Dhruv Khullar

Marion Nestle, a leading nutrition researcher, and Dhruv Khullar, a physician and contributor, unravel the complexities of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s health agenda amid his controversial stances on vaccines and junk food. They emphasize the urgent need for reform in food politics, focusing on the impacts of ultra-processed foods on public health. Meanwhile, Kelefa Sanneh reflects on the revolutionary influence of Kraftwerk, the pioneers of electronic music, discussing their profound legacy across various music genres and their cultural relevance today.

Dhruv Khullar, a physician and health policy expert who writes for The New Yorker, explores the complexities of modern medicine, comparing it to a Gilded Age. He discusses how groundbreaking innovations often obscure deep systemic issues like rising costs and misaligned incentives. The conversation dives into the effects of private equity on healthcare, the pitfalls of Medicare Advantage, and the significance of clinicians engaging in health policy debates. Khullar emphasizes the need to address access and equity in the healthcare system.

Dr. Dhruv Khullar, a physician and nutrition expert at Cornell, joins to discuss crucial shifts in American science. He highlights how DOGE's influence on funding could undermine medical innovation. Diving into the alarming prevalence of ultra-processed foods, he reveals their role in driving overeating and chronic diseases. Dhruv emphasizes the food industry's impact on public health messaging, urging listeners to scrutinize dietary choices for better health outcomes. His insights shed light on the intersection of policy, science, and lifestyle.

As the COVID-19 pandemic approaches its fourth year, we can begin to gain some clarity on which countries, and which U.S. states, had the best outcomes over time. In a conversation with David Remnick, Dhruv Khullar, a contributing writer and a practicing physician in New York, explains some of the key factors. Robust testing was key for public-health authorities to make good decisions, unsurprisingly. What also seems clear from a distance, Khullar says, is that social cohesion was a decisive underlying condition. This helps explain why the United States did poorly in its pandemic response, despite a technologically advanced health-care system. Peer pressure, in other words, trumped mandates. Khullar also speaks to Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about how misinformation and political polarization inhibit our country’s efforts on public health.

Dhruv Khullar, a New Yorker contributor and health policy professor, shares his harrowing experience at the Korey Stringer Institute, where he underwent a brutal heat test to understand extreme heat's effects on the body. He describes intense symptoms like cramps and dizziness while discussing the dangers of heatstroke with expert Douglas Casa. The podcast emphasizes how climate change is making cases of heat-related illness more common, affecting everyday individuals, not just athletes or laborers, and highlights the urgent need for better preventive measures.