Maintenance Phase

By Aubrey Gordon & Michael Hobbes

Education History

What's Maintenance Phase about?

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

4.9

1,870 ratings

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LAST EPISODE

BONUS: The Conservative Die...

06.06.2023

We're taking a much-needed break this week so to tide you over here is one of our bonus episodes! Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastThanks to ...

Maintenance Phase episodes:

06.06.2023 BONUS: The Conservative Diet Books of Yore We're taking a much-needed break this week so to tide you over here is one of our bonus episodes! Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastThanks to ...
05.23.2023 Oprah v. Beef Part 2: Apocalypse Cow The closing argument of our two-part Oprahsode starts in a Texas courtroom, wanders through some British slaughterhouses and ends with an emu. Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's ...
05.09.2023 Oprah v. Beef Part 1: The Rise of "Veggie Libel" On April 16, 1996, Oprah Winfrey did a show about mad cow disease. Six weeks later, a couple of Texas cattlemen had a cow (sorry). Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's ...
04.25.2023 The 10,000 Steps Myth This week we're digging into the weird history of an omnipresent fitness goal. Episode comes free with a happy meal. Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastLinks!10,000 ...
04.11.2023 The Trouble with Sugar This week we're tackling three big ideas about sugar: It causes hyperactivity in kids, it's as addictive as cocaine and it raises blood sugar in universal, predictably spiky ways. Thanks to David Johnston for helping us with sources for this ...
03.28.2023 "Forks Over Knives": Is a Vegetarian Diet Better For You? A viral documentary says a "whole foods plant-based diet" will prevent heart disease and cure cancer. But once we look into the MEAT of the matter will we find factual CREAM of the crop or will we cry FOWL? (we're ...
03.14.2023 The Instagram Fiber Feud Aubrey tells Mike about the diet that took over New York City (and its bathrooms). Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastLinks!F-Factor drama timelineWhat Is the F-Factor ...
02.28.2023 Doctors Have a New Plan for Fat Kids Last month the American Academy of Pediatrics released a new set of guidelines for "childhood obesity." We have some comments. Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's new bookListen to Mike's new ...
02.14.2023 Elizabeth Taylor's "Elizabeth Takes Off" History should make you feel weird and so, apparently, should diet books. Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's new bookListen to Mike's new podcast Links!Elizabeth Takes OffElizabeth: The Life of Elizabeth ...
01.03.2023 “Glorifying Obesity” And Other Myths About Fat People This week, we're talking about Aubrey's new book, "'You Just Need To Lose Weight' and 19 Other Myths About Fat People." And we're yelling about Piers Morgan as a little treat. Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance ...
12.20.2022 Workplace Wellness Charging disabled people more for health care is illegal. But what about ... charging non-disabled people less? Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's new bookListen to Mike's new podcast Links! A ...
11.15.2022 The Food Pyramid In the 1990s, the Food Pyramid was one of the most recognizable symbols in nutrition education. But where did it come from? Why was it created by the agriculture department? And why did it tell us to eat a whole ...
11.08.2022 Bonus: Mike's New Podcast! Mike and Aubrey introduce Mike's new show, If Books Could Kill! Find it on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google and wherever else you get your podcasts. Also, don't forget to pre-order Aubrey's new book! Support us: Subscribe on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet ...
11.01.2022 The Daily Harvest Food Poisoning Scandal “Herpes is basically living the dream” — Aubrey Gordon. Support us: Subscribe on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase shirts, stickers and more Check out Mike's other podcast, If Books Could KillPre-order Aubrey's book!Links!Marion Nestle's "Safe Food"The vomiting, diarrhea, and gallbladder ...
10.18.2022 Mini-Sode: The Dr. Oz Campaign Pennsylvania listeners check your registration here! Mike and Aubrey break down the policies and promises of Dr. Oz's Senate campaign in Pennsylvania. Plus! A re-run of our complete Dr. Oz episode from last year. Support us: Subscribe on PatreonDonate on ...
10.11.2022 Paul Bragg & The Rise of Apple Cider Vinegar Health claims about apple cider vinegar are everywhere. But are they true? This week, we hop into the wayback machine for the story of America's first health influencer. (That's not true, but neither is anything else in this episode.) Thanks ...
09.27.2022 The French Paradox How an early-'90s newsmagazine show convinced a generation of Americans to start drinking red wine. For the antioxidants! Special thanks to Susanne Stolpe and Alexander H. Sandtorv for helping us fact-check this episode! Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on ...
09.13.2022 Goop Do we even need to write a description? It's the Goopisode! Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!How Goop’s Haters Made Gwyneth Paltrow’s Company Worth $250 MillionHow Gwyneth Paltrow took Goop from a ...
09.06.2022 BONUS: Moon Juice Taste Test This week's episode is running late so here's something to tide you over! Last year, we did an episode on Gwyneth-adjacent influencer Amanda Chantal Bacon and her wellness company, Moon Juice. This year we decided to TASTE THE DUST. This ...
08.23.2022 The Scarsdale Diet Murder feat. Sarah Marshall In 1982 a murder captured America's imagination. Forty years later, two podcasts joined forces to talk about it. Hear more from Sarah at You're Wrong About and You Are Good! Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase ...
08.09.2022 “French Women Don't Get Fat” A dieting book or a how-to guide for an eating disorder? Pourquoi pas les deux ? Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Links!The By The Book episode The NYT interview with Mireille ...
07.26.2022 Pete Evans Part 2: COVID & Consequences "Celebrity chef Pete Evans has activated his last almond with the Seven Network." Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!Pete Evans on COVID-19 restrictions Pete Evans on who gets COVID Introducing the BioCharger ...
07.12.2022 Pete Evans Part 1: The Paleo Way How a beloved TV chef became one of Australia's most polarizing public figures. Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Links!Going Paleo: What Prehistoric Man Actually AteThe Paleo Way (video clip) Paleolithic nutrition ...
06.28.2022 The Worm Wars In 1998, a researcher rolled out an innovative approach to education. And in 2015, Methodology Twitter had a big fight about it. Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!The original 2004 paperThe 2015 ...
06.07.2022 Calorie Menu Labeling This year, the UK implemented a law requiring chain restaurants to list calorie counts on their menus. Where did these policies come from? What impact do they have? And why is a Julia Roberts quote from 1990 the best way ...
