Last month I had several people ask me for my thoughts about Oprah’s ABC infomercial special on GLP-1 drugs for weight loss. Lately I’ve been writing my Q&A newsletters so far in advance that I didn’t have a chance to respond here until now, when the news cycle has very much moved on. And I wasn’t sure I had anything to add after great pieces by
But I actually think the Oprah special is still worth discussing as part of a larger story about the massive amounts of hype in wellness and diet culture, where that hype comes from, and how to avoid falling for it. The special also presents a good opportunity to practice compassionate skepticism—an approach that I believe is essential for navigating conversations about eating and wellness (and most other subjects) in the current information environment.
So today I want to talk about all that, and hopefully leave you with some ideas for how to keep your cool when it feels like the whole world is losing their sh*t over the latest wellness/diet fad.
