A Matter of Fat

Rose Stokes & Professor Giles Yeo
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Health & Fitness
  • Updated Weekly

The show for anyone who's got no idea what they think about weight in 2026 Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy have changed the conversation around weight and bodies faster than any of us has managed to think it all through. The weight-loss drugs, the diets, the shame, the money and the judgement have left most of us with no idea what we think anymore. Is thinner really better? Or healthier? What is the social and emotional cost of a life spent pursuing it? And can't we all just be kinder to each other? Each week, journalist Rose Stokes and Professor Giles Yeo MBE, one of the world's leading obesity scientists based at Cambridge University, take on a different part of the conversation nobody can quite get straight. One of them brings the science, the other brings thirty years of lived experience. Neither pretends to have it figured out — and they don't always agree. Honest conversations about GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and what they actually do to your body, food noise, why diets fail, semaglutide and the science behind it, what Ozempic is doing to body positivity, ultra-processed food, weight stigma, and who can afford to escape judgement and who can't. Plus two regular segments: Fat Check, testing the science of the internet's wildest weight-loss myths, and Diets I've Survived, rating diets so you don't have to. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow now so you don't miss one. Got a question, a thought, or a story of your own? Email us at amatteroffatpod@gmail.com Artwork: sisterstudiouk Editing: offpaperstudios Producer: Rose Stokes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

  1. 3d ago ·  Video

    Health at Every Budget: Can Money Really Buy Acceptance?

    Who gets to be healthy when nutritious food, time, exercise and weight-loss medication all cost money? A Matter of Fat is a podcast for anyone who has no idea what they think about weight, bodies and the rapidly changing conversation around them. Hosted by journalist Rose Stokes, who brings 30 years of lived experience with weight and obesity, and Dr Giles Yeo, a University of Cambridge scientist who has spent three decades studying why people are small, medium or large in our food environment, this podcast brings together lived experience and science without pretending to have all the answers. In episode four, Rose and Giles ask whether good health is becoming something only wealthier people can afford. We cover: • Why eating healthily can take up a far greater percentage of a lower-income household’s budget • The stark link between childhood obesity and socioeconomic inequality • How time, stress, sleep, location and access to safe spaces shape our health • The £100 to £350 monthly cost of accessing GLP-1 medication privately • Why high prices are pushing some people towards unsafe workarounds • How expiring patents could dramatically reduce the cost of these medications • Why access to medication must also include proper mental health, nutritional and clinical support • Why women make up the vast majority of current GLP-1 users • What needs to change before these drugs become widely accessible • Plus, Rose rates the years she spent exercising in almost every waking moment Transparency: Professor Giles Yeo consults and speaks for Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and Amgen, and has received research grant funding from Novo Nordisk and Amgen. He is joining Amgen's cardiometabolic scientific advisory board, and also consults for Voy. Industry funds most obesity research and these relationships are typical for senior researchers in the field. Rose Stokes has taken GLP-1 medication and writes about weight and the pharmaceutical industry as a freelance journalist. FOLLOW to stay up to date with A Matter of Fat. FIND US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amatteroffatpod/ Rose Stokes: https://www.instagram.com/rosestokes/ Giles Yeo: https://www.instagram.com/gilesyeo/ Questions, thoughts, constructive criticism or a story you want to share? Email us at amatteroffatpod@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  2. Sep 21 ·  Video

    Food Noise vs Jab Noise: Which is Louder?

