quietly—or, if you work in the industry, not so quietly—been in a depression for the past few years. Original TV work has plummeted. In 2024, Americans bought about 40 per...

10 Okt 202546min

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