05.24.2022 The Trouble With Calories Weight loss is as simple as “calories in, calories out,” right? Or — gasp — could the reply guys be wrong!? This week, we dig in on the surprisingly complex science behind a seemingly simple calculation. Support us:Hear bonus episodes ...
05.10.2022 Diet Book Deep Dive: “How To Take 20 Pounds Off Your Man” This week, Mike and Aubrey take on a manual for creep behavior masquerading as a diet book. Along the way, we cover shopping guides, journalism salaries and the proper preparation of Cornish game hens. We love our curvy husbands. Support ...
04.19.2022 Zombie Statistics Spectacular! Debunking some of the most widely repeated myths about fat and health. Here's Mike's new video! Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
04.05.2022 Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma" How a liberal journalist entrenched a libertarian fantasy. Thanks to Sarah Taber for helping us with the research for this episode! Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!Julie Guthman's "Weighing In" Rachel Laudan's ...
03.29.2022 Bonus: Fad Diets This week's show is still in the oven so we're releasing one of our first Patreon bonus episodes. We asked our listeners for the wildest and wackiest fad diets they've ever tried and ended up doing mini-deep dives into The ...
03.15.2022 Jordan Peterson Part 2: The Moscow Diaries In 2019, Jordan Peterson disappeared from public life. One year later, he re-emerged with a diagnosis, a story and no self-reflection whatsoever. Thanks to Katelyn Burns and Talia Lavin for help fact-checking this episode and Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely ...
03.01.2022 Jordan Peterson Part 1: The Carnivore Diet Oops all meat: How a '50s bodybuilder, a Grateful Dead roadie and an unreadable professor accidentally launched one of America's wildest fad diets. Here's Mike's "Cancel Culture" video! Note: In our discussion of Jordan Peterson’s political correctness lecture, I made ...
02.15.2022 "Super Size Me" Aubrey thought she could swear less in this week’s episode. She was wrong. Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more Links! Super Size Me Trailer"Super Size Me" - CBS NewsWhere's the Beef? The ...
02.01.2022 "Illness Influencer" Belle Gibson In 2015, Belle Gibson was an Australian "eco-preneur" with a vegetarian cookbook, a blockbuster wellness app and a terminal cancer diagnosis. Today, she's one of the most hated figures in the country. Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet ...
01.18.2022 Diet Book Deep Dive: The Karl Lagerfeld Diet Who’s that Bond villain stroking a cat and yelling at beloved public figures? It’s Karl Lagerfeld! This week, Mike and Aubrey go in on fashion’s favorite turbo troll and his fancy, joyless diet. This episode serves four. Support us:Hear bonus ...
01.04.2022 Fat Camps How America's oldest fat camp — and the inspiration for Disney’s "Heavyweights" — became the symbol of a health intervention that enjoys worldwide popularity despite no evidence that it improves anyone's health. Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet ...
12.14.2021 The "Sleep Loss Epidemic" Matthew Walker's "Why We Sleep" was one of the most popular and acclaimed wellness books of 2017. There's just one problem: Much of it isn't true. Thanks to University of Ottawa Postdoctoral Fellow Dylan Smith for helping us with the ...
11.30.2021 Vibrators It's a sexual health episode! This week, Mike and Aubrey dive into the hotly debated medical history of vibrators and ask: who fact-checks the fact-checkers? Note: A previous version of this episode included language that referred to “the female downstairs,” ...
11.16.2021 Is Being Fat Bad For You? For nearly four decades, Americans have heard a simple story about health, longevity and obesity. This week, we learn it's a little more complicated. Thanks to Katherine Flegal, Paul Campos, Jeff Hunger and Jason Salemi for helping us research and ...
10.26.2021 Diet Book Deep Dive: Angela Lansbury's "Positive Moves" At the height of her "Murder She Wrote" fame, Angela Lansbury released a home workout video full of synth music, peach jumpsuits and ~sensuality~. This week, we’re exploring the anti-Goop-ness of Angela’s fitness book and video, "Positive Moves."! It gets ...
10.12.2021 Rachel Hollis Part 2: Girl, Start Apologizing In the sequel (sorry) to our first installment, we take a deep dive into Rachel's wildly problematic books and deeply weird downfall. Along the way we discuss allyship etiquette, MLMs and Ronald Reagan. We remain convinced that getting matching tattoos ...
09.28.2021 Rachel Hollis Part 1: Hashtag Relatable Girl, stop reinforcing the status quo. Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreVideos!The infamous Tik TokMomfession: I get up at 5 amThe "bikini mom" talkHow To Start A Podcast Support the show
09.14.2021 Marianne Williamson Last year, spiritual leader Marianne Williamson made headlines when she ran for president. But 10 years earlier, she wrote a bestselling book that promised to teach readers how to “surrender" their weight forever. This week, Mike and Aubrey take a ...
08.31.2021 The Great Protein Fiasco How Nestlé executives, global health institutions and a very racist white lady seeded a series of nutritional misconceptions we're still living with today. Special thanks to John Nott for helping us out with this episode! Here's his papers on the ...
08.17.2021 The Obesity Epidemic Over the last 30 years, fatness has been defined as a risk factor for disease, then a disease in itself, then a global epidemic. What caused this rapid shift? Who’s gonna join our group of B-roll vigilantes? And did we ...
08.03.2021 The Body Mass Index The BMI is EVERYWHERE. But is it scientific or scientif-ish? While many Americans think of the body mass index as an objective measure of health, its history reveals a more complicated story. This week, Mike and Aubrey tackle the first ...
07.20.2021 School Lunches, P-Hacking and the Original "Pizzagate" This week we're diving into one of the biggest-ever scandals in nutrition research. For nearly two decades, Brian Wansink's Food and Brand Lab told Americans that lower weights, healthier workplaces and better school lunches were just a few small tweaks ...
07.06.2021 The Keto Diet So long, root vegetables! This week, we dive into the strange and surprising history of the 100-year-old ketogenic diet. Along the way, we encounter a Victorian bodybuilder, an infamous podcast bro and the possibility of a bad Meryl Streep performance ...
06.22.2021 Oprah Winfrey & "John of God" Special guest Kimberly Springer joins us to talk about an infamous, dangerous faith healer and his two — two! — appearances on Oprah's talk show. This episode contains, we're sorry to say, detailed descriptions of sexual assault. Buy Kimberly's books:Stories ...
06.08.2021 Oprah Winfrey & The “Wagon of Fat” Do you have weird feelings about Oprah? So do we, and so does our guest! Kimberly Springer, co-editor of "Stories of Oprah: The Oprahfication of American Culture," joins us to talk about the rise of Oprah Winfrey and her infamous ...

