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BMI (body mass index) is one of the most controversial tools in health and fitness.
Some people say it’s outdated, inaccurate, and harmful. Others argue it’s still one of the most useful population health tools we have.

So… who’s right?

In this episode, we break down:
- where BMI came from
- what it was originally designed for
- what BMI actually measures
- whether BMI is useful for individuals
- why athletes and muscular people complicate the conversation
- how BMI relates to disease risk and mortality
- the biggest misconceptions about BMI
- weight stigma and the ethics of discussing body weight
- whether BMI should still be used in healthcare today

We also discuss how social media has shaped the BMI debate — and why many online conversations oversimplify both the science and the criticism.

This is not a “BMI is perfect” episode.
And it’s not a “BMI is meaningless” episode either.

As usual, we aim for nuance over outrage.

We hope you like it.

P.S., If you want to support us and would like monthly lifting workouts, you can join the Momentum by Sohee fitness app. http://momentumbysohee.com

If you are interested in fat loss science, you can purchase Ben's best-selling comprehensive fat loss book, Everything Fat Loss. http://geni.us/EverythingFatLoss

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Alcohol is one of the most widely consumed substances in the world, but the science around it is more confusing than most people realise.

In this episode, we break down what the evidence actually says about alcohol, fat loss, appetite, muscle retention, and of course, a big disclaimer about health.

We also discuss:
- Why alcohol research is so difficult
- The problems with observational studies
- The “red wine is healthy” narrative
- Drinking culture
- Dose-dependent risk

As always, the goal is objective and nuanced discussion, not exaggerated black and white views. Whilst we are absolutely not encouraging alcohol intake, we think it is a good idea for you to understand what the research actually says.

If you enjoy evidence-based discussions about nutrition, fitness, and health myths, subscribe and let us know what topics you want us to cover next.

P.S., If you want to support us and you would like monthly lifting workouts, you can join the Momentum by Sohee fitness app. http://momentumbysohee.com

If you are interested in fat loss science, you can purchase Ben's best-selling comprehensive fat loss book, Everything Fat Loss. http://geni.us/EverythingFatLoss

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We are back from our break, and it gives us great pleasure to introduce you to our baby.

(For privacy reasons, we are not showing her face or telling the world her name. The thumbnail is a stock photo and not of her, because some people on the internet can be creepy).

In this episode, we answer the questions everyone wanted to ask us about childbirth, postpartum recovery, and the first few weeks of parenthood.

We talk about:
- pain relief
- epidurals
- sleep deprivation
- tearing
- postpartum depression
- life with a newborn

Plus all the gross and emotional stuff that you would expect from an unfiltered episode.

We also share parts of the birth experience, what surprised us most, and the things nobody fully prepares you for before becoming parents.

This is our most sleep-deprived episode yet. We hope you like it.

P.S., If you want to support us, and would like monthly lifting workouts, you can join the Momentum by Sohee fitness app. http://momentumbysohee.com

If you are interested in fat loss science, you can purchase Ben's best-selling comprehensive fat loss book, Everything Fat Loss. http://geni.us/EverythingFatLoss

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This episode is a little different from our usual ones.

With our baby about to arrive, we wanted to take a moment to sit down and talk very candidly about how we’re feeling right now. The excitement, the nerves, the uncertainty, and the reality that life as we know it is about to change in a big way. Please note that we recorded this episode a few weeks ago, but planned to release it right around her due date.

We’ve spent a lot of time on this podcast talking about fitness, health, and evidence-based topics, but this felt like an important moment to share something more personal. Not because we have all the answers, but because we wanted to let you in on where we’re at before stepping into this next chapter.

In this episode, we talk about:
- What this transition into parenthood feels like for us
- The mix of emotions that comes with such a big life change
- How we’re thinking about what comes next
- Why we felt it was important to record this before she arrives

If you’ve been listening to the podcast, thank you for being here. It genuinely means a lot to us, and we don’t take that for granted.

This episode might mark the beginning of a hiatus for us. If that happens, we are not sure how long it will last, but wanted to let you know in advance.

Thank you for all of your support.

--

If you would like monthly lifting workouts, you can join the Momentum by Sohee fitness app. http://momentumbysohee.com

If you are interested in fat loss science, you can purchase Ben's best-selling comprehensive fat loss book, Everything Fat Loss. http://geni.us/EverythingFatLoss

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You’ve seen them everywhere: dramatic before and after transformation photos promising incredible results. But how reliable are they really?