    Episode 3: GLP-1 medications might quieten food noise, but has the noise around weight-loss jabs become impossible to escape? A Matter of Fat is a podcast for anyone who has no idea what they think about weight, bodies and the rapidly changing conversation around them. Hosted by journalist Rose Stokes, who brings 30 years of lived experience with weight and obesity, and Dr Giles Yeo, a University of Cambridge scientist who has spent three decades studying how the brain influences appetite, this podcast brings together lived experience and science without pretending to have all the answers. In episode three, Rose and Giles explore food noise, the impact of GLP-1 medications on appetite and the relentless advertising making weight loss increasingly difficult to escape. A NOTE ON THE LAW: In the UK, it is illegal to advertise a prescription-only medicine to the public. That is Regulation 284 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. It is legislation enforced by the MHRA, and breaching it is a criminal offence. The advertising industry’s own CAP Code mirrors this at rule 12.12, which is enforced by the ASA. The two are often discussed as though they are the same thing. They are not. One is law, while the other is an advertising code. This is why the ads you see everywhere never name a drug. They advertise the service, such as a consultation that may or may not result in a prescription. CAP’s own guidance tells advertisers to promote the consultation itself rather than the product. That is what makes these adverts legal. The contested ground is advertising that leans so heavily on the service framing that everyone understands exactly what is being sold. The ASA has upheld complaints on that basis, and the MHRA has contacted companies which subsequently amended their advertising. That is not the same as a finding that anyone has broken the law. Nothing in this episode alleges that any company has committed an offence. What we are describing is a pattern of legal advertising working exactly as the rules permit. __ SOURCES: CAP Code section 12, including rule 12.12 https://www.asa.org.uk/type/non_broadcast/code_section/12.html CAP guidance on advertising weight-control prescription-only medicines https://www.asa.org.uk/advice-online/weight-control-prescription-only-medicines.html Joint statement from the MHRA, ASA and GPhC, June 2026 https://www.asa.org.uk/news/asa-partners-with-mhra-and-gphc-to-reinforce-rules-on-the-advertising-of-weight-loss-drugs-online.html ASA warning to weight-loss drug advertisers https://www.asa.org.uk/news/asa-issues-warning-to-weight-loss-drug-advertisers.html GPhC enforcement notice on weight-management prescription medicine ads, April 2026 https://www.pharmacyregulation.org/about-us/news-and-updates/updated-enforcement-notice-issued-weight-management-prescription-medicine-ads MHRA Blue Guide: Advertising and promotion of medicines in the UK https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/blue-guide-advertising-and-promoting-medicines ASA rulings database https://www.asa.org.uk/codes-and-rulings/rulings.html Professor Giles Yeo consults and speaks for Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and Amgen, and has received research grant funding from Novo Nordisk and Amgen. He is joining Amgen's cardiometabolic scientific advisory board, and also consults for Voy. Industry funds most obesity research and these relationships are typical for senior researchers in the field. Rose Stokes has taken GLP-1 medication and writes about weight and the pharmaceutical industry as a freelance journalist. __ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amatteroffatpod/ Rose Stokes: https://www.instagram.com/rosestokes/ Giles Yeo: https://www.instagram.com/gilesyeo/ Email us at amatteroffatpod@gmail.com Press contact: Rosie Cooper, Coventry University Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  3. Sep 14 ·  Video

    After The After: If We Know Diets Don't Work, Why Do We Still Try?

    What happens after the dramatic “after” photo? A Matter of Fat is a podcast for anyone who has no idea what they think about weight, bodies and the rapidly changing conversation around them. Hosted by journalist Rose Stokes, who brings 30 years of lived experience with weight and obesity, and Dr Giles Yeo, a University of Cambridge scientist who has spent three decades studying the genetics of body weight, this podcast brings together lived experience and science without pretending to have all the answers. In episode two, Rose and Giles explore why diets can appear to work, why the weight so often comes back and what years of restriction can do to our bodies and minds. We cover: • Whether it’s really true that 95% of diets fail • Why the brain fights back when we lose weight • Rose’s experience of starting Weight Watchers at just 11 years old • Losing a third of her body weight within a coercive relationship • Why maintaining weight loss can require eating less than someone who was never heavier • The pressure to perform as a “good fat person” • Plus, we fact-check negative-calorie foods and rate the Atkins diet THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY MINDFUL CHEF Get 30% off your first four boxes, plus free delivery on your first order, with code AMATTEROFFATPOD. Order at: http://mindfulchef.com/ RESOURCES Mann et al. (2007), UCLA: “Dieting Does Not Work” https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/Dieting-Does-Not-Work-UCLA-Researchers-7832 TRANSPARENCY Professor Giles Yeo consults and speaks for Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and Amgen, and has received research grant funding from Novo Nordisk and Amgen. He is joining Amgen's cardiometabolic scientific advisory board, and also consults for Voy. Industry funds most obesity research and these relationships are typical for senior researchers in the field. Rose Stokes has taken GLP-1 medication and writes about weight and the pharmaceutical industry as a freelance journalist. This episode is sponsored by Mindful Chef, who had no involvement in the episode beyond their own advertising. FOLLOW to stay up to date with A Matter of Fat. FIND US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amatteroffatpod/ Rose Stokes: https://www.instagram.com/rosestokes/ Giles Yeo: https://www.instagram.com/gilesyeo/ Questions, thoughts or a story you want to share? Email us at amatteroffatpod@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  4. Sep 14 ·  Video