Older episodes

Maintenance Phase

What's Maintenance Phase about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Maintenance Phase episodes:

BONUS: The Conservative Diet Books of Yore

Oprah v. Beef Part 2: Apocalypse Cow

Oprah v. Beef Part 1: The Rise of "Veggie Libel"

The 10,000 Steps Myth

The Trouble with Sugar

"Forks Over Knives": Is a Vegetarian Diet Better For You?

The Instagram Fiber Feud

Doctors Have a New Plan for Fat Kids

Elizabeth Taylor's "Elizabeth Takes Off"

“Glorifying Obesity” And Other Myths About Fat People

Workplace Wellness

The Food Pyramid

Bonus: Mike's New Podcast!

The Daily Harvest Food Poisoning Scandal

Mini-Sode: The Dr. Oz Campaign

Paul Bragg & The Rise of Apple Cider Vinegar

The French Paradox

Goop

BONUS: Moon Juice Taste Test

The Scarsdale Diet Murder feat. Sarah Marshall

“French Women Don't Get Fat”

Pete Evans Part 2: COVID & Consequences

Pete Evans Part 1: The Paleo Way

The Worm Wars

Calorie Menu Labeling

The Trouble With Calories

Diet Book Deep Dive: “How To Take 20 Pounds Off Your Man”

Zombie Statistics Spectacular!

Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma"

Bonus: Fad Diets

Jordan Peterson Part 2: The Moscow Diaries

Jordan Peterson Part 1: The Carnivore Diet

"Super Size Me"

"Illness Influencer" Belle Gibson

Diet Book Deep Dive: The Karl Lagerfeld Diet

Fat Camps

The "Sleep Loss Epidemic"

Vibrators

Is Being Fat Bad For You?

Diet Book Deep Dive: Angela Lansbury's "Positive Moves"

Rachel Hollis Part 2: Girl, Start Apologizing

Rachel Hollis Part 1: Hashtag Relatable

Marianne Williamson

The Great Protein Fiasco

The Obesity Epidemic

The Body Mass Index

School Lunches, P-Hacking and the Original "Pizzagate"

The Keto Diet

Oprah Winfrey & "John of God"

Oprah Winfrey & The “Wagon of Fat”