The Gist
The Gist
Peach Fish Productions
Virginia Sole-Smith: "Weight loss is not the solution."
39 minutes Posted Aug 28, 2026 at 10:00 pm.
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Today on The Gist, guest host Scott introduces a debate between Mike Pesca and Virginia Sole-Smith, author of Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture. Sole-Smith argues that genetics largely dictate body size and that systemic weight stigma and diet culture cause far more damage than high body weight itself. Pesca pushes back, questioning whether downplaying obesity's strong correlations to chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease ignores serious public health risks, while Sole-Smith maintains that true healthcare must abandon the failed mandate of intentional weight loss.


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Produced by Corey Wara

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