In this episode of Chew on This, I’m joined by Professor Giles Yeo — Cambridge geneticist, obesity researcher, and one of the leading scientific voices in the conversation around weight, appetite, and GLP-1 medications. We unpack what it really means to describe obesity as a brain-based, genetically influenced chronic disease, and why the narrative of “just eat less and move more” doesn’t come close to explaining the complexity of hunger, fullness, reward, and emotional eating. Giles explains how our biology, environment and internal wiring intersect — and why judging someone at the point of “fork to mouth” ignores the deeply individual pathways that drive eating behaviour.

We also dive into GLP-1 medications — what they actually do, what they don’t do, who they’re for, and why the biggest risk may not be side effects, but access without proper guardrails. Giles shares a personal perspective on his son’s experience, and together we explore the tension between health and weight, stigma and science, and how we might shift the conversation away from blame and towards a more nuanced, compassionate understanding of bodies and health.


Find Giles:

Instagram: @gilesyeo

Website: https://www.wolfson.cam.ac.uk/people/giles-yeo

Listen to The Hunger Game: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002r3kd

Read Why Calories Don't Count: https://amzn.eu/d/06GC0a1k


Find Anna:

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.dranna.co.uk/about⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/drannacolton⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book (Amazon): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.amazon.com/How-Talk-Children-About-Food/dp/1785120557

Podden och tillhörande omslagsbild på den här sidan tillhör Dr Anna Colton. Innehållet i podden är skapat av Dr Anna Colton och inte av, eller tillsammans med, Poddtoppen.