107 episodes

Debunking the junk science behind health fads, wellness scams and nonsensical nutrition advice.

Maintenance Phase MP After Dark

    • Health & Fitness
    • 4.8 • 969 Ratings

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

Debunking the junk science behind health fads, wellness scams and nonsensical nutrition advice.

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    COVID Conspiracies

    COVID Conspiracies

    What was missing from America's pandemic response? According to the internet, a sunshine vitamin, a malaria treatment and a whole lot of horse paste.

    Thanks to Health Nerd (Substack) for helping us fact-check this episode! And thanks to Abby Mahler (Twitter,  Tiktok) for help with the research on hydroxychloroquine!

    Support us:
    Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastLinks:
    How Musk Sold MAGA on HCQ Prominent Anti-Vaxxer’s Snake Oil Store Has a Propaganda OutletNine COVID-19 Myths That Just Won’t Go Away Disinformation and coronavirus     COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories Discussion on Twitter   Pain in the Nation Are patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus at increased risk for COVID-19 infection? Conspiracy theories as barriers to controlling the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. Vaccines vs. vitamins: COVID misinformation roils the worlds of wellness and nutrition  A Decisive Verdict on Vitamin D Supplementation  Why were Twitter Users Obsessed with Vitamin D during the first year of the pandemic?  Vitamin D, the Sunshine Supplement, Has Shadowy Money Behind It The Truth about Vitamin D and COVID-19 The Strange and Twisted Tale of Hydroxychloroquine Is Ivermectin for Covid-19 Based on Fraudulent Research?   Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!
    Support the show

    • 1 hr 27 min
    February Bonus: Diets for your Brain!

    February Bonus: Diets for your Brain!

    Can someone's diet cure their schizophrenia? Of course not! But some real jerky psychologists & MDs in the '70s decided to tell people it could. This month, we're diving back into Aubrey's diet book collection—and this time, we're focusing on diets that claim to have psychological and behavioral effects. Buckle up, it's even more unhinged than you think!

    January Bonus: Erewhon Taste Test

    January Bonus: Erewhon Taste Test

    From its $22 smoothies to its celebrity clientele, Erewhon has become the go-to super-woo supermarket for America's super wealthy. But what's the story behind this pop culture punching bag? What does the name mean? And what do $14 kale chips taste like??

    You can play the episode directly through Patreon or use our RSS feed to add it to your podcast app. Here are the instructions from Patreon. As ever, leave a comment if you've got a request for future Patreon bonus episodes.

    Also, some news! Aubrey is back from her whirlwind tour of the UK and diving into the research for a Jamie Oliver episode. Mike is still fighting the respiratory infection he got over the holidays but is still managing to add to his notes on the Anti-Vaxx to Vitamin D Truther pipeline. In other words, see you back on the main feed ASAP!

    December Bonus: The 2023 Grifties!

    December Bonus: The 2023 Grifties!

    November Bonus: Big Victories!

    November Bonus: Big Victories!

    We asked for your victories against anti-fatness and diet nonsense and you all came through in a big way. In this month's bonus episode (recorded back in September), we're celebrating your biggest wins: Setting boundaries, showing up for fat people and changing systems for the better. Chaos gremlins unite!

    October Bonus: Semaglutide Discourse And The Making of Our Ozempic Episode

    October Bonus: Semaglutide Discourse And The Making of Our Ozempic Episode

    Phew! We had a wild month putting our Ozempic episode together and we wanted to process how and why it was so difficult with each other and our closest internet-friends. We also wanted to have a looser, less formal recording session to rant about some of the worst Discourse we've seen. Join us in a big group EXASPERATED SIGH.

    We're also sharing a moment of transparency and vulnerability about making this show. We love doing this and it's been tough to put out episodes at the quality we want to lately, so we're taking a minute to think through our release schedule for the next few months. To be clear, the show isn't going anywhere — we're just figuring out a pace that allows us to keep making it for a long time at the level of rigor and quality that you expect from us. Whatever happens with the main feed, monthly bonus episodes will continue uninterrupted.

    Thanks for your support and for bearing with us!

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
969 Ratings

969 Ratings

kelstobin ,

Would happily pay more for more

This is my favorite podcast and I wish there were more episodes.

MelodiousL ,

Fantastic podcast that has now largely been abandoned

I absolutely love this podcast. The hosts, Aubrey and Michael, are fantastic and have a wonderful chemistry that makes them a joy to listen to. The episodes are well-researched and I genuinely learn so much from listening. I give MP a huge amount of credit for helping to change the discourse around fatness and health in our society.

BUT…the show is no longer updated bi-weekly due to the hosts’ other commitments. There hasn’t been a free-to-access episode released since October of 2023, and paying subscribers now only get one episode per month, so I stopped subscribing. That’s really disappointing.

Diddleydiddley ,

Enjoyable and informative

I enjoy the show, I like the style and I appreciate how well informed they are. However, the presenters have biases that lead them to have factual blind spots, and their casual dismissal and even ridicule of any opposition to their beliefs is the big thing that lets the show down. A willingness to reassess these beliefs especially when it is uncomfortable would give these presenters more credibility.

Top Podcasts In Health & Fitness

ZOE Science & Nutrition
ZOE
Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee
Dr Rangan Chatterjee: GP & Author
Huberman Lab
Scicomm Media
Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley
BBC Radio 4
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
iHeartPodcasts
Therapy Works
Julia Samuel

You Might Also Like

If Books Could Kill
Michael Hobbes & Peter Shamshiri
You're Wrong About
Sarah Marshall
You Are Good
Sarah Marshall + Alex Steed
American Hysteria
chelsey weber-smith
Sounds Like A Cult
Amanda Montell & Isa Medina
Cancel Me, Daddy
Katelyn Burns