What's Up Docs?

Doctors' Notes: Hydration

Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken continue their conversation about hydration with Dr John Whittle, a consultant in anaesthesia, critical care and perioperative medicine at University College Hospitals and an honorary associate professor at University College London.Most of the time our bodies are brilliant at regulating fluid but what happens when that process gets disrupted by illness, stress or ageing? And crucially, what can we do about it?If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk. Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken Producer and researcher: Dr Samara Linton Executive Producers: Rami Tzabar Editor: Jo Rowntree Visual Producer: Leon Gower Technical Lead: Reuben Huxtable Digital Lead: Richard Berry Composer: Phoebe McFarlane Sound Design: Melvin RickarbyAt the BBC: Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith Commissioning Editor: Rhian RobertsA Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.

How hydrated should you really be?

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing.In this episode they’re exploring hydration. We’ve all heard we should be drinking eight glasses of water a day, but does it hold up? Chris and Xand look at what water actually does in the body and how we regulate fluid.They also separate fact from fiction on the hydration beliefs and trends that are everywhere right now. Does drinking more water actually help you lose weight? What about the online trend of loading water with supplements and flavourings to maximise its benefits? Should we all be adding electrolytes to our water?To help answer these questions, they’re joined by Dr John Whittle. He’s a consultant in anaesthesia, critical care and perioperative medicine at University College Hospitals and an honorary associate professor at University College London. If you want to get in touch, you can email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk. Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken Producer and researcher: Dr Samara Linton Executive Producers: Rami Tzabar Editor: Jo Rowntree Visual Producer: Leon Gower Technical Lead: Reuben Huxtable Digital Lead: Richard Berry Composer: Phoebe McFarlane Sound Design: Melvin RickarbyAt the BBC:Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

Doctors' Notes: Bad Advice

Chris and Xand van Tulleken continue their conversation with Professor Sunita Sah about why humans follow advice they suspect, or even know, is bad.They explore what first drew Sunita to this area of research, alongside her own experiences of following advice she knew she should probably question. Together, they unpack the psychology behind why rejecting advice can feel so uncomfortable, and why intelligence or expertise doesn’t necessarily protect people from poor decisions.If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, please email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk.Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken Guest: Professor Sunita Sah Producer: Maia Miller-Lewis Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar Editor: Jo Rowntree Researcher: Grace Revill Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable Social Media: Leon Gower Visual Producer: Richard Berry Composer: Phoebe McFarlane Sound Design: Ruth RaineyAt the BBC: Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith Commissioning Editor: Rhian RobertsA Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Why do we follow bad advice?

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing.In this episode, they discuss a behaviour almost everyone recognises - following advice we suspect is bad, or even know is wrong. So why do we do it?From medicine and wellness culture to friendships and everyday life, Chris and Xand unpack the psychology behind why bad advice can be so hard to resist. They consider how authority, confidence and social pressure shape our decisions, and why warning signs don’t always protect us from making choices we later regret. They also ask why questioning experts can feel so difficult, even when our wellbeing depends on it.Along the way, they discuss how people can become more confident questioning advice, seeking second opinions, and making decisions that genuinely align with their own judgement and wellbeing.To help them untangle it all, they’re joined by Professor Sunita Sah, Organisational psychologist at Cornell University. If you want to get in touch, you can email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk. Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken Guest: Professor Sunita Sah Producer: Maia Miller-Lewis Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar Editor: Jo Rowntree Researcher: Grace Revill Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable Social Media: Leon Gower Digital Lead: Richard Berry Composer: Phoebe McFarlane Sound Design: Ruth RaineyAt the BBC: Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith Commissioning Editor: Rhian RobertsA Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

Doctors' Notes: Eyes

Chris and Xand continue their conversation about eyes with Mr Raj Das-Bhaumik.The doctors want to know what particular things we should be doing to look after our eyes in the summer, including how to protect them while swimming or spending time outdoors. They're also curious about dry eye, a common condition that could affect over half of the UK population, and how to manage it, as well as other eye conditions like glaucoma and cataracts and how they are particularly affected in the summer months.If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk.Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken Guest: Mr Raj Das-Bhaumik Producer: Dr Samara Linton Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar Researcher: Mili Ostojic Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable Visual Producer: Leon Gower Digital Lead: Richard Berry Composer: Phoebe McFarlane Sound Design: Olga ReedAt the BBC: Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith Commissioning Editor: Rhian RobertsA Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.