The Truth About Weight, Appetite and GLP-1 Medications with Professor Giles Yeo

In this episode of Chew on This, I’m joined by Professor Giles Yeo — Cambridge geneticist, obesity researcher, and one of the leading scientific voices in the conversation around weight, appetite, and GLP-1 medications. We unpack what it really means to describe obesity as a brain-based, genetically influenced chronic disease, and why the narrative of “just eat less and move more” doesn’t come close to explaining the complexity of hunger, fullness, reward, and emotional eating. Giles explains how our biology, environment and internal wiring intersect — and why judging someone at the point of “fork to mouth” ignores the deeply individual pathways that drive eating behaviour. We also dive into GLP-1 medications — what they actually do, what they don’t do, who they’re for, and why the biggest risk may not be side effects, but access without proper guardrails. Giles shares a personal perspective on his son’s experience, and together we explore the tension between health and weight, stigma and science, and how we might shift the conversation away from blame and towards a more nuanced, compassionate understanding of bodies and health. Find Giles: Instagram: @gilesyeo Website: https://www.wolfson.cam.ac.uk/people/giles-yeo Listen to The Hunger Game: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002r3kd Read Why Calories Don't Count: https://amzn.eu/d/06GC0a1k Find Anna: Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.dranna.co.uk/about⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/drannacolton⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book (Amazon): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.amazon.com/How-Talk-Children-About-Food/dp/1785120557