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America Dissected

Author: Crooked Media

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Wellness isn't just about mindfulness, exercise, or the perfect skin. Politics, media, culture, science — everything around us — interact to shape our health. On America Dissected, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed explores what's really making us sick and what we'll need to take on — be it racism, corporate capitalism, or snake oil salesmen — to keep all of us healthy. From insulin price gouging to ineffective sunscreens, America Dissected cuts deeper into the state of health in America. New episodes every Tuesday.

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228 Episodes
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A Bionic Breast

A Bionic Breast

2024-03-2646:44

All of us live in bodies. But what happens when those bodies change in ways that rob us of critical life experiences? That’s the question that so many people face after mastectomy. Abdul reflects on the idea of embodiment and the role that healthcare plays in shaping it. Then he interviews Dr. Stacy Tessler Lindau, an obstetrician/gynecologist and scientist designing a bionic breast to help people who’ve lost their breast regain some of the critical functions that they too often lose.
For so many reasons — shame, privacy, social discomfort — we don’t talk enough about sex as a public health issue. But it's an important part of a healthy adult human life. So, we’re going to talk about sex. Abdul reflects on the forces that keep us from having a healthy, sex-positive perspective. Then he speaks with Emily Nagoski, New York Times Bestselling Author and Sex Educator about how to reframe and rebuild long term sexual relationships. If you’re interested in earning CME credit for listening to America Dissected, share more about your needs at AmericaDissectedCME.com.
For nearly a decade, Flint, Michigan has been synonymous with the lead and water crisis that put the city on the map. But Flint is resilient. Abdul reflects on the central role of poverty in all that Flint experienced. Then he speaks with Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the pediatrician who uncovered the water crisis, and Prof. Luke Shaefer, an anti-poverty researcher, about their new “Rx Kids” program to provide cash to pregnant moms to solve poverty in Flint. If you’re interested in earning CME credit for listening to America Dissected, share more about your needs at AmericaDissectedCME.com.
A few weeks ago, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos created in the IVF process had the same rights as children. The ruling was a warning of just how far the anti-abortion might go. Abdul reflects on the hypocrisy at the core of the ruling. Then he sits down with Elisabeth Smith, Director for State Policy and Advocacy at the Center for Reproductive Rights to discuss the broader implications of the ruling and what it means for people in Alabama and beyond.
Chronic illness is debilitating. But it’s not just the pain and dysfunction it causes, but the anxiety of not really knowing when it’ll strike — or get worse. Abdul reflects on the ways that science has been diverted by the goals of the healthcare industrial complex away from answering questions at the edge of chronic illness. Then he sits down with author Megan O’Rourke, author of Invisible Kingdom, a book about the experience of living with a chronic autoimmune disorder, about her experience, how it changed her, and what she wishes more people understood about it.
Ottawa County, Michigan made national news last year after a MAGA take over of its County Commission. Their first major act? To try to defund their public health department. Abdul reflects on the impending risk of this across the country. Then he sits down with Adeline Hambley and Marcia Mansaray, the leaders of the Ottawa County Health Department to learn what happened — and what they did next. 
How Cars Got More Deadly

