>> Dr. Terry Simpson: Here's a question for you. Is obesity a

lifestyle choice? Short answer,

Absolutely not. Long answer. That's

what this podcast is about.

Buckle up, because today we're going to unravel the

complex, fascinating, and occasionally

ridiculous way our brains, ultra

processed food, and a little hormone called

GLP1 are running the show when it comes to

obesity. Oh, and spoiler alert.

Calling obesity a, uh, lifestyle choice is not only

incorrect, it is also fat shaming.

So let's put that nonsense to

rest.

I am your Chief Medical Explanationist, Dr. Terry

Simpson, and this is Forku

Fork University, where we bust myths, make

sense of the madness, and learn a little bit about food

and medicine.

Let's start with the oldest, most tired

advice in the world. Just eat less

and move more. It's the go to slogan of

diet culture, printed on motivational posters

and yelled by personal trainers everywhere.

And guess what? It's as useful as

telling a person with depression to just cheer

up. If that advice worked, this

podcast would be about something way more fun,

like how to make a perfect sourdough bread.

The reality is, obesity isn't just about

calories in and calories out. It's a

complex interplay of your brain, your

biology, and the world around you. A

world stuffed to the gills with ultra

processed foods engineered to make you eat

more. I'm talking about foods so refined

they could pass as a contestant on the

Bachelor. But why do we keep eating them? This

brings me to my next point. Your brain is not

your BFF when it comes to food.

And here's the thing. Your brain has one job when it

comes to food. To keep you alive. And

it's stuck in the caveman mode,

constantly afraid you're going to starve.

So when you eat that bag of chips or that tub of ice cream,

your brain throws a party. Why? Because

these foods are packed with calories. And your brain

sees calories as survival. The

problem. Ultra processed foods

hack to the system. They're designed to hit

reward centers of your brain harder than a toddler hits a

pinata. They combine sugar, fat, and

salt into an unholy trinity of

deliciousness that keeps you coming back for more.

Your brain doesn't stand a chance. It's like playing

poker against a deck full of aces. And you're going to lose

every time. Oh, and let's not

forget the lovely hormone Ghrelin. The

I'm hungry hormone. Think of Ghrelin as

your annoying co worker who keeps reminding

you it's lunchtime even though you just ate. And guess

what? Ultra processed foods can

Amplify ghrelin's effects, making you

feel hungrier and eat more. It's a

vicious cycle.

Now let's talk about the hero of our story, modern

medicine and the GLP1s.

GLP1 is a hormone that helps you regulate your

appetite. And it's key to understanding why

obesity isn't just a willpower issue. You

see, GLP1 tells your brain, hey, you're full. You can stop

eating now. But for people with

obesity, that system is out of whack.

Enter GLP1. Like semaglutide

or Mounjaro. These medications mimic

the effect of GLP1, essentially whispering to the brain,

hey, chill out. You don't need another slice of pizza. And the

results? People lose a significant amount

of weight not just because they suddenly develop

superhuman willpower, but because their biology

is finally working with them instead of

against them. And here's the kicker.

These drugs have shown us that obesity isn't about

eating too much. It's a disease. A

complex chronic condition influenced by your

genes, your hormones, and, yes, that sneaky brain

of yours. And when you treat it like a

disease, guess what happens? People get

better.

Now, uh, let's tackle the elephant in the room. The idea that

obesity is a lifestyle choice. I'm just going to say it.

This is one of the most damaging myths out there. Calling

obesity a lifestyle choice is like calling an

asthmatic a bad breathing decision.

It's not just wrong, it's harmful.

When we frame obesity as a lifestyle choice, we're

essentially saying, if you're overweight, it's your fault.

That kind of thinking leads to the stigmata, shame, and

discrimination. And guess what? Shame is not a good

motivator for change. If it were, the

gym would be packed with people who got roasted at

Thanksgiving dinner. Let's be clear. When

lifestyle factors like diet and exercise contribute to

obesity, they're not the sole cause. Genetics plays a

massive role, as does the food environment we live

in. Blaming someone for their obesity is like blaming

someone for living in a city with terrible air quality. Sure,

they can try and breathe better, but the odds are stacked against

them. And let's take a moment to appreciate how

diabolical ultra processed foods really

are. These aren't just foods.

They're science experiments designed to keep you

eating. They're hyper palatable, calorie

dense, often stripped of fiber and nutrients.

It's like the evil twin of a home cooked

meal. Here's a fun fact. Studies have shown

that people eat more when they consume ultra

processed foods. About 500

calories a day more. And guess what?

Those calories add up over time. That's

how you end up with weight gain, metabolic issues, and

a lifelong addiction to Doritos.

In my case, maybe it's Reese's. Ultra

processed foods aren't just bad for your waistline,

they're bad for your brain. They can hijack your

dopamine system, making you crave more and more.

It's like that one X. You can't quit texting at

2am you know it's bad for you, but you do it

anyway. So what have we learned today? To

recap, obesity is a disease. It has

been diagnosed as a disease since 2013.

It is not a lifestyle choice. Blaming people

for their obesity is not only wrong, it's unhelpful

and cruel. Two, your brain and hormones

are driving the bus and ultra processed foods are out there slashing

the tires. Three GLP1 drugs,

uh, are game changers. They've shown us that treating obesity

as a medical condition can lead to real society, sustainable

results. The bottom line, we

need to stop shaming people for their weight and start

addressing the root causes of obesity, starting with the food environment

and the biologic factors that drive

overconsumption. And here's one final

kicker. You know your body makes its own

GLP1. Did you know that ultra

processed food starts

feeding bacteria in your

microbiome that actually destroy the

cells that make GLP1? So imagine

this. Ultra processed foods not

only hack your brain into wanting to eat more, I

mean, you can't just eat one, but

they also promote a microbiome or the bacteria in your

gut that destroy the cells that make your own

endogenous GLP1. Oh, by the

way, is there something you can do to help

your cells make more GLP1 and

support a healthy microbiome? Yeah, turns out

eating more fiber, specifically a kind of fiber called

inulin, can do that. Well, that's

all for today's episode of Fork youk. If you've learned one thing, let it

be obesity isn't about bad choices. It's about bad

systems. And now we understand it better,

we can start treating it better.

Until next time, I'm Dr. Terry Simpson, your chief medical

explanationist, reminding you to love your food, love your body,

and remember, it's not about the fork in your

hand. It's about what's at the end of it. This

episode was written and researched by me, Dr. Terry Simpson.

You can find references in my blog

post@yourdoctorsorders.com and

forku.com and please. If you're going to

start a diet, start a diet for your nutrition.

Think about the Mediterranean or the- diet. And on my website,

Dr.terrysimpson.com, i actually have a course about the Mediterranean

diet. Before you start any diet,

please see your doctor. I am not your

doctor, but someone is. And please make sure

they're a western trained board certified physician,

not a chiropractor. Or please see a registered

dietitian. Your doctor and the dietitian will know

your particular health issues and can help with

diet that is good and nutritious and delicious for

you. Until next time. We'll

see you later. Have a great week and thanks to our friends at Simpler

Media and The pod God, Mr. Mr. Evo

Terra, for helping to distribute this

episode.

Remember when you were on the beer and sausage diet?

Could you just drink one beer?

You mean one right after another? Uh,

yeah, sure.