    Ozempic Shrinks Everything Except the Shame

    What are we supposed to think about weight in 2026? A Matter of Fat is a new podcast for anyone who has no idea what they think about weight, bodies and the rapidly changing conversation around them. Hosted by journalist Rose Stokes, who brings 30 years of lived experience with weight and obesity, and Dr Giles Yeo, a University of Cambridge scientist who has spent three decades studying the genetics of body weight, this podcast brings together lived experience and science without pretending to have all the answers. In our first episode, we confront the elephant in the room: Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy and the arrival of GLP-1 weight-loss medications. We cover: • What GLP-1 medications actually do inside the body • Why weight and appetite are not simply a matter of willpower • Rose and Giles’ own experiences of taking weight-loss medication • Why Giles kept his Wegovy use secret and felt like a fraud • Whether weight-loss drugs really cause muscle loss • Why weight stigma can make losing weight harder, not easier • Plus, we fact-check “nature’s Ozempic” and revisit Rose’s disastrous experience with Orlistat FOLLOW to stay up to date with A Matter of Fat. RESOURCES: Pennington Biomedical Research Center: Food noise study https://www.pbrc.edu/news/media/2026/food-noise-eco.aspx The Food Noise Questionnaire https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.24216 UCL and BMC Medicine: 1.6 million UK adults used weight-loss drugs in the past year https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1111695 Major, Rathbone, Blodorn and Hunger: The Countervailing Effects of Weight Stigma on Weight-Loss Motivation and Perceived Capacity for Weight Control https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0146167220903184 Sutin and Terracciano: Perceived Weight Discrimination and Obesity https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0070048 TRANSPARENCY: Professor Giles Yeo consults and speaks for Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and Amgen, and has received research grant funding from Novo Nordisk and Amgen. He is joining Amgen's cardiometabolic scientific advisory board, and also consults for Voy. Industry funds most obesity research and these relationships are typical for senior researchers in the field. Rose Stokes has taken GLP-1 medication and writes about weight and the pharmaceutical industry as a freelance journalist. FIND US 👇 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amatteroffatpod/ Rose Stokes: https://www.instagram.com/rosestokes/ Giles Yeo: https://www.instagram.com/gilesyeo/ Questions, thoughts, constructive criticism or a story you want to share? Email us: amatteroffatpod@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  5. Aug 27

    TRAILER: A Matter of Fat

    Trailer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • 5 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

The show for anyone who's got no idea what they think about weight in 2026 Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy have changed the conversation around weight and bodies faster than any of us has managed to think it all through. The weight-loss drugs, the diets, the shame, the money and the judgement have left most of us with no idea what we think anymore. Is thinner really better? Or healthier? What is the social and emotional cost of a life spent pursuing it? And can't we all just be kinder to each other? Each week, journalist Rose Stokes and Professor Giles Yeo MBE, one of the world's leading obesity scientists based at Cambridge University, take on a different part of the conversation nobody can quite get straight. One of them brings the science, the other brings thirty years of lived experience. Neither pretends to have it figured out — and they don't always agree. Honest conversations about GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and what they actually do to your body, food noise, why diets fail, semaglutide and the science behind it, what Ozempic is doing to body positivity, ultra-processed food, weight stigma, and who can afford to escape judgement and who can't. Plus two regular segments: Fat Check, testing the science of the internet's wildest weight-loss myths, and Diets I've Survived, rating diets so you don't have to. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow now so you don't miss one. Got a question, a thought, or a story of your own? Email us at amatteroffatpod@gmail.com Artwork: sisterstudiouk Editing: offpaperstudios Producer: Rose Stokes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Rose Stokes & Professor Giles Yeo
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Rose Stokes & Professor Giles Yeo.
  • Show Website
    A Matter of Fat

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