How Cars Got More Deadly

2024-02-1345:381

More pedestrians are dying in auto accidents. Abdul reflects on the public health challenges that cars pose in general. Then he sits down with Dr. Deborah Kuhls, a trauma surgeon who studies pedestrian fatalities to understand why and how to stop it.
Sickle Cell Disease is a debilitating genetic disease that almost exclusively affects Black folks. While genetic breakthroughs have made a cure possible, the high price tag may keep them away from people who need them. Abdul reflects on the way that society shapes the scientific questions we ask — and whose diseases we take seriously. Then he interviews Dr. Titilope Fasipe, a pediatric hematologist who treats sickle cell disease — and has lived with the disease her whole life. 
In less than four months, more than 25,000 people have been killed by Israeli bombardment in Gaza. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of devastation. Abdul reflects on how the way we talk about this will shape how the international community values human life. Then he interviews Dr. Tanya Haj-Hasan, a pediatric intensive care doctor with Doctors without Borders and creator of the social medial channel “Gaza Medic Voices.”
The COVID-19 pandemic was a crucible for America’s public health institutions. It brought out their best — and worst. And many of us didn’t like what we saw. Abdul sits down with Prof. Sandro Galea, Dean of the Boston University School of Public Health to talk about his new book, Within Reason, in which Galea argues that the pandemic uncovered an “illiberal,” even, at times, authoritarian, strain within.
Over the past decade, Fentanyl, a cheap, hyper-potent, and synthetic opiate has accelerated the opioid pandemic already ravaging the country. Abdul reflects on the way that our atomized, lonely communities left us vulnerable to opioid addiction and fentanyl and sits down with Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of National Drug Control Policy to talk through the history of the opioid epidemic, fentanyl, and how the federal government is working with local communities to solve it.
New Year, New You?

New Year, New You?

2024-01-0953:34

America’s most common New Year’s resolutions focus on health–weight loss, fitness, or something else. While almost all of them focus on physical health, they all run through our mental health. Abdul reflects on how essential health is to everything else we do. Then he sits down with psychiatrist and author Dr. Jud Brewer to understand the mind-body axis and how mastering it can help us nail down those resolutions.
It’s not only what you say — it’s how you say it. And that’s often where public health gets it wrong. Our producer Emma Illick-Frank talks to a recovered anti-vaxxer about what ultimately brought him around. Then Abdul talks to Jessica Malaty Rivera, an epidemiologist and health communicator, about how far humility and accessible language can go to protecting health.
Feel that in your nose? If you’re like everyone else this time of year, you’ve probably got that dreaded nasal congestion that comes with the colds and flus this time of year. But nasal congestion is more complicated than you think. Abdul reflects on the collective burden of the annoying illnesses we fight through every year. Then he speaks with Sarah Zhang, a staff writer at the Atlantic who recently wrote about why nasal congestion is more complicated than you might think.
It’s cold and flu … and RSV, and COVID season. But vaccinations are down this year — and we haven’t made critical investments in things like air purification and ventilation that we could have and should have to protect ourselves from airborne diseases. Abdul reflects on the opportunities missed and the consequences of missing them. Then he sits down with Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, author of the Your Local Epidemiologist newsletter to talk about what folks can do to protect themselves. 
Ady Barkan was a lion for healthcare justice. After his diagnosis with ALS, he spent his final years fighting for Medicare for All. Ady passed away this month at 39. We go back into the AD archives to 2019, when Abdul sat down with Ady to learn about his activism and his hopes for the America he’d leave his kids.
One of the hallmarks of living in a high-income country is that we can usually take food safety for granted. But what happens when food contamination recalls are on the rise? Food contamination was a full-blown epidemic at the turn of the 20th century. Abdul reflects on how much behind-the-scenes work goes into keeping food safe. Then he interviews Deborah Blum, a science journalist and author of two books about the history of food safety about what the history of food safety regulation should teach us about the future.
America Dissected comes to you LIVE from Atlanta at the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting. Abdul reflects on the ways that the internet is fundamentally reshaping the way we think about place–and its impact on public health. Then he sits down with Ian Bogost, professor, video game designer, and contributing writer at the Atlantic.
In 2019, the Mexican government instituted a new rule that took mascots like El Tigre Toño off of high-sugar foods. The food industry fought back. And now a similar fight may be coming to the United States. Abdul reflects on the role of marketing in our food environment. Then he speaks with Nick Florko, a reporter at STAT News, about Mexico’s struggle to cage the tiger. GoFundMe to support the family of Ady Barkan
You are what you eat, right? If so, then our guest has a message for us: we’re “ultra-processed people.” In this episode, Abdul reflects on just how culturally-driven our food choices are and how big corporations use that to influence those choices and feed us food that’s…barely food at all. Then he interviews Dr. Chris van Tulleken, a physician and health researcher, about his book “Ultra-Processed People.”
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Comments (32)

Tobe Ezekwenna

Definitely will give this a listen soon

May 20th
Reply

جواد تنها

.۸ننت

May 18th
Reply (3)

جواد تنها

.۸ن

May 18th
Reply

محمد علی

اگه متن بود خیلی خوب بود

Apr 22nd
Reply

text

text

Oct 9th
Reply

Nuage Laboratoire

text

Oct 9th
Reply

Mindy Vest

it is so out of control.

