What are the top myths in the health and fitness industry? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly explore pseudoscience, “quick fix” fads like Ozempic, and how to navigate wellness with exercise scientist, Dr. Nick Tiller.
Are all fitness trends bogus? Do some have some benefits that just get exaggerated? We parse through plausible claims versus implausible ones. Is there any harm to the placebo effect? We talk about pseudoscience, whatstheharm.net, and whether we are equipped to handle modern marketing tactics. We discuss the interplay between intuition and intellect: how do we determine if a claim is real or fake?
We dive into common health and wellness industry myths. Can there be simple solutions to complex problems? We explore our human need for efficiency and whether that is the same as laziness. What type of exercise is best? Do any dietary supplements work? Learn how the FDA treats dietary supplements and why you should be wary of quick fixes.
We talk about the health impacts of fad dieting and how to handle fitness and lifestyle trends in the media. Does someone having a large audience equal expertise? We discuss the impact professional athletes have on the health and wellness industry and claims made in chiropractic. All that, plus, how can we skeptically approach fitness and maintain our health?
Find Dr. Nick Tiller on Twitter @NBTiller, or on his website at www.nbtiller.com.
Thanks to our Patrons David Butler, Aliaksandra Basalayeva, Savage162, Nicholas Pompelia, Fred Lombardo, and Kris Brown for supporting us this week.
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Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!
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00:00 – Being a Health and Wellness Skeptic
03:20 – Working in Fitness and Wellness Skepticism
05:45 – What’s the Harm? Placebo Effect & Disinformation
11:00 – Are We Equipped to Navigate Modern Marketing?
17:00 – Leaving Pseudoscience Unchecked
20:35 – Fiction #1: Simple Solutions to Complex Problems
26:45 – Fiction #2: Exercise Means Weight Loss
31:50 – Fiction #3: Supplements Are Necessary For Your Health
38:00 – Economics of Eating Healthy
40:57 – Fiction #4: Muscle Turns to Fat
43:00 – Fiction #5: Followers Are Credentials
48:05 – Fiction #6: Chiropractic
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