The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 8.20 WW Kurbo Jameela "Body Shaming" Backlash, PewDiePie Married, Huge Amazon Fires, & More

Starting point is 00:00:00 Sup you beautiful bastards, hope you're having a fantastic Tuesday. Welcome back to the Philip DeFranco Show and let's just jump into it. And the first thing we're gonna talk about today is Weight Watchers. I love bread. That is great, Oprah, but this is not about you.

Starting point is 00:00:12 So Weight Watchers, which actually now calls itself WW, they introduced a new app last week called Curbo and they said that this program is designed to quote, "'Help kids and teens ages eight to 17 reach a healthier weight.'" Although the app isn't completely new. Back in 2018, Weight Watchers acquired this app, which is based on Stanford University's

Starting point is 00:00:28 pediatric obesity program, and what they say is 30 years of clinical nutrition and behavior change research. And after purchasing the app, they spent about a year developing it, adding in features like breathing exercise instructions, a Snapchat-inspired interface, and multi-day streaks to encourage daily activity.

Starting point is 00:00:42 Users in the United States can download the app for free. They put in their height, weight, age, their health goals. And those users start logging in the app what they eat. And Kerbal has this traffic light system that is supposed to guide adolescents toward healthy food choices. As Weight Watchers explains, "'Kids and teens are encouraged to eat more

Starting point is 00:00:57 "'of the healthy green light foods, "'such as fruits and veggies. "'Be mindful of portions of yellow light foods, "'such as lean protein, whole grains, and dairy, "'and gradually reduce but still include "'consum portions of yellow light foods, such as lean protein, whole grains, and dairy, and gradually reduce but still include consumption of red light foods, such as sugary drinks and treats. Users can also consult with a personal coach through the app for a fee starting at $69 a month,

Starting point is 00:01:14 and this gives them access to 15 minute video chat sessions with Kerbo coaches every week. Kerbo saying that these coaches are specially trained, Kerbo certified, and come from a diverse range of professional backgrounds. Now, at this point, I wanna make it clear, this is not a sponsor spot. The reason we're talking about this today is while there are people that are happy that this app exists, there are also others who are angry or at the very least very concerned. You have parents and nutritionists who are concerned that Kerbal could be

Starting point is 00:01:36 creating unhealthy relationships with food at a highly impressionable time for these children. And in fact, some studies suggest that childhood weight loss efforts can lead to or worsen eating disorders and body image issues. Critics have also expressed concerns about specific points on the app. This including the success story section which shows before and after photos of children as young as eight along with their weight loss totals and testimonials. And around this are the likes of Kerry Glassman, a New York City based registered dietitian telling Good Morning America, Looking at before and after pictures of kids who have lost weight is absolutely something that could lead to children to feel horrible about themselves and it really is a form of body shaming and adding they could have created an app for children that promoted healthy eating and healthy lifestyle and good health education and information and help children boost confidence

Starting point is 00:02:15 But I feel like the way this app was built is so similar to Weight Watchers and just geared completely towards weight loss weight loss weight Loss you also have others criticizing the goals section of the app, which includes the options, eat healthier, lose weight, make parents happy, get stronger and fitter, have more energy, boost my confidence or feel better in my clothes. And Kerb always stressed that the app is meant to be a family-based approach. But many have been saying that working to lose weight

Starting point is 00:02:37 to satisfy family members is damaging and parents handing their children this app can make them feel like something is wrong with them. Nutritionists have also criticized the coaches on the app. Based on staff descriptions on the app's website, the trained coaches include people with degrees in economics, tourism management, and communications. However, on this note, Weight Watchers

Starting point is 00:02:51 Chief Scientific Officer Gary Foster told CNBC, "'If we want to live our purpose "'of making wellness accessible to all "'and doing it outside an academic medical center, "'we're not going to be able to hire pediatricians, "'dietitians, exercise physiologists, and psychologists. What we do well is take science and scale it, measure the impact to make sure we're living up to our purpose." And we've seen this backlash growing and growing.

Starting point is 00:03:12 People have even started sharing petitions to call for the app's removal. We also saw Good Place actress Jameela Jamil jumping on board. She's a vocal advocate for body positivity. She shared the petition as well as tweeting, Oh fuck no, are we kidding? Breeding obsession with weight and calories and food at the age of eight? I was 11 when my obsession started due to being put on a diet for being the heaviest girl in the class.

