The Fat Doctor Podcast

Dr Asher Larmie
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Jan 21, 2026 • 39min

There is no such thing as a healthy weight

Send us a textWe've been told our entire lives that there's such a thing as a "healthy weight" - but the foundations of this belief are built on quicksand. In this episode, I trace the shocking history of how weight categories were created, exposing the corrupt origins of BMI and "ideal weight" tables invented by life insurance companies to maximize profits. I reveal how Louis Dublin, an employee of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company who literally wrote a book called "The Money Value of a Man," created arbitrary weight standards that had no basis in reality - and how these numbers kept dropping with no scientific justification.What would life be like if Dublin had got decided that "abnormally tall" people needed to shrink to be healthy? I use this thought experiment to demonstrate the absurdity of medicalizing body size, especially since we've no evidence that “excess weight” causes illness or that intentional weight loss improves health outcomes.Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know! Connect With Me WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign up THE WEIGHTING ROOM: A community where authenticity thrives and every voice matters The CONSULTING ROOM: Get answers to all your medical questions via DM or Voice Note PLUS access to my entire library of paid resources CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journe THE WEIGH FORWARD: For people who are being denied surgery because of their weight FREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsense Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
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Jan 14, 2026 • 33min

I Wrote A Book!

Send us a text After three false starts and years of research, I've finally finished the first draft of No Weigh. This wasn't supposed to be just another book debunking weight science—it became something more fundamental. I realized I'd been centering myself as a doctor, performing credibility for my colleagues, when I should have been writing for fat patients. This book is for us, about us, written by one of us who happens to have a medical degree. I'm done performing humility and apologizing for the evidence. I'm done trying to convince resistant doctors who already see the truth in their own clinical practice but refuse to acknowledge it. Instead, I'm bringing receipts to validate what you already know: the treatment is the problem, the cure doesn't work, and it's all been by design. From the shocking corruption in UK guidelines with 31-page stakeholder lists, to what we're doing to children, to the fundamental lie that there's such a thing as a "healthy weight"—I'm exposing it all, not to convince doctors, but to arm fat people with the evidence we need to fight back. Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know! Connect With Me WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign up THE WEIGHTING ROOM: A community where authenticity thrives and every voice matters The CONSULTING ROOM: Get answers to all your medical questions via DM or Voice Note PLUS access to my entire library of paid resources CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journe THE WEIGH FORWARD: For people who are being denied surgery because of their weight FREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsense Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
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Dec 17, 2025 • 28min

Seasons Greetings from the Fat Doctor

Send us a text In this season finale, I'm stripping away the should-dos and reminding you of what truly matters: your rest is non-negotiable, your boundaries deserve enforcement, and joy isn't something you earn—it's your birthright. I share what I've learned about unmasking, choosing authenticity over performance, and grabbing those small moments of joy even when the world feels overwhelming. This isn't about toxic positivity—it's about protecting your peace in a world that constantly demands you put yourself last. Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know! Connect With Me WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign up THE WEIGHTING ROOM: A community where authenticity thrives and every voice matters The CONSULTING ROOM: Get answers to all your medical questions via DM or Voice Note PLUS access to my entire library of paid resources CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journe THE WEIGH FORWARD: For people who are being denied surgery because of their weight FREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsense Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
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Dec 10, 2025 • 36min

Destroying 10 Lies That Are Used to Justify Weight Based Discrimination

The discussion dismantles ten arguments used to justify weight-based discrimination. Fat individuals are often wrongly blamed for their health risks. The podcast explores how stigma worsens health outcomes and challenges the misconception that being fat is merely a choice. With a critical look at economic claims, it emphasizes that higher healthcare costs stem from discrimination, not weight. Ultimately, it highlights the need for equal treatment and questions society's moral superiority when denying care.
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Dec 3, 2025 • 37min

The Logical Fallacies That Season Your Holiday Fatphobia

This holiday season, unravel the tangled web of weight and health misconceptions. Discover how claims equating fat to poor health often stem from logical fallacies. Learn to challenge 'everybody knows' statements and question supposed expert authority. Get insights on how vague language masks weak arguments and perpetuates discrimination. Equip yourself with evidence and nuanced thinking to counter fatphobia from relatives and the media. Prepare to debunk common justifications next time someone tries to pit health against body size!
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Nov 19, 2025 • 48min