In this episode, we break down why transformation photos are often not what they seem. Sometimes they are completely fictitious and at other times they can be misleading, even when the person in the photo is real.

We talk about some of the obvious factors, like lighting, pump, and performance enhancing drugs, plus some that most people never consider, including selection bias, and how it makes you feel as the consumer of that content.

We also discuss:

• Why transformation photos are such powerful marketing tools
• How social media amplifies the most extreme visual results
• What transformation photos can show (and what they absolutely cannot)
• The difference between real progress and curated progress
• How to evaluate fitness claims more critically

This episode isn’t about calling individuals out, it’s about helping you better understand what you’re actually seeing online.

If you’ve ever compared yourself to a transformation post and wondered why your progress looks different, this conversation is for you.

P.S., If you want to support us and would like monthly lifting workouts, you can join the Momentum by Sohee fitness app. http://momentumbysohee.com

Alternatively, if you are interested in fat loss science, you can purchase Ben's best-selling comprehensive fat loss book, Everything Fat Loss. http://geni.us/EverythingFatLoss

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In this episode, we sit down with one of our closest friends, Registered Dietitian and New York Times best-selling author of 'So Easy, So Good', Kylie Sakaida (nutritionbykylie) to answer some of the internet’s most controversial nutrition questions.

There’s a lot of strong opinions online about food right now, from seed oils and monosodium glutamate (MSG) to soy and the latest updates to the U.S. dietary guidelines. In this conversation, we explore where the confusion comes from and what the evidence actually says.

We discuss:

• The biggest nutrition myths on social media
• The internet debate around seed oils
• The truth about monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• Common myths about soy
• How nutrition misinformation spreads online
• The new U.S. dietary guidelines
• What balanced, sustainable nutrition actually looks like
• Nutrition for people with ADHD

Our goal with this episode is to bring nuance and clarity to topics that are often discussed in very black-and-white ways.

If you’ve ever felt confused by conflicting nutrition advice, this conversation is for you.

If you would like monthly lifting workouts, you can join the Momentum by Sohee fitness app. http://momentumbysohee.com

If you are interested in fat loss science, you can purchase Ben's best-selling comprehensive fat loss book, Everything Fat Loss. http://geni.us/EverythingFatLoss

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Most people have heard the advice: “eat less, move more.”

And technically from a thermodynamics perspective… it’s true.

But if it were actually helpful, far fewer people would struggle with weight loss.

In this episode, we break down why this phrase, despite sounding simple and logical, often fails people in the real world. We discuss the gap between theory and practice, why oversimplified advice can lead to frustration and rarely to sustainable long-term change.

We also explore:

• Why “eat less” is far more complicated than it sounds
• The role of environment, habits, biology, and psychology
• How vague advice creates confusion instead of clarity

This isn’t about dismissing energy balance. It’s about understanding why knowing something doesn’t always translate into doing it.

If you’ve ever felt like you know what to do but still struggle to apply it, this episode is for you.

If you would like monthly lifting workouts, you can join the Momentum by Sohee fitness app. http://momentumbysohee.com

If you are interested in fat loss science, you can purchase Ben's best-selling comprehensive fat loss book, Everything Fat Loss. http://geni.us/EverythingFatLoss

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Your fitness activity tracker probably isn't fully trustworthy and the science backs it up.

In this episode, we dig into the research on fitness activity tracker (smart watch) accuracy, diving deep into the research especially for the Apple Watch, Fitbit, Garmin and Oura Ring.

From step counts and heart rate monitoring to calorie burn and sleep tracking, we break down what the data actually says, and the results might surprise you.

Whether you're training for a race, trying to hit 10,000 steps, or just wondering if your tracker is giving you the full picture, this episode is for you.
What we cover:

- How accurate are Apple Watch, Fitbit, Garmin and Oura Ring really?
- Which metrics are most (and least) reliable.
- What the latest research says about wearable accuracy.
- Should you trust your tracker's calorie and heart rate data? If not, how big is the margin of error?

Perhaps most importantly, does it matter if smart watchers and fitness activity trackers aren't fully accurate? Maybe that doesn't matter.

P.S., if you enjoy these free podcast episodes and want to support us, there are two main ways of doing so.

If you would like monthly lifting workouts, you can join the Momentum by Sohee fitness app. http://momentumbysohee.com

If you are interested in fat loss science, you can purchase Ben's best-selling comprehensive fat loss book, Everything Fat Loss. http://geni.us/EverythingFatLoss