There is no such thing as a healthy weight

The Fat Doctor Podcast

The Fat Doctor Podcast
There is no such thing as a healthy weight
Jan 20, 2026 Season 6 Episode 2
Dr Asher Larmie

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We'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.

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Episode Artwork There is no such thing as a healthy weight 39:09 Episode Artwork I Wrote A Book! 32:44 Episode Artwork Seasons Greetings from the Fat Doctor 27:36 Episode Artwork Destroying 10 Lies That Are Used to Justify Weight Based Discrimination 36:20 Episode Artwork The Logical Fallacies That Season Your Holiday Fatphobia 37:27 Episode Artwork When Healthcare Becomes Compliance Theater 48:15 Episode Artwork Ignoring the Harm: Why We Justify Suffering for Weight Loss 32:10 Episode Artwork Why It's So Hard To Just BE Fat 27:41 Episode Artwork Taylor's story: What if everyone else is right and we're wrong? 38:25 Episode Artwork The Weight Loss Lie: A History of Medical Mistakes 36:02 Episode Artwork You Deserve Better: The Fat Doctor's Reassurance on Your Right To Healthcare 40:51 Episode Artwork Casey's story: When good intentions aren't enough 32:02 Episode Artwork Weight Loss Doesn't Improve Your Health 30:24 Episode Artwork When 'nice' isn't enough: The search for truly safe care 38:41 Episode Artwork Jordan's Story: When Endometriosis Gets Blamed on Being Fat 37:40 Episode Artwork My Weight Says Nothing About Who I Am 29:47 Episode Artwork Fat People Are Not Entitled to Autonomy 32:09 Episode Artwork Riley's Story: The Bariatric Surgery Risks Nobody Talks About 37:19 Episode Artwork Your Health Is Not Determined by Your Size 33:22 Episode Artwork Why I Can't Move On: Staying Put When I Want to Run Away 31:55 Episode Artwork Fat People Are Being Denied Surgery for Money (Say It Isn't So!) 48:48 Episode Artwork Coming Out As Fat with Ross Anderson-Doherty 1:17:25 Episode Artwork Cameron's Story 49:58 Episode Artwork Challenging the Economics of Fat Bodies 50:55 Episode Artwork How a Positive Consultation Changed Everything For Me 48:49