When Healthcare Becomes Compliance Theater

Send us a textHealthcare's approach to diabetes has become less about treating a disease and more about fixing the person. In this episode, I walk through Cosmo's fictional-but-familiar journey from diagnosis through multiple medications to a specialist referral that came with a homework assignment. When we receive forms asking us to set goals, rate our confidence, and think about what our blood sugar levels "mean to us" before we've even met a clinician, we're being set up to fail. I examine how medical professionals have shifted responsibility for treatment outcomes onto patients, turning a manageable chronic condition into a moral failure requiring correction—and why this approach drives people away from the care they desperately need. If you're dreading your next diabetic review, my online course gives you everything the diabetes clinic should have given you: understanding, empowerment, and practical tools—without the shame. Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know! Connect With Me WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign up THE WEIGHTING ROOM: A community where authenticity thrives and every voice matters The CONSULTING ROOM: Get answers to all your medical questions via DM or Voice Note PLUS access to my entire library of paid resources CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journe THE WEIGH FORWARD: For people who are being denied surgery because of their weight FREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsense Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
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Nov 12, 2025 • 32min

Ignoring the Harm: Why We Justify Suffering for Weight Loss

The podcast discusses the often-overlooked harms of intentional weight loss, emphasizing ethical responsibilities in healthcare. It reveals how dieting can lead to reduced metabolism, increased appetite, and hormonal disruptions, along with risks of eating disorders and mental health issues. With a critical eye, it challenges the societal narrative that prioritizes thinness over the well-being of fat individuals, exposing the profit-driven motives behind the weight loss industry. Ultimately, it advocates for a compassionate approach that doesn't impose suffering for the sake of appearance.
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Nov 5, 2025 • 28min

Why It's So Hard To Just BE Fat

Send us a text We've been taught to hate and fear fat bodies in equal measure—for social reasons, moral reasons, and medicalized health reasons that justify the first two. Society tells us fat people don't belong, that we're unacceptable, abnormal, and undesirable. We're judged as lazy, undisciplined moral failures who are stealing resources from those who deserve them. And when these prejudices become too uncomfortable to defend, health concern provides the perfect cover. In this episode, I break down exactly why it's so hard to accept that it's okay to be fat, even for rational, critical-thinking people who should know better. Because when you understand why society has framed fat bodies as a problem, you can begin to resist internalizing that message. Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know! Connect With Me WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign up THE WEIGHTING ROOM: A community where authenticity thrives and every voice matters The CONSULTING ROOM: Get answers to all your medical questions via DM or Voice Note PLUS access to my entire library of paid resources CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journe THE WEIGH FORWARD: For people who are being denied surgery because of their weight FREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsense Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
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Oct 15, 2025 • 38min

Taylor's story: What if everyone else is right and we're wrong?

Send us a textTaylor was diagnosed with sleep apnea six months ago and told the only real solution was weight loss. Like so many fat people, they've tried every diet imaginable—keto, Weight Watchers, calorie counting—and watched their weight cycle up and down for years. When a friend introduced them to intuitive eating and the anti-diet movement, it felt revolutionary. But the what-ifs started creeping in. What if I just keep eating and never stop? What if this damages my health? What if everyone saying "just lose weight" is actually right, and I'm the one who's wrong? In this episode, I walk through Taylor's very real, very valid fears about ditching diets for good—because when you're fat, choosing to stop pursuing weight loss isn't just giving up dieting. It's accepting you may never access the privileges thin people get automatically, from medical care to airplane seats to basic dignity. I talk about why these fears are legitimate, what the evidence actually says, and why fat people need other fat people—not thin allies—to navigate this journey. Don't forget to order your copy of the Stop Dreading Doctor's Appointments toolkit here.Got a question for the next podcast? Let me know! Connect With Me WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Get a free script when you sign up THE WEIGHTING ROOM: A community where authenticity thrives and every voice matters The CONSULTING ROOM: Get answers to all your medical questions via DM or Voice Note PLUS access to my entire library of paid resources CONSULTATION: For the ultimate transformation in your healthcare journe THE WEIGH FORWARD: For people who are being denied surgery because of their weight FREE GUIDES:Evidence-based, not diet nonsense Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
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Oct 8, 2025 • 36min

The Weight Loss Lie: A History of Medical Mistakes

Uncover the roots of the belief that weight loss prevents health issues. Discover how insurance companies and historical misconceptions shaped modern views on obesity. Learn about Quetelet's flawed 'average man' concept and the profit-driven origins of BMI. Dive into discussions on the lack of evidence tying weight to health conditions and explore alternative explanations like insulin resistance. Challenge the stigma around weight and embrace the idea of health at every size, questioning long-held medical truths.

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