Before they became podcast hosts, patient advocates, and leaders in obesity care, Mike Donnelly-Boylen and Zachary Niemiec were simply two people living with obesity.
In this deeply personal episode of Weight & Measure, the microphones turn toward the hosts themselves as Deb Cooperman interviews Mike and Zach about the experiences that shaped their lives and ultimately inspired their work in obesity advocacy.
Together, they discuss growing up with obesity, the stigma they experienced, the misconceptions people had about them, and the emotional realities that often remain invisible. They also reflect on bariatric surgery, GLP-1 medications, long term weight management, healthcare experiences, and how their understanding of obesity evolved from self blame to recognizing it as the chronic disease it is.
This conversation is not about quick fixes or dramatic before and after stories. It is about resilience, science, hope, and what it truly means to live with obesity.
Welcome, Deb!
We're excited to welcome Deb Cooperman behind the microphone as our guest host for this special conversation. If you enjoy her thoughtful interview style, you'll be hearing more from Deb in September as she joins Mike to help host Weight & Measure while Zach takes a brief break to recover from surgery. We're incredibly grateful to have Deb as part of the team and can't wait for you to get to know her.
In this episode:
• Growing up living with obesity
• The emotional impact of weight stigma and bias
• Bariatric surgery and life after metabolic surgery
• GLP-1 medications and comprehensive obesity treatment
• Why obesity is a chronic disease, not a personal failure
• The misconceptions people make about individuals living with obesity
• What surprised Mike and Zach after significant weight loss
• Advice they would give to their younger selves
• Hope for the future of obesity medicine and patient advocacy
Whether you're living with obesity, considering bariatric surgery, taking a GLP-1 medication, supporting a loved one, or working in healthcare, this episode offers an honest look at the lived experience behind the headlines.
If this conversation resonates with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode to help reduce stigma and advance understanding of obesity as a chronic disease.
Resources
Practitioners can download the free Non-Surgical Weight Loss & Obesity Management Guide here:
https://procarenow.com/pages/non-surgical-weight-loss-obesity-management-program
Follow Weight & Measure
🎧 Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/weight-measure/id1886848263
🎧 Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/45vJYXZC0ciTNpfwoc9CVI
Obesity, obesity medicine, obesity podcast, GLP-1, GLP-1 medications, weight loss, bariatric surgery, metabolic surgery, obesity treatment, weight stigma, weight bias, obesity advocacy, chronic disease, patient advocacy, obesity care,Health,Wellness, Mike Donnelly-Boylen, Zach Niemiec, Weight & Measure.