May 13th
Reply

Mindy Vest

this is so true. I'm a type 1 and big pharma has always been my biggest fear. my pharmacy costs every month are more than my gross wages. if my insurance is lost, without insulin, I will be dead inside of 72 hours. that is the grim truth we type 1 diabetics face daily, in addition to all of constant work and worrying about keeping blood sugar in a normal range.

May 13th
Reply

Cody Buttron

I'm having trouble understanding my own psychology on the structural racism. I know that all people are asking for is support and understanding to help reform system, but I can't help but feel attacked and acused of being racist for being born into a system I had no part in creating. I think that in my mind I am being asked to be ashamed and bear the burden for the terrible people that came before I was even born and the terrible people who still exist and I have no control over. I feel like we are not painting a picture of the future we all want. We are making snap decisions in pain, anger because we need solutions immediately before more people die or have their lives destroyed by a broken system. This change in society will take so many more generations to reach a true level of equality but I belive we are at a tipping point but people are like Ubleck (non-Newtonian fluid) if you push them to change quick they resist even harder and if you change slowly eventually you will get there

May 25th
Reply (4)

Alex Mercedes

13:31 ...you can't see your audience during a podcast...

Sep 17th
Reply

Alex Mercedes

one positive byproduct of COVID is the stark exposure of the flaws of the US style of capitalism where corporations own run exploit oppress dominate every aspect of living. the artist discusses it plainly here.

Sep 17th
Reply

Alex Mercedes

gosh I love this podcast. so glad it exists. if only Dr. El-Sayed's questions were more succinct... I wonder if he would consider asking only one or two questions at a time -- rather than 4 or 5 questions connected by commentary? the guests end up answering only 1 or 2 of the bundle of questions posed -- maybe because who can remember so many questions asked at the same time? it's not a huge deal -- like I said, I love this pod -- but now and then a great question goes unanswered because it gets lost in the lengthy lead-in.

Sep 9th
Reply

KrysLouise36

the last episode cut off at 100% before it was over can you please upload the full content

Apr 17th
Reply

Eddie Ronayne

Stop the political stuff. Very transparent in last couple of podcasts. Stick to science, not left wing idealogy. You think the China figures are accurate? Come on

Mar 21st
Reply

Meidi

I just can't stand the way he says "anabotics." Is it really that difficult to enunciate the word antibiotics?

Feb 20th
Reply

Andrew Permafide Greaves

the other side of the coin is the OH SO OBVIOUS suppression by the sick care community that health and nutrition is extremely dependent on your diet, but this podcast really doesnt cover that, and also doesnt do a good job of covering alternative modalities that do work "yoga and acupuncture" mentioned at the beginning, also the suppression of cannabis research is huge!!

Nov 13th
Reply

Samantha Jayne

never stop making episodes. I'm loving your podcast. thank you

Nov 8th
Reply

Mark Abersold

Fascinating and illuminating. And further evidence that the way we are building our cities, particularly the suburbs, is bad for human health.

Oct 30th
Reply (1)

Em

While Dr. El Sayed’s bright input into the podsphere and general media is a great thing, each episode of this podcast feels like a race to state the obvious. Is it just me, or does it seem as though the show’s producers consider the audience to be unschooled, daft, provincial?

Oct 22nd
Reply (2)

Alex Penney

Great podcast, and a great addition to the Crooked Media suite of tools😄

Oct 10th
Reply
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