KQED's Forum

Polls show that roughly a quarter of Americans are dieting. That’s despite research showing that very few people succeed in losing weight and keeping it off over time. A new Bloomberg podcast, Losing It, investigates the myths and realities of nutritional science and the power of the dieting industry. Forum talks with the podcast creators about the invention of the calorie as a weight loss tool, the branding of the South Beach Diet, and the complex relationship between health and the numbers on the scale.Guests:Kristen V. Brown, editor, Losing It - a Bloomberg podcastEmma Court, host and reporter, Losing It - a Bloomberg podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Researchers estimate that as many as half of pregnancies in the United States were not planned and roughly one in five pregnancies ends in an abortion. With the U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade and the end of the federal right to an abortion, many sexual health educators and advocates are calling to enhance reproductive education – for people of all ages. Advocates say prevention and education can help people take charge of their reproductive health, but in many states sex education in schools is limited and under attack. We’ll talk about the state of sex ed in a post-Roe America.Guests:Shafia Zaloom, author, "Sex, Teens and Everything in Between: The New and Necessary Conversations Today's Teenagers Need to Have about Consent, Sexual Harassment, Healthy Relationships, Love, and More;" health educator, Urban School in San FranciscoChristopher Pepper, health educator, San Francisco Unified School District Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even as we’re seeing more on-screen depictions of disability in films like “CODA” and “Sound of Metal,” the number of disabled people behind the camera remains low. That affects what stories are told — and their accuracy. As disabled artists push for more opportunities to tell their stories — on film, in visual art and through dance — we’ll talk with some in California who are advancing the cultural landscape of disability storytelling. We want to hear from you: What stories would you like to see told?Our thanks to Cathleen Riddley for ASL interpretation and Sherri Patti for live transcription during this hour.Guests:Nasreen Alkhateeb, filmmaker based in Los AngelesAlison O'Daniel, visual artist and filmmaker based in Los Angeles and San FranciscoAntoine Hunter (AKA Purple Fire Crow), director, producer and choreographer based in Oakland; founder, Urban Jazz Dance Company and Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang together with dozens of other Democratic and Republican politicians announced on Wednesday that they're launching Forward, a new political party designed to appeal to centrists. But historically, third political parties have gained little traction in the United States. We'll talk about why and what could be different this time. And we'll hear from you: Would you support a third political party? What would it stand for?Guests:Eric Schickler, co-director, Institute of Governmental Studies at UC BerkeleyMindy Romero, founder and director, Center for Inclusive Democracy, formerly the California Civic Engagement Project - a non-partisan research center at the University of Southern CaliforniaTina Nguyen, national correspondent and founding partner, Puck Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While the concept of spectators packing an arena to watch competitive video gaming at a college level may be perplexing to more traditional sports fans, the popularity of collegiate esports is growing in the Bay Area. in the Bay Area. In 2018 the streaming platform Twitch, which hosts esports competitions, moved their headquarters to San Francisco. In 2021, San Jose State University’s Bay Area Vandals competed in the biggest international Valorant tournament and the Chase Center is hosting the League of Legends Championship Finals in November. Clubs and teams are now commonplace at colleges across the country. We’ll dive into the world of college esports and discuss what’s drawing students and Universities to esports programs.Guests:Luke Winkie, freelance writerJohanna Brewer, assistant professor of computer science at Smith College and director of research, AnyKeyKirk Robles, associate director of business development for student affairs at U.C. BerkeleyRyan Winter, president of Gaming Gators at San Francisco State University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For New Yorker staff writer Hua Hsu, they’re cardboard cutouts that decorated his parents’ wedding, “each the size of a 45-r.p.m. single: an orange Snoopy and two Woodstocks, one white and one light