Just As Well, The Women's Health Podcast - GLP-1s, Food Noise and the Return of the Smaller Body

Episode Date: August 25, 2026

GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are everywhere — but are they the answer to food noise, cravings and long-term health? Claire Sanderson speaks to nutritionist and author Kim Pearson about what GLP-1 medications can and cannot do, their potential risks, weight regain after stopping treatment, muscle preservation and the growing pressure for women to become smaller. They also explore the psychology of cravings, the impact of sleep and stress on appetite, ultra-processed foods, strength training and Kim’s practical approach to improving health without extreme dieting. This is a nuanced conversation about weight, health and the changing culture around women’s bodies — without telling women how they should look. Keywords: GLP-1s, GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, weight loss medication, food noise, cravings, women’s health, body image, smaller bodies, weight regain, muscle loss, strength training, nutrition, ultra-processed foods, healthy eating, sleep and appetite, perimenopause and weight, Kim Pearson, The Nozempic Diet, Just As Well, Women’s Health UK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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We can't escape them. Everyone is taking them if the media is to be believed. In this episode, we explore these drugs, the pros but also the cons. And we also take a deep dive into alternative ways to optimise your health if weight loss is your goal. My guest is Kim Pearson. She's a nutritionist and she's the author of The No Zempic Diet. This is a mass listen episode if you're someone who struggles with food noise, struggles to manage your weight and maybe feels changes need to be made.

Enjoy. Kim Pearson, welcome to Jess as well. Thank you for having me. Thanks so much for coming in to see us today to discuss all things. weight, obesity, GLP-1s and your latest book, The Nosemic Diet. But before we dive into that,

can you tell me a bit about your background and how you came to a place where you feel that you have the knowledge and ability to write such a book as the Nosemic Diet? Well, I've got a lot of my own personal experience, as well as two decades, working with women to support them in losing weight and optimising their health.

But I really got into all of this because growing up, I had a mum who was always on a diet. It was the 80s and 90s. And we didn't have that awareness of how to communicate to children about things like diet and nutrition back then. So we were very aware that mom was always on a diet and very body conscious. And I also grew up in a farming community. So when I was 14, I saw the factory farming of chickens firsthand and instantly became vegetarian. and having a very carbohydrate-dominated diet and not really understanding how to fuel myself effectively.

I was constantly struggling with cravings, constant hunger, weight gain. And so that really started my journey into questioning where does food come from and how does it affect us. So I read the foreword in your book and so much of it was familiar to me a child of the 80s, mum on the special K diet.

You describe yourself as having hollow legs or people would describe you as having hollow legs that you felt, you know, you were constantly eating toast with your brothers, etc. And that then set you up for challenges in terms of nutrition in adulthood. And that's exactly how we would describe myself. And even to this day, and I'm nearly 50,

I still struggle with controlling cravings and the food that I reach for. But you're saying that we can change those behaviours. Absolutely. And I see it time and time again with the clients I work with. Because like you, there are women generally who have quite a good knowledge of nutrition. They know the importance of eating protein and avoiding ultra-processed foods. And they're often taking supplements. they're doing a lot of the right things, but often there'll be certain components missing.

Some things that they're doing that they might have heard about and sound good, but don't necessarily work for them. Or it could be factors like, for example, lack of sleep, I explore this in the book. Not getting enough good quality sleep can really drive up our appetite and drive cravings and excess hunger. so it's not just about what we eat, it's when we eat, it's how much sleep we get, it's our emotions, there are so many other factors to consider. So your background is, you know, nutritionist.

And tell me the difference between a nutritionist and a dietitian, because I always get those two confused. What are the different qualifications for each? Typically, dietitians go into working within a healthcare setting like the NHS or, you know, sort of more medical support roles. Qualified nutritionists still go through a training process, of course, but their work tends to be more varied. So some nutritionists will go into working in industry, some will work in one-to-one clinical

practice, but a lot of the nutritionists I know are more in private practice rather than in NHS roles. And when I was looking at what I wanted to do, I actually did work experience. with an NHS dietitian. But what I experienced during the course of that made me realize that that wasn't a route for me. So on a day-to-day, you work with clients. Is it predominantly female or is it a mix of male and female?

It is predominantly women. We do have more and more men come to us seeking help. But the majority of women that I work with are late 30s, early 40s plus. And what are their most common? complaints? Weight is a big one. So I do specialize in weight loss and that tends to be the main reason that women come to me. But inevitably when we start working together, other things will come to light. For example, low energy levels, digestive issues, IBS symptoms. And we'll often look to

optimize those as I support clients in losing weight. So it's not just about, bringing the number on the scale down is also about supporting people in achieving optimal health as well. Are you hearing different challenges in the current date and maybe we would have 10, five, 10 years ago? Our societal change is impacting what women are reporting to you in clinic. I think what I have seen as a shift is actually more of a focus on health. So yes, people do still want to lose weight to fit into certain clothes or for us. specific event. But one of the big shifts that I've seen is actually more emphasis on wanting to be healthy, feel healthy, have good energy levels, overcome symptoms. So I actually think that's a

real positive now. So I've been at women's health 10 years and I think the basic knowledge that women have these days about their holistic health is probably equal to that of a professional athlete 10 years ago because we have so much data at our disposal now. We all wear these wearables. You can have tests done fairly cheaply these days that can give you full blood. So it's really encouraging that you are hearing that women are prioritising their health rather than just their aesthetics. Absolutely. I saw my cousin at the weekend and she's very interested in health and she was asking me about the impact of alcohol and muscle protein synthesis. And I was like, this is a great question. I love that we're having these conversations.

now. What is the impact alcohol has on muscle? Well, I said to her, actually, I can tell you a lot about the effect it has on fat metabolism, but actually I need to go away and really look into that a little bit more. But yes, alcohol sadly does have a negative effect on many aspects of our health, including muscle synthesis. Gat health is a big topic here at Jest as well. And you've probably heard me talking about how and why I look after mine as the UK's number one, live and active, superior supplement, Sim Prove has made a real change to my gut health in the three years I've been taken it, including more energy, better sleep and an improved immune system and noticeably less annoying lingering coughs and sniffles. It's now a solid part of my morning routine and proves how

one small change can make a big difference. So let's move on to GLP ones. Your book is called the No-Zempic diet, obviously a play on the word o-zempic. It seems that if the media is to believe, everyone is taking GLP ones. That can't be the case because the cost is still far too high for many people to access. But it is, they are everywhere. They are in every piece of content we read online. They are being hailed as transformative, but also potentially dangerous in the wrong hands. Are you anti-GLP ones?

I would say I'm very cautious and concerned about their widespread use. For some people, they can be life-changing in a really positive way. But they do come with quite serious potential risks. And it always has to be a case that we weigh up the potential risks and benefits and make a decision as to whether it's really worth it for that individual. and I think it's really important to remember that we might be exposed to all of these messages from people who've had a positive experience, but that might not be the experience that we have. We're all different and it's really important to fully know the potential risks associated with these medications before deciding to take them. For anyone listening who's not familiar how a GLP run works and what it is, can you briefly explain?

Yeah. So GLP1 stands for glucagon-like peptide and this is a natural peptide hormone that's secreted by our bodies in our gut. But the synthetic version that we inject or now take orally is a longer lasting version of that peptide hormone. And whereas the natural version lasts a couple of minutes, the synthetic version can last up to a week. And in terms of the ways that they work in the body, they help to regulate. and stabilize our blood sugar levels. So these medications were originally developed for type 2 diabetics. They delay gastric emptying. So they slow the passage of food through the gut so that we feel fuller for longer. And they also act on regions of the brain that create desire and cravings around food. This is where we start to talk about things like food noise, for example. So we're still learning more about exactly how they work on the brain.

But one of the interesting things is they also reduce cravings for other things. For example, people will say that they don't feel the desire to drink alcohol or even shop online. Those sort of compulsive habits, they'll notice a reduction in desire to do that as well as to eat. But there are some people who are hailing these drugs as wonder drugs. and there's increasing research that they can have a positive impact on other areas of health, such as dementia and Alzheimer's. And there are many doctors who think we're in the early stages, and the future is boundless of the benefits that we are going to discover.

There are, but there's risks associated with these drugs as well. And I think it's really important to remember that. And we talk about things like a reduction in, risk of Alzheimer's and cardiovascular disease and other diseases. But if we optimize our diet and lifestyle, we can also see a significant reduction in risk of developing these diseases as well. So we really need to not forget that. Diet and lifestyle should absolutely be foundational. What are the societal risks of these drugs? For instance, it seems to be that smaller is becoming more, considered more attractive again, whereas five years ago a lot of work had been done in the

body positivity space and all sizes were celebrated, yet you see famous women, and I won't name any, but we all know who they are, who are seem to be disappearing, you know, getting ever, ever smaller. We seem to be going back to that skeletal is the ultimate aim era of the early naughties. I think it's really damaging. And, we're. We just have to stop treating women's bodies like a fashion trend. You make it impossible for women setting beauty ideals that are constantly changing. And what I would love to see is more focus put on supporting women and understanding their bodies. And knowing what we have to do to take care of them rather than this is how we should aspire to look.

What if someone listening who they're in a healthy body, but they're becoming to feel inadequate because those around them are shrinking? In fact, we had a featuring woman's health, our beauty editor, Purdy Nurul, is a gorgeous, curvy size 10, 12, stunning, just exudes health. And she wrote a very emotional feature saying just that, that she was starting to feel less than

than her social group because everyone was coming smaller. That's really sad to hear. And I think we have to remember that our value as women is not determined by the number on a scale or the size or shape of our body. There's so much more that we have to bring to the world than just how we look or how skinny we are. And it is really important.

I think, to be true to ourselves and come back to focusing on nourishing our body, caring for it rather than punishing ourselves or taking extreme measures to achieve something that is just entirely unrealistic. So let's get on to your book, The Nozempic Diet. I've been taking a skim through and they are basic principles, but the ones that you've already said, we forget. You know, we know that sleep is important, but we forget how important. We know that prioritising protein is important, but we often don't.

We know we should eat more fibre, but we're in a crisis of fibre deficiency in this country. So just take me through the basic principles of the Mozambic diet. Well, there are eight key principles. They're all based in sound scientific evidence, but also from my experience, working with hundreds of women over the last 20-odd years. And yes, prioritising protein is a very important. absolutely one of them filling up on fiber, healthy fat intake, avoiding things like ultra-processed foods, refined and starchy carbohydrates, but also understanding the impact of sleep and our circadian rhythm on our appetite, cravings, our likelihood of storing body fat. And then there's also a chapter on the

psychological and emotional side of our relationship with food and eating. And I'm sure that many of listeners if they read the book will be familiar with these principles. So like I said before, many of the women who come to see me, they know they should be eating protein. But they don't know exactly how much or what that looks like on a plate or how to make sure that when they dash into M&S on their lunch break, they're going to grab something that is going to ensure they get enough fibre, enough healthy fats, enough protein. And so it's really explaining. the optimal in terms of what we're looking to work towards, but then also how to achieve that in real life on a day-to-day basis,

because that's absolutely key. I say to my clients all the time, I can give you the best nutrition plan in the world, but if it doesn't work for you in the context of your everyday life, it's impossible. So it's my job not only to show you what to do, but also help you do it from a practical perspective. And that's what I've tried to get across in the book.

too. Does it go one step further than a health eating plan that are readily available in other publications and actually mimic the effects of GLP1s? To an extent, yes. So what we're doing is we're looking at those main mechanisms of action and understanding how we can naturally replicate them. So reducing food noise and cravings, ensuring that fat loss is as optimized as point. without having to experience excessive hunger or cravings and the sort of negatives that many people associate with losing weight. And I get this feedback a lot. People will say to me, you know, it's a revelation that I can lose weight, but not be experiencing constant cravings and mood swings and hunger pangs and feeling hungry all the time. So that's what we're really looking to achieve

effective weight loss, but without the pain of real extreme diets. But if you're someone who has struggled their entire life managing their weight to the point where they feel they have to resort to expensive medication, is it realistic to expect them to be able to follow this plan? The majority of the women that I work with have spent years struggling with their weight. And often it can be the simplest thing that it's, you is sabotaging them. Take sleep, for example. When people haven't had enough sleep,

they're constantly at the mercy of excessive hunger and cravings. And so with some clients that I work with, just nailing their sleep makes all of the difference. And so, of course, if somebody really feels that they have tried everything and they feel that medication has the likelihood of having more benefits than downsides for them, it's a personal choice. But I would really encourage people to make sure that they truly have exhausted other options

before turning to medication. Yeah, is the payoff worth it? When you put that on the balance of scales, is your health being damaged such an extent by your body mass and all the other implications that go alongside it? Is there more benefit in taking these drugs? could potentially have side effects but would override some of the more negative impacts of

living in a larger body. Exactly. It always has to be a risk benefit assessment. Ideally, with a medical doctor or prescribing nurse who can talk you through the potential risks and together you can decide whether it's worth it for you. I think it's also worth bearing in mind that the majority of people who take these medications regain the weight that they've lost rapidly once they come off. So one of the reasons that I wrote this book is not just for people who want a natural solution to weight loss,

but also for people who are coming off weight loss medication and want to maintain their results without relying on medication long term. So it's really important if anybody is taking them to have a strategy for when they transition off, not just to come off them and hope for the best because the chances are and the data absolutely supports this that they will go on to regain the weight that they've lost. Because initially when these drugs were launched, the advice was not to be on them for longer than two years,

but that's sort of quiet and gone away now. And I've listened to other podcasts where experts have said it's a drug for life. If you've been put on, I don't know, hypertension drugs, you're on them for life. and these GLP-1s, to maintain the benefits of them, you're on them for life. But no one really knows the long-term impact of being on them because they're so new. Knowing and trusting your supplements is incredibly important.

Thankfully, SimProve has plenty of science behind it, with over 40 years spent researching how to improve our gut health. And because it's liquid, Simpro's live and active bacteria can reach your gut in 10 minutes. It's no wonder 94% of people trying it feel the difference. I want to go back to food noise. Now, I'd never even heard that phrase two years ago. Now, suddenly, everyone's talking about food noise is almost the number one contributor to why some people are unable to control their cravings.

If I was to talk about my own experience, I think I have food pandemonium going on in my head. Yeah. Yeah. I'm someone who's very driven by food and the noise is loud and its maturity and experience has allowed me to control it to an extent. So how does the No-Zempeg diet help people combat or manage that noisy devil in your head telling you to go and eat? Well, it's looking at what's driving that. So, for example, if I don't get enough sleep, I will experience. food noise, but I know that it's as a result of not having enough sleep.

And so I will have a high protein meal and a nap if I can. And I know that that's what's driving it. And I know to get to bed early the next night. And that will put a stop to it. And so it's really understanding what's driving that. And it can be driven by factors like not enough sleep, not enough protein, fasting for extended periods of time. and then when people break the fast, the floodgates open

and they want to eat everything they can get their hands on. It feels very compulsive. But also things like the sight and smell of food. You know, we are surrounded by food. On my journey here this morning, just the walk from the tube station to the studio, so many different food outlets. And they pump the smell out the front, don't they?

You know, the certain shops pump the smell of croissons being baked out the front and that's to me that you can feel your mouth salivating you know and you it's deliberate by the stores to encourage people to go in and buy them because smell is such a driving factor to hunger it absolutely is and so much money and energy and research has gone into understanding how to get us to eat more and food companies have have really gone to a lot of effort to understand For example, engineering foods that drive over consumption, what are the specific combinations of fat, sugar, salt,

the mouth feel, the crunch of certain foods or the soft melting effects that cause us to consume more than we really need. And so it's quite insidious. And I think being aware of that is really important. But we know that the ultra-processed food environment in which most of us live is really driving. driving up rates of obesity and chronic disease and that's really what needs tackling. So let's talk about movement because it's so important for overhaul health and for weight management.

But what's the importance of strength training versus cardio in terms of weight management and optimizing your health? They're both important for health and weight management. I think it's strength training in particular. is important as we age. We need to work harder at preserving muscle mass. And muscle is very metabolically active. So it burns a lot of calories, even when we're resting. So the more muscle we have, the higher our metabolic rate,

and that's very supportive of short-term weight loss and long-term weight management. And this is one of the problems with GLP-1 medications is that a significant proportion of the weight that's lost, comes from muscle. So when you're compromising people's muscle mass and a lot of the weight that they've lost comes from muscle, it puts them a real disadvantage

for maintaining their weight loss long term because their metabolic rate has dropped. And their metabolic rate is the rate in which you burn calories doing nothing. Exactly. Before you factor in things like moving, exercise, energy expended through other activity throughout the day. Because the problem with cardio, I shouldn't say there's a problem,

because cardio has so many benefits, heart health, cardiovascular health, etc. Brist stimulates hunger as well, doesn't it? So I try and do cardio two days a week. Apart from that, I almost exclusively strength train. But on the days I do very high-intensity cardio for 20 minutes on a peloton bike

is the days where I can feel I'm looking for more food for the rest of the day. And I think the key is not under-fueling. It's not about. really restricting our food intake. It's about understanding what's going to fill us up and keep us satisfied, optimizing our protein intake, getting plenty of fibre-rich vegetables.

We really don't need to limit the vegetables and salad and filling up on those foods, getting enough protein, will help alleviate that hunger and cravings, the cravings that we experience from increasing our exercise. So if somebody wants to start, they're listening to this and they don't feel the healthiest version of themselves. And I hate the phrase weight loss because that's not always healthy. But if someone wants to optimize their health and to do that,

reducing their body fat percentage would benefit them, list the eight pillars that you say people should adopt. Okay. So the first one is sleep. And I think that getting our sleep optimized should absolutely be number one. Because when we've had a good night's sleep, we feel more energized, we're more likely to exercise, we feel more motivated to perhaps prepare our own food, get up a little bit earlier to meal prep, rather than getting home at the end of the day when we're exhausted and thinking,

oh, just order a takeaway or have a glass of wine to reward ourselves because the days felt challenging. So aiming for an absolute minimum of seven hours sleep a night. And I appreciate there are circumstances like if we have to get up very early to travel into work or we have children that are waking us up in the night. There are sometimes situations where it's not always easy to get enough. But as much as is possible, prioritising sleep is really important. And then the next three pillars, protein, healthy fats and fibre are all around how to structure meals. And at each meal, we want to make sure we have an optimal amount of protein.

And a couple of eggs or some Greek yogurt for breakfast isn't going to be enough. We want to be aiming for around 30 grams of protein at each meal. Fiber, like I said, plenty of fibrous vegetables, salads that can also come from some low sugar fruit as well. And then the healthy fats, things like olive oil, avocado, nut. seeds in moderation. We don't want to overdo it. Of course, we do still have to take into consideration calories, although I don't believe that people need to be calorie counting or obsessively tracking macros. The plan that I've laid out in the book talks about portion sizes rather than, you have to weigh and track things obsessively. And then in terms of the two next

pillars, it's focusing on what we need to avoid. So the ultra-processed foods, many people have become more aware of ultra-processed foods. And these are foods that come in a packet, have a long list of ingredients and include industrial ingredients that you wouldn't necessarily find in a home kitchen. And they really are at the root of driving this crisis of poor metabolic health and obesity. But so hard to avoid. They are. they are but at the same time I think that convenient healthy options

have become so much more available but it's expensive you go into Pratt and buy a salad and a couple of boiled eggs and you've easily spent 10 pounds on a tray of salad and so that's don't get a coffee as well don't forget the caffeine 14 pounds

it's crazy how expensive everything is and we have to remember that is just not accessible and so the cheapest most convenient foods are the ultra-processed ones. And so that really has to change if we want to look at improving health on a population level. And then there's the sugar and starchy carbohydrates that will break down into simple sugars that cause these fluctuations in blood sugar levels. And if we have excess consumption of sugar and carbohydrates,

that will be converted into fat and stored as body fat. So it's about minimizing those as we're losing weight and then we can reintroduce the healthier whole food carbohydrates in moderation in maintenance. There's also optimising our food intake based on our circadian rhythms. So there's some very interesting research conducted by Dr. Sachin Panda and his book The Circadian Code is fascinating. It talks about how in modern life, the way that we live, our exposure to light, the way that we sleep, our food intake is really out of sync with what is optimal for our biology and our circadian rhythms.

And so I talk about optimizing meal timings, eating four to five hours apart, which allows the body to digest the last meal, get onto some fat burning before. for eating the next meal, but also structuring those meals in a way that fills us up and keeps us satisfied and doesn't leave us wanting a snack two hours later. And then there's also the emotional or psychological side of our relationship with food and eating and understanding any emotional triggers for eating

when we're not truly hungry. And when we can identify those and become aware of when we're eating not because of genuine hunger, but because there might be an emotional driver, perhaps we're stressed because, you know, something happened and the default is to turn to food. It's looking at ways of regulating the nervous system,

managing our stress, and in those situations where we might feel triggered to eat, what are some better coping mechanisms? And what would they be? Give me an example. I think, first of all, just taking ourselves away from the situation. if we're able to just take a minute in between that impulse to consumer food and actually reaching for it. Not having it in the house can really help or not having it in our desk door, for example,

just putting some space between. So we've got a minute to think, do I really want to eat because I'm hungry or is this a reaction? And then recognising what the emotion is. So for example, if we do feel stressed, can we just get out for a quick walk? Or even pull up YouTube and do a breathing exercise. Actually, breathing exercise is very effective, taking us out of a sympathetic fight-or-flight-or-flight-nervers system state into a parasympathetic rest and digest state.

And often just a couple of minutes of regulating our breathing can kind of pull us back off that ledge and reduce that urgent craving for food. It's really hard when you're in that moment to determine whether you genuinely are hungry or is it because you're thirsty or is it because you're stressed. Is there a trick to work out which one it is? I think it's worth taking a minute

to just check in with yourself, ask yourself how you're feeling. True physical hunger tends to come on more slowly. so it can build gradually, especially when we have eaten at regular meal times, we've structured our meals in the right way so they fill us up and satisfy us. We shouldn't feel that urgent hunger. It should be something that comes on more slowly and just feels something we're in control of. Rather than that out of control, I need something to eat right now. Someone gave me a good tip.

Andrew Tracy is the fitness director of men's health, which is the brother publication of Women's Health. Can I call it that? And he said, if you're craving something sweet, which I often am, I'm a sugar is my demon, I can leave alcohol, not bothered at all about alcohol, but I love chocolate and biscuits and that type of thing. And he said, when you're craving those things, give yourself permission to eat as much fruit and vegetables as you want. Go ahead and eat the fruit and vegetables. And he said, if you then, after eating the fruit and vegetables, really want that chocolate.

bar go for it but the chances are you either won't bother eating anything or you'll be fine after your piece of fruit and you no longer want the chocolate or biscuits and and I've tried it and it's it does work for me and the option I normally go for is I won't bother having anything then therefore I wasn't hungry in the first place well it prompts you to ask the question am I really hungry am I hungry enough to want to eat some cucumber or an apple or is the desire to eat just because I fancy something sweet because I'm bored or you know looking for a distraction habit a lot of the time as well cup of tea and a biscuit yeah yeah in my office in the studio where we are now if we go to a certain tea point they have my favorite biscuits and it's a

habit then if I go to that tea point and make my cup of tea I have to have the biscuits that are there yeah it's purely a habit but being aware of that so that you can then decide you know what I'm going to go to a different tea point or bring my own tea in with me, helps you make that conscious decision. I think observing what are the habits you're in that aren't necessarily serving you and how you could do things differently and just finding healthier alternatives as well. I think rather than saying, well, just don't have that. If you can find a healthier swap, sometimes that can be a good strategy as well.

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How can parents or caregivers listening today protect young girls and teenagers and I'm a mother of a 10-year-old myself from this ever-present message that we need to improve ourselves and we need to be smaller, as we've just said, that's becoming more part of the common conversation. How can we protect the younger generations so they too don't fall victim

to the messaging you and I did in our childhoods where we witnessed our mum's always on diets and special K and Slim Fass and all the wonderful things that were. Capa soup. Yeah. Ravitas, yes. How can we protect our children?

Are we not, is it not a self-fulfilling prophecy that we are creating a future generation or equally as paranoid as you and I became? I think it's about being aware of what we can control. And as parents and caregivers, we have a significant influence on the children that we're around. And just being aware of not, doing what our parents did, communicating the fact that we're on a diet, for example.

Oh, I feel fat today and all that type of language. Yeah, absolutely. And reinforcing positive messages. So I will talk with my niece and nephew about what's this food got lots of protein, brilliant. What's protein important for? Muscles, yes, that's going to make us really strong. So really focusing on the benefits of foods rather than,

that has too many calories in, you shouldn't eat too much of that. And making it about health rather than about weight and appearance, I think we really need to shift the focus more towards talking about nutrition and food in terms of nourishment, not restriction. What do you think the future holds? Is obesity going to be a thing of the past? That's a very good question. it may well end up creating even more of a divide between the haves and the have-not

where people who can't afford to access medication end up being left behind. It's something that I'm very aware of in my clinical practice. Of course, what I do is not accessible to everybody. And that was one of the big motivations for writing the book to bring all of my knowledge and experience to people who may not be a able to come and see me in private practice. We know that what is driving the obesity epidemic is this ultra-processed food environment and more needs to be done to clamp down on the advertising and marketing of ultra-processed foods, especially to children. So we also need to make healthy foods

more convenient, more accessible, more affordable. We need more education in schools so that children understand nutrition and how to nourish their bodies. So that's really what needs to be done in order to improve population health. I don't believe that it's just about coming up with new medications as a solution. Well, Kim, thank you so much for coming in to see us today on Just as well. Before I let you go, I have our quickfire questions. We ask all our guests these questions. So I'm going to come to your house for dinner.

What are you going to cook me? Are you vegetarian? I'm not, but I'm not keen on red meat. So I'd rather it not be red meat. I don't eat it very often at all. Okay. I would cook creamy tomato and an olive cod. Nice.

So I've got a recipe in the book. You can use any white fish. But it's really delicious. It's a crowd pleaser. Everybody loves that. Lovely. You go into a desert island for one year and you can only take one thing. What would it be?

And it can't be a person. Okay. She's cheating. My dog? Yeah. Okay. And I'm going to allow a dog. Yeah.

I think, yes, we'll allow a dog. Okay. That's it, a dog. Lily's coming. What type of dog is she? She's a mongrel. She's a rescue from Micanos. So she's a, yeah.

She's very pretty. You can drink one of these for the rest of your life. What would it be? Coffee or wine? Well, that's easy because I don't actually like coffee. And my parents were in the wine business. They've got a winery in South Africa. So I have.

I have to say wine. You have to say wine, but you don't like coffee, I can't. It's very unpopular that, but unfortunately. And I want to like it. I love the smell of it. And I see people get so much pleasure from coffee, but I've just never liked it. Goodness, me.

I know. What's the last thing that made you belly laugh? Oh, my niece, Erin, who is six, decided to cut her own hair a couple of weeks ago. Oh, dear. Did she do like a fringe up here? Oh. everything in life Erin approaches full force

and she made a real job of it and the photograph that my brother-in-law sent through it wasn't only hilarious because she looked like she'd cut a mullet with a very short, very choppy fringe but also the look on her face it was like it was registering with her exactly what she'd done and hilarious facial expression so that caused a lot of amusement.

Did her mum and dad like? Or were they across with her? Well, my sister found it hilarious because she was working in London and my brother-in-law was having to deal with it and book the emergency hairdresser or appointment. So my sister found it very funny. In the moment, my brother-in-law not so much. What's one thing someone can do today

to make themselves be a little bit better? Have some self-compassion. Life is hard. Instagram does not tell the full picture. doing the job that I do people share with me really what's going on in their lives and most people

even if they have the most amazing life from the outside most people are struggling with something whether that's a health issue a relationship issue so keep that in mind and just be a bit more gentle with yourself

and lovely note to finish today's episode thank you Kim thank you for having me