In Conversation

In this episode of our podcast, we take a deep dive into the topic of semaglutide — or GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs — use for weight loss. How does semaglutide help with weight management, why do some people on Wegovy hit a weight loss plateau, and what are some issues to keep in mind when it comes to using semaglutide for weight loss? Dr. Simon Cork, senior lecturer in the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Social Care at Anglia Ruskin University in the United Kingdom helps us answer these and more questions.

In our wrap-up of 2023’s most pressing and perhaps controversial research in the health and wellness field, Medical News Today’s editors — Andrea Rice, Maria Cohut, and Yasemin Nicola Sakay — delve into three interesting topics: The WHO’s decision to declare sucralose a potential carcinogen, the symptoms of colon cancer and the worrying rise of cases in young people, and the still-elusive male birth control pill.

How do we prolong our longevity? Plenty of recent evidence suggests that exercise — in the correct amount and combination — can help us live longer, healthier lives. This episode of our podcast discusses how and why intentional physical activity prolongs our health span. Joining the conversation isDr. Borja del Pozo Cruz, principal researcher in Applied Health Sciences at the University of Cadiz, who has studied the relationship between longevity and different forms of exercise, andDr. Edwina Brocklesby— nicknamed “Iron Gran” — who is CEO of Silverfit and Britain’s oldest woman to have completed an Ironman triathlon.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — an umbrella term for conditions including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis — affects millions of people worldwide, sometimes severely affecting their quality of life. How is the gut microbiome of a person with IBD different, and can we use diet to change it and help with disease management? To answer these and other questions, we are in conversation withDr. Marcel de Zoete, associate professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology at UMC Utrecht in The Netherlands, who has studied the gut microbiome in IBD. Also joining us is Zosia Krajewska, who lives with IBD after receiving a diagnosis at age 14.

In this episode, Dr. Hilary Guite and Medical News Today editors Maria Cohut and Yasemin Nicola Sakay discuss why it's so hard for humans to change their minds and behaviors. They give us a peek into their daily lives while sharing the three podcast episodes that inspired them to change their habits surrounding nutrition, pain, and helping others. They also offer their own tips and tricks on how to spark purposeful and lasting behavioral change.

In this episode, we discuss why health disparities between different racial and ethnic groups, including those that surfaced during the COVID-19 pandemic, cannot be explained by biological race. We also explore how racism affects the health and well-being of future generations. Joining the conversation are Dr. Monique Rainford, obstetrician and gynecologist at Yale School of Medicine and author of the book "Pregnant While Black," and Angela Saini, science journalist and author whose most recent work includes the book "Superior: The Return of Race Science."

In this episode of our podcast, we discuss why the gut microbiome is important in Parkinson's disease and what researchers are doing to discover more about the link between Parkinson's and gut health. Our guests are Dr. Ayse Demirkan, senior lecturer in AI multiomics for health and well-being at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom, and Gary Shaughnessy, chair of trustees at Parkinson's UK, who lives with Parkinson's disease and is a staunch advocate of research into the condition.

In this episode, Medical News Today investigates whether reversing prediabetes via lifestyle changes — such as diet and exercise — is possible. Joining the conversation with Dr. Hilary Guite and Global News editor Yasemin Nicola Sakay are Dr. Thomas Barber, associate clinical professor at Warwick Medical School and consultant endocrinologist at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, and Angela Chao, Managing Editor at Healthline Media, who shared her experiences about how she reversed her prediabetes diagnosis.

In this episode of our podcast, we delve into the science behind how sounds and silence affect our cognitive health and seek to uncover whether music can be healing for people with dementia. Joining the conversation this month with Dr. Hilary Guite and global news editor Yasemin Nicola Sakay are Dr. Kelly Jakubowski, assistant professor in music psychology at Durham University in the United Kingdom, and Beatie Wolfe, singer, songwriter, and ambassador for the charity Music for Dementia, who witnessed music's direct effect in a care home for people with dementia.

In this episode, we discuss how and why diet could help manage the symptoms of endometriosis and which interventions might be the most effective. We are in conversation with Dr. Hana Kahleova, director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine — a nonprofit organization in Washington, DC — and Hannah Alderson, a registered nutritionist with the British Association For Nutrition And Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) and founder of The Positive Method – The Path to Happier Hormones. Dr. Kahleova is the co-author of a recent study looking at nutrition as a factor in the risk for and management of endometriosis. Alderson’s precepts for well-being stem from her own long journey seeking a diagnosis and treatment for PCOS and endometriosis.