EP 186: Unpacking the science and myths around obesity and health with geneticist and author Giles Yeo

This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Giles Yeo, geneticist and author of Gene Eating: The Science of Obesity and the Truth About Dieting and Why Calories Don't Count: How We Got the Science of Weight Loss Wrong. Giles and Patrick discuss the genetic, neural, and evolutionary drivers of obesity, the advancements in safe and effective obesity drugs, and the narratives around calorie counting and ultra-processed foods.

Show Notes: 

0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast

00:59 Welcome to Giles and an overview of recent advances in obesity treatment

04:28 How incretin-based therapies such as GLP-1 receptor agonists have enhanced our understanding of obesity 

06:46 Unexpected effects of GLP-1-based therapies on neurodegenerative disease and addiction

09:39 Relative safety and potential side effects of GLP-1-based therapies

11:18 The gap in genetic characterization of individuals with different responses to GLP-1-based treatment

13:10 Competition and demand in the market for obesity drugs

15:46 Targeting comorbidities and genetic and neural components of obesity 

19:09 Evolutionary aspects of obesity and how modern world factors can increase risk

24:26 The role of choice in dietary habits

26:29 The spectrum of genetic influences on body weight

29:50 Next frontiers in obesity research and opportunities from genetic advances

32:52 The controversial premise of Giles’ second book on why calorie counting misses the point in improving diet and health

37:43 Giles’ nuanced perspective on ultra-processed foods

44:46 Future avenues for Giles’ research, including mapping genetics and neural circuits underlying obesity

46:05 Giles’ writing process and plans to write a third book   

48:55 Closing remarks