Starting point is 00:03:31 I became afraid of food. It ruined my teens and twenties. But with all of that said, I do want to pass the question off to you. You think that the app and or the idea behind it is good, it's bad, I mean obesity is an issue in the United States. Also, I mean regarding children, about 13.7 million US children between 2 and 19

Starting point is 00:03:47 years old are obese according to the CDC. Although I will say I know the CDC uses data there based on BMI, body mass index, which is a measurement based on weight and height that many health professionals have slammed as arbitrary and inaccurate. Yeah, I want to know your thoughts in those comments down below. Then in quickie light and kind of uplifting news we have, it feels like the closest we'll get to a YouTube royal wedding most subscribed individual on the YouTube platform PewDiePie aka Felix has now married Marzia a story that I thought only the YouTube community would care about but man it was Everywhere the BBC even reported on it Although they decided at the end of it to just mention all of his past controversies because you know

Starting point is 00:04:25 Of course they did. I'm really only gonna say two things regarding this story one Congratulations to the happy couple although is it really a youtuber wedding if you didn't emotionally exploit your young audience and get them to pay $50 for a shitty livestream of it by it I mean a bullshit affair that in no way was actually legal and is just show okay I'm done being petty and two as a wedding present to Felix I will spread the fake news that his old series "'Last Week I Asked You' came before "'Yesterday I Asked You.'"

Starting point is 00:04:50 I won't actually do that, that was a bad joke. Anyway, moving on, congratulations. And then let's talk about this news around Planned Parenthood and Title X. And this is an important story because it could impact healthcare for millions of people in America. So for those who don't know, Title X, which is managed by the Office of Population Affairs,

Starting point is 00:05:05 is the only federal program fully dedicated to providing family planning and related services. It generally provides these services to low-income patients, primarily women, at a reduced cost, and it has done so since it was enacted under President Nixon in 1970. Over 4 million people rely on it annually for things like breast cancer screenings, contraception, STI testing, and other wellness exams. It's also worth noting here that Title X funds are not allowed to go to providing an abortion. But the Trump administration has now added a new rule

Starting point is 00:05:30 to Title X that seriously affects its reach. And that new rule states, quote, "'Title X providers are prohibited from referring "'for abortion as a method of family planning,' though exception is made in the case of a medical emergency." And this rule goes on to say, "'If a woman is pregnant, a Title X provider "'may provide a list of comprehensive healthcare providers, And this rule goes on to say, "'If a woman is pregnant, "'a Title X provider may provide a list

Starting point is 00:05:45 "'of comprehensive healthcare providers, "'including prenatal care providers, "'including some, but not the majority, "'who perform abortion as part "'of a comprehensive healthcare practice. "'However, this list cannot serve as a referral for, "'nor identify those who provide abortion, "'and Title X providers cannot indicate

Starting point is 00:06:00 "'those on the list who provide abortion.'" And what all that essentially boils down to is that while providers can still give information about abortion, they are no longer able to refer their patients to doctors and practices who provide abortion and at most, they would only be able to give them a list of doctors who may or may not provide the service. And so following this new change,

Starting point is 00:06:16 many healthcare organizations are bowing out of Title X funding, which could have a major impact on their ability to treat patients. And of course, one of the most notable groups exiting is Planned Parenthood, which was the largest provider under Title X, serving close to 40% of the to treat patients. And of course, one of the most notable groups exiting is Planned Parenthood, which was the largest provider under Title 10, serving close to 40% of the program's patients. They reportedly received about $60 million

Starting point is 00:06:31 from the program each year. Some states, Planned Parenthood is the only recipient of Title 10 funding, or is far and away the largest. But even though they are voluntarily losing that federal money, they still plan to stay open. And in a statement yesterday, Planned Parenthood's acting president, Alexis McGill Johnson said,

Starting point is 00:06:45 "'I want our patients to know "'while the Trump administration may have given up on you, "'Planned Parenthood never will. "'Our doors are open today "'and our doors will be open tomorrow.'" And adding, "'Our patients come to us because they expect "'the best information and healthcare available,

Starting point is 00:06:57 "'and we have a commitment to provide that to them. "'But the gag rule would make it impossible for us "'to uphold that commitment. "'At Planned Parenthood, we refuse to cower "'to the Trump-Pence administration. We will not be bullied into withholding abortion information from our patients. Our patients deserve to make their own healthcare decisions,

Starting point is 00:07:12 not to be forced to have Donald Trump or Mike Pence make those decisions for them. And so with all that, of course, there's the question, well, what does this mean for Planned Parenthood to stay open without Title 10 funding? Well, likely they're gonna have to operate with funding from other sources, which could be a huge strain on the group. It also could result in higher out-of-pocket payments

Starting point is 00:07:28 for patients, also possibly longer waits for appointments as facilities could end up having fewer employees. And of course, the key thing here is Planned Parenthood is not the only organization withdrawing from Title 10. Both Maine Family Planning and the Vermont Department of Health have announced their exit from the program. Maine Family Planning saying if they stayed in Title 10,

Starting point is 00:07:42 it would fundamentally compromise the relationship our patients have with us as trusted providers of This most personal and private health care and adding it is simply wrong to deny patients accurate information about and access to abortion care And it's very possible that other states could soon follow while they have not officially dropped out of title 10 yet states like Maryland Washington Hawaii Oregon Illinois and New York have already threatened to do so now of course with all this this didn't come out of nowhere There are also people that are happy to see Planned Parenthood not getting this money. As far as the reasoning, I mean,

Starting point is 00:08:09 it's kind of summarized in a White House statement. But argue that this new proposed rule would not cut funds from the Title 10 program. Instead, it would ensure that taxpayers do not indirectly fund abortion. Right, and so the mindset there is that while that money is not directly going to pay for an abortion, it does help fund an organization

Starting point is 00:08:24 that is involved in that process. Even if the money is used elsewhere in the organization because it's still the organization. Now as far as what's next, Planned Parenthood and the American Medical Association have filed suits to block the rule. It'll be interesting to see what happens there. Back in July, district courts did take their side,

Starting point is 00:08:38 but the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals allowed it to go into effect. So with that said, the case is still ongoing. There is an oral argument in the Ninth Circuit Court scheduled for September 23rd. Also the House of Representatives have passed a spending bill with with that said, the case is still ongoing. There is an oral argument in the Ninth Circuit Court scheduled for September 23rd. Also the House of Representatives have passed a spending bill with language that would block the rule. But of course that is going to still require

Starting point is 00:08:51 Senate approval and then the President, or unless you have a veto-proof vote. But ultimately that is where we are with this story as of right now. It'll be interesting to see what we see other states do, what happens in the court. Of course, very interested to know your thoughts on this. And then let's talk about the Amazon fire,

Starting point is 00:09:05 and not that one, although very reasonably priced. What we're talking about today, though, is something far more serious. It's also the reason that you may have seen Pray for Amazonia trending on Twitter. Over the last few weeks, fires have been destroying huge parts of the Amazon. And if you didn't know that this was happening,

Starting point is 00:09:18 you are not alone. Tons of people tweeting this morning that they were just learning that the Amazon had been burning for weeks. Others pointing out the lack of media coverage around the fire. Some also criticizing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for not doing anything to stop the fires. And understand, despite the fact that there has been so little media coverage, these fires are a huge deal. Right now, there are numerous fires in multiple states that are basically burning down the Amazon rainforest totally unchecked. Last week, NASA released satellite images of just a

Starting point is 00:09:42 massive smoke layer covering a huge part of the forest. With one NASA researcher telling reporters that the smoke layer spanned about 1.2 million square miles. Which I know that's just a huge number, so to give you a little bit of context, that's about one third of the entire United States. The smoke from these fires has also continued to spread, endangering the health of people and animals

Starting point is 00:09:59 living in the area, according to local reports. With the smoke getting so bad in some areas that about two weeks ago ago the state of Amazonas declared a state of emergency. And just yesterday people in Sao Paulo, which is all the way on the other side of the country, were sharing pictures of the sky turning black in the middle of the afternoon,

Starting point is 00:10:13 which some scientists have attributed to the smoke from the Amazon fires. Now as far as what started these fires, numerous experts have said that these fires are caused by humans, and we know this for a few reasons. Well first of all, the Amazon rainforest is comparatively fire resistant because it is so wet and humid.

