Welcome to The BariNation Foundation Podcast, where you’ll hear real talk about bariatric surgery, obesity medicine, medical weight loss, metabolic health, