Ed Stott & The Big Life Questions

What if that “can’t stop eating” feeling isn’t about willpower, but design? Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Michael Moss has spent years inside the boardrooms, factories and labs where our food is being engineered, and what he’s discovered will change the way you think about food. In this full conversation, we dig into how processed food is crafted to override your appetite, what food giants don’t want you to know about nutrition “research,” and why breaking free from these cravings is harder than you think. 💡 What you’ll learn in this episode: How the food industry deliberately designs products to be irresistible The tricks companies use to shift blame for overeating onto you Why “health halos” and marketing slogans keep us confused The science behind food addiction and whether we can break it What Moss believes has to change for us to eat more freely 🎧 Featuring: 📚 Michael Moss, Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter and New York Times bestselling author of Salt, Sugar, Fat and Hooked → mossbooks.us If you’ve ever felt like you can’t stop eating certain foods, or you’ve wondered why your willpower never seems enough, this episode will change the way you think about what’s on your plate. Loved the episode? Follow the show, share it with a friend, and know that every listen is a tiny act of resistance against unqualified men with microphones. 📬 Get in touch Email: edwina @ edstott.com Instagram: @biglifequestionspodcast

From grandma’s kitchen to Ozempic - how eating got so complicated. This condensed version of the full-length documentary unpacks the surprising history behind food confusion, the tricks used by the diet and processed food industries, and what GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic really mean for the way we eat. 💡 In this quick listen, you’ll learn: The surprising moment eating stopped being simple How “healthy” food marketing rewired your appetite The one thing food companies can’t sell you (and why it’s the answer) 📖 Chapter Timestamps: 00:00 Why food feels confusing now 02:00 The moment diet culture took over family meals 06:00 How processed food became addictive by design 11:00 The wellness halo and misleading “healthy” marketing 14:30 The Ozempic question 17:00 Why listening to your body is the radical act food companies can’t monetise 🎧 Featuring: 🔬 Prof Marion Nestle on how food companies shape what we believe about health → foodpolitics.com 📚 Michael Moss, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Salt Sugar Fat & Hooked 🧠 Christy Harrison, dietitian and journalist behind Anti-Diet & The Wellness Trap 💉 Dr Nick Fuller from Interval Weight Loss on how GLP-1s like Ozempic actually work 📖 Dr Lauren Samuelsson, food historian, on how The Women’s Weekly shaped modern diet culture → UOW profile If you’ve ever felt confused about food, struggled to trust your appetite, or wondered why eating feels so fraught, this one’s for you. 💌 Related episodes: Ditch Food Guilt with Dr Emma Beckett Raising Kids with a Healthy Relationship with Food (even if you don't have one) with Leslie Schilling The Secret to Motivation & Exercise with Leah Barron Ditch the Diet & Become the Healthiest You EVER How to Empower Your Kids with Body Neutrality with Taryn Brumfitt Loved the episode? Follow the show, share it with a friend, and know that every listen is a tiny act of resistance against unqualified men with microphones. 📬 Get in touch Email: edwina @ edstott.com Instagram: @biglifequestionspodcast

What if your struggle with food isn’t a personal failing, but the result of a system designed to confuse you? In this episode, we explore why eating has become so complicated, and how diet culture, food marketing, and processed food science have reshaped our relationship with hunger. From the rise of “health halos” and moral food messaging to the explosion of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, we ask: can we ever trust our bodies again? You’ll hear from leading voices in nutrition, food history, and medicine — including Marion Nestle, Michael Moss, Christy Harrison, Dr Nick Fuller, and Dr Lauren Samuelsson as we trace how corporate influence, gendered food messaging, and engineered cravings have distorted how we eat. 💡 What you’ll learn in this episode: Why food became tied to morality and how that began over 2,000 years ago How 1970s diet culture and convenience food rewired our appetites What the food industry doesn’t want you to know about nutrition “research” Why some foods feel literally impossible to stop eating Whether GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic are really a miracle or just the latest quick fix 🎧 Featuring: 🔬 Prof Marion Nestle on how food companies shape what we believe about health → foodpolitics.com 📚 Michael Moss, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Salt Sugar Fat & Hooked 🧠 Christy Harrison, dietitian and journalist behind Anti-Diet & The Wellness Trap 💉 Dr Nick Fuller from Interval Weight Loss on how GLP-1s like Ozempic actually work 📖 Dr Lauren Samuelsson, food historian, on how The Women’s Weekly shaped modern diet culture → UOW profile If you’ve ever felt confused about food, struggled to trust your appetite, or wondered why eating feels so fraught, this one’s for you. Loved the episode? Follow the show, share it with a friend, and know that every listen is a tiny act of resistance against unqualified men with microphones. 📬 Get in touch Email: edwina @ edstott.com Instagram: @biglifequestionspodcast

Darlings, an EXCITING update on what's coming next - eek! x As always, if you have anything you want to say, ideas to pitch or collaborations you'd like to make happen, send me an email - thatshelpful @ edstott.com

What if everything you've been told about baby sleep is wrong and the real solution is already built into your baby’s biology? Dr. Pam Douglas is the founder of the Possums Sleep Program, a science-backed, sanity-saving alternative to traditional sleep training. In this myth-busting episode, she shares where so many of the things we think we know about sleep come from, why they often create sleep problems instead of solving them & how understanding your baby’s biology can change everything. 💡 You’ll learn: Why “normal” baby sleep is wildly different than what you’ve been told The two regulators that actually control sleep — and how to work with them How common sleep advice is probably setting your family up to fail Why “wake windows,” dark rooms and early bedtimes can backfire The surprising truth about overstimulation, routines, and melatonin 📖 Chapter Timestamps: 00:00 – Peeking out of the trenches of year one 01:50 – Why sleep is one of the most distorted parenting topics 04:30 – How outdated health advice causes unnecessary distress 08:00 – What the research really says about night waking 11:25 – The myth of sleep training as “evidence-based” 14:30 – The massive range of biologically normal sleep 17:00 – Why wake windows don’t make sense 22:00 – The two real sleep regulators and how to use them 29:00 – Do you really need a consistent nap routine? 35:00 – Why stimulation at bedtime is a good thing 41:00 – Forget bedtime — it’s wake time that matters 46:00 – How to reduce early rising 51:00 – Transitioning away from co-sleeping (gently) 54:00 – What Dr. Pam most wants you to know 🔗 Helpful Links: Dr. Pam’s Book, The Discontented Little Baby Book Possums Sleep Program Find a Possums-accredited practitioner 💌 Related episodes: 5 Helpful Things I Learned in My First Year of Motherhood 📺 Watch & Subscribe: Watch this episode on YouTube Subscribe on Substack 📬 Get in touch: Say hi or suggest a guest: thatshelpful @ edstott.com Follow That’s Helpful on Instagram

What if forgiveness didn’t mean forgetting, reconciling, or letting people off the hook — but reclaiming your future? Learning how to forgive — even when it feels like the hardest thing in the world to do — is transformative. It’s a complex process, and there’s a real art to balancing boundaries and letting go. It’s an art Rachael Coopes is obsessed with. She’s the author of The Art of Forgiveness. 💡 You’ll hear: – The origin of the word forgiveness — and why it changes everything – The science behind rumination, stress, and long-term health – What forgiveness has to do with resilience and agency – How to begin (even if you’re not ready yet) – Why boundaries are essential — not the opposite of forgiveness – Why reconciliation and forgiveness are not the same – How your future can be your act of forgiveness 📖 Chapters 00:00 The Quote That Changed Everything 02:18 How Forgiveness Became Rachael’s Obsession 05:10 What 25 Interviews Taught Her 06:30 Forgiveness vs Letting People Off the Hook 10:45 Forgiveness ≠ Reconciliation 13:05 The Neuroscience of Resentment 17:55 Where to Start When Forgiveness Feels Impossible 22:00 Boundaries, Distance & Letting Go 24:45 When Forgiveness Just Isn’t Possible 26:10 Resilience, Accountability & Rachael’s Son’s Story 29:40 Your Future as the Ultimate Act of Forgiveness 31:15 “Forgive Like a Grain of Sand” 🔗 Helpful Links: – The Art of Forgiveness by Rachael Coopes – Rachael’s official website – Follow Rachael on Instagram 📺 Watch & Subscribe: – Watch this episode on YouTube 📬 Get in touch: thatshelpful @ edstott.com Follow That’s Helpful on Instagram

What if the pop culture you loved growing up was quietly teaching you to shrink, perform and turn on other women? In this episode, Pulitzer Prize–nominated journalist Sophie Gilbert joins me to revisit the legacy of the 90s and 2000s — a time that likely shaped how you see yourself & other women. We talk about the toxic version of ‘empowerment’ that dominated the era, why so many of us still feel stuck in competition mode and how we can start untangling the stories we were sold. 💡 You'll hear: – How porn and pop culture collided to redefine girlhood – Why so many women still struggle with internalised competition – What’s changed in how women are portrayed — and what hasn’t – How to start spotting (and unlearning) the cultural scripts you didn’t choose – And what reclaiming your story can actually look like  📖 Chapters00:00 Nostalgia and Reflection on the 90s 03:08 The Power of Pop Culture 05:57 Reality TV and Intersectionality 08:57 Sexualization and Female Power 11:57 The Influence of Porn on Culture 14:55 Empowerment and Its Implications 17:46 Crisis of Female Identity in the 2000s 22:10 The Shift in Celebrity Culture 28:43 Cruelty and Compassion in Pop Culture 29:05 Progress in Women's Representation 31:33 The Impact of Technology on Self-Perception 34:56 Revisiting the Past for a Better Future 🔗 Mentioned: Girl on Girl by Sophie Gilbert Sophie’s writing at The Atlantic Ed's Doco Series on what led to Britney's conservatorship 💌 More from That's Helpful: Subscribe to my Substack Watch the podcast on YouTube Follow That’s Helpful on Instagram 📬 Got thoughts or guest suggestions? Email me at: thatshelpful @ edstott.com

Know your phone is stealing your focus, but don't quite know how to take your back your brain? Here are 5 small, science-backed tweaks that will actually help. In this episode, I’m sharing how I broke the cycle—not with timers or guilt, but with insights from neuroscientists, psychologists, and attention experts who helped me understand the real cost of distraction, and what to do instead. 💡 You'll hear: How tech companies exploit your brain’s dopamine system The hidden cost of distraction most people never talk about The identity shift that makes new habits actually stick “20% habits” that give you 80% of the results Why barriers beat willpower every time And the one mindset shift that changed everything for me Whether you’re ready to ditch social media completely, or just want to feel a little more present in your actual life, this one’s for you. Recommended listening: The Science of Habits that Actually Stick with Dr Bree Hurn How to Hack your Dopamine with Dr Anastasia Hronis Reclaim Your Attention with Annie Margaret 📺 Watch the episode on YouTube 📝 Subscribe on Substack Enjoying the podcast? Share it, leave a review, or forward to a buddy who needs a little nudge to be more present.

Feel like you're failing at motherhood? Maybe you're actually on the right track. In this episode, I chat with author and podcaster Victoria Vanstone about her year of “mumming” — a 12-month mission to try anything and everything to become a better mum.  From parenting courses and rage walks to hiding in Aldi and whispering affirmations in the pantry, Victoria shares the real story of what worked, what didn’t, and why trying (and failing) might be the most important part. If mum guilt, mum rage, or the pressure to “get it right” are part of your daily internal monologue — this one’s for you. You’ll hear: 💡 Why mum guilt and mum rage are normal — and what to do with them 💡 The parenting tools that actually worked (and the weird ones that didn’t) 💡 Why doing things for yourself might be the most effective parenting strategy 💡 What Victoria learned from yelling, bribing, and eventually walking away — on purpose Watch the episode on YouTube: 📺 YouTube.com/@ThatsHelpfulPod Subscribe on Substack for weekly helpful writing & behind-the-scenes: 📝 thatshelpful.substack.com Buy Victoria’s book: 📚 Mumming: A Year of Trying and Failing to Be a Better Mum Find Victoria online: 🌐 www.victoriavanstone.com 📸 @vic_sober_awkward Enjoying the podcast? Share it, leave a review, or forward to a buddy who needs a little less guilt and a bit more grace.

Ready to stop asking for permission and start doing the thing you actually want to do? Ash Ambirge is here to hand you the match. 🔥 She’s the author of The Middle Finger Project — a book, a movement, and a manifesto for anyone who's tired of playing it small. She’s on a mission to help people ditch the jobs they hate and build their dream lives. In this conversation, Ash and I talk about what it really takes to walk away from "safe" and create something better. If you’re dreaming of more but scared to make the jump, this episode is your sign. It's the perfect follow-on to last week's ep with Amie McNee. Yours Helpfully, Ed x Inside, we get into: Why “security” is the biggest scam going How to stop waiting for the right time Why rebellion isn’t reckless — it’s necessary How to back yourself (even when nobody else does) CONNECT WITH US 🔥 Follow That’s Helpful and Ed Stott on Instagram. 🔥 Find Ash at The Middle Finger Project website, or on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. BOOKS 📚 The Middle Finger Project by Ash Ambirge Got thoughts, ideas, or just want to yell "YES"? Email me: ed@edwinastott.com