Starting point is 00:10:27 I mean, it is a rainforest after all. And while there are often fires this time of year, they are usually caused by extreme drought. But despite the fact there haven't really been any extreme weather events there that could cause this many fires, fire outbreaks still rose by 70% this year compared to 2018. And secondly, fire is actually used in the Amazon

Starting point is 00:10:42 as an agricultural technique called slash and burn to clear land for planting crops. Notably here, slash and burn is also one of the major techniques used in the Amazon for illegal deforestation. And since Bolsonaro took office back in January, deforestation has rapidly increased. And in fact, according to satellite data

Starting point is 00:10:57 from the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research, deforestation in the Amazon increased by around 245% in July of 2019. Right, and that's just from comparing it to last year, July of 2018. And according to the Guardian, that is the same as destroying three football fields worth of forest every minute.

Starting point is 00:11:12 That is huge. Now despite the fact that the data came from satellite images, Bolsonaro has described it as fake news. After the INPE reported those numbers, Bolsonaro fired the head of that agency and told reporters, quote, "'The numbers as I understand it were released "'with the objective of harming the name of Brazil "'and its government.'"

Starting point is 00:11:28 But as many others have pointed out, Bolsonaro campaigned on opening the Amazon to resource extraction. And since taking office, he has made it a key component of his economic policy. Until Bolsonaro's election, when protecting the Amazon has been at the core of Brazilian environmental policy for the last two decades.

Starting point is 00:11:42 But now, also with the help of powerful lobbyists, he has rolled back environmental protections, ratcheted up access to mining and agriculture by clearing huge sections of forests. Notably, many of the areas that Bolsonaro has opened up to agriculture, mining, or protected indigenous lands, which Bolsonaro has said are too big for the number of people who live there.

Starting point is 00:11:57 According to reports, more than 800,000 indigenous people live in 450 demarcated territories, which cover about 12% of land across the country. Most of those territories are in the Amazon region, some are entirely isolated. Reportedly, this strategy has endangered both the indigenous populations and the forest itself, especially as it is widely believed among experts

Starting point is 00:12:14 and scientists that protecting indigenous lands is one of the best strategies to conserve forests. And this is especially important for the Amazon because the Amazon basin is absolutely critical to stabilizing the global climate. The entire basin spans about three million square miles and it includes 40% of the world's tropical forest, 20% of its fresh water,

Starting point is 00:12:30 and it produces 20% of the air we breathe. It also has many keystone ecosystems which are crucial to global biodiversity. Right, the importance of the Amazon really shouldn't be understated. And around 60% of this forest is in Brazil, which is a country where a number of the top officials in the government do not believe that climate change is real.

Starting point is 00:12:46 And who are convinced that any criticism that Bolsonaro's policies are harming the environment just come from civil society groups and foreign governments that are trying to sabotage the administration. I mean, hell, just last week, just so you understand the mindset. When asked by a reporter whether Brazil can grow more food and protect the environment at the same time,

Starting point is 00:13:01 Bolsonaro responded, "'It's enough to eat a little less. You talk about environmental pollution. It's enough to eat a little less. You talk about environmental pollution, it's enough to poop every other day. That will be better for the whole world. That is the guy in charge. That is the guy who fired the guy who gave him facts because he felt like those facts were wrong.

Starting point is 00:13:15 And understand, this is something that doesn't just affect him and the people who voted him in. And there needs to be more people talking about it and people with more power talking about it. But ultimately, this story is also a showcasing that the people can be drivers. Because the people taking to the internet, they're the reason that I and any other outlet now are covering this. But that's where I'm going to leave this one and of course pass the question off to you. What are your thoughts here? And that's where we're going to end today's show. And hey,

Starting point is 00:13:39 if you like this video, you like diving into the news with us, hit us with a like, a subscribe, share the video. Also, if you crave even more infotainment, I got two things for you. One, if you want to check out our extra news video, we did a deep dive on deep fakes. You can click or tap right there to watch that. Or maybe you missed yesterday's show. You want to catch up, you can click or tap right there to watch that. But with that said, of course, as always, my name's Philip DeFranco. You've just been filled in. I love your faces and I'll see you tomorrow.

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The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 8.20 WW Kurbo Jameela "Body Shaming" Backlash, PewDiePie Married, Huge Amazon Fires, & More

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