Health and Wellness Scams with Natalia Petrzela

With the new year, health, wellness, weight loss, and exercise programs will be in mass promotion. Just because someone looks good doesn't mean that what they're pitching is healthy or will even work. Watch out for unrealistic claims and results.

Today's guest is Natalia Petrzela. Natalia is a historian of contemporary American politics and culture. She is also an author and podcast host. She is a frequent media guest expert, public speaker, contributor to international domestic news outlets, including New York Times, Washington Post, and CNN. She is an associate professor of history and holds a BA from Columbia as well as a Masters and PhD from Stanford.

Show Notes:

• [0:56] - Welcome to the show! Natalia explains what she does and how she has gotten into current trends in American wellness.
• [2:42] - The way health has been looked at has changed drastically over the years.
• [4:21] - American fitness culture is very focused on an all-or-nothing mentality.
• [5:40] - Because wellness and fitness is commercialized in the United States, consumers are targeted to buy.
• [7:02] - Natalia compares the current trend in intermittent fasting to the past trend of eating throughout the day.
• [8:15] - Before the 1960s, there was very little research around exercise.
• [11:01] - We equate appearance with health but not just anyone is an expert.
• [12:32] - There are many people who take performance enhancing drugs casually that may make them appear as the picture of health.
• [15:03] - Watch out for products being sold to you and extreme promises that are unrealistic.
• [18:01] - It is so easy to become completely obsessed with health.
• [19:39] - Many people say that their way is the only successful way to be healthy.
• [21:33] - Natalia discusses the difference in income and careers that impact views on health and fitness.
• [23:53] - Any type of extreme promises should be looked at with a great degree of skepticism.
• [24:57] - The whole weight loss industry is predicated on the reliance that you will gain it back.
• [27:41] - It is great that more people are exercising regularly, but now there's this pressure to sustain something that is stressful to maintain for many.
• [29:53] - Natalia discusses gym memberships.
• [31:04] - Be realistic about what you can start integrating into your day to day life.
• [32:51] - There is a current trend in specialized exercise and fitness. Unless you love it already, be wary of signing on to just one type of fitness.
• [36:14] - The pandemic has changed a lot of views on health and fitness and the availability of home exercise.
• [38:01] - Just because something works for someone else, doesn't mean it will be right for you.
• [39:53] - How much research can you really do when there are so many products and unqualified "experts" giving advice.
• [42:04] - Our healthcare system is not currently set up for optimal health.

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