blue.” For artist Ari Bird, it’s a tree pompom that her grandfather painted gold and gave to her as a child. Whether it's a portrait, a wedding dress, an album or a Snoopy cutout, the objects we inherit speak to who our families are, who we were, and what we value. We want to hear from you: what’s a family heirloom passed down to you — or that you hope to pass down to future generations? What makes it valuable?Guests:Hua Hsu, staff writer, New Yorker magazine; professor of Literature, Bard College; author, forthcoming memoir "Stay True"Ari Bird, visual artist based in Oakland and San Diego Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After seeing yet another ‘30 under 30’ and ‘40 under 40’ list celebrating the achievements of young people, San Francisco geriatric doctor Anna Chodos decided it was time people started hearing about the remarkable achievement of living into old age. She started the 80 over 80 project to share the stories and experiences of San Franciscans over the age of 80. Forum talks with Chodos and participants about their rich and rewarding lives, their experiences during the pandemic, and aging in a society that fears getting old.Guests:Margaret Graf, founder, Senior Power - for seniors in the SunsetJudy Goddess, founder and reporter, sfseniorbeat.comAnnie White, facilitator, Network for Elders - an organization in the Bayview supporting older adultsAnna Chodos, geriatrician and medical director of outpatient geriatrics services, San Francisco Health Network; associate professor, UCSF in Geriatrics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A study published in the journal Nature this week documented yet more symptoms – including hair loss and sexual dysfunction – associated with long covid, a syndrome the CDC reports afflicts roughly a fifth of people who contract Covid-19. The Nature study also found that long covid sufferers are more likely to be young, members of ethnic minority groups, and economically disadvantaged. We’ll talk about the latest long covid science and hear from long haulers about how they have adjusted to life with a chronic illness.Guests:Eric Topol, professor of molecular medicine and executive vice president, Scripps Research InstituteAngela Meriquez Vázquez, long COVID patient and President of Body PoliticPaige Morrisey, 25-year-old COVID long-hauler Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The sizzler, a popular dish in Mumbai, is an over-the-top melange of pasta, paneer, grilled onions and peppers, samosas, cabbage and shredded Mexican cheese – all piled on a sizzling hot platter. It was inspired, so the story goes, by a visit to a Sizzler chain restaurant in California in the 1960s, and it has returned to California in some South Bay restaurants. But as any child of immigrants knows, cultural food mashups don’t have to be flashy. For KQED reporter Adhiti Bandlamudi, whose article tracked down the history of the Sizzler, it was grilled paneer tacos. For San Francisco Chronicle food critic Soliel Ho, it was Ho’s grandmother’s jasmine rice with maggi seasoning, topped with turkey cold cuts. Ho calls it “assimilation food”: “food that’s made to close the gap between homes: a critical need when one lives in exile.” As part of our ongoing segment on Bay Area food cultures, we’ll talk about all kinds of food mashups, from that Indian Sizzler to hot cheetos in a burrito to putting a splash of fish sauce in the mac and cheese.Guests:Luke Tsai, food editor, KQEDSoleil Ho, restaurant critic, San Francisco ChronicleAdhiti Bandlamudi, Silicon Valley Reporter, KQEDAlan Chazaro, food reporter, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Pregnant people,” a phrase to include those who can bear children, but don’t identify as women, has been used more often in the wake of the Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe v. Wade. Some feminists have pushed back against the term and other gender-inclusive language like “birthing people” and “people who menstruate,” saying that these terms obfuscate gender-specific violence against women and reduce people to their body parts. Others have pushed back to that pushback, saying that the explicit inclusion of trans and nonbinary people only strengthens the fight for gender equity. We’ll talk about why the term evokes such strong emotions, and hear your thoughts, with powerhouse feminist thinkers Judith Butler and Roxane Gay.Guests:Susan Davis, senior editor, ForumJudith Butler, Maxine Elliot Professor in the Department of Comparative Literature, UC BerkeleyRoxane Gay, author, "Difficult Women," "Hunger," and "Bad Feminist;" editor, the new anthology "The Selected Works of Audre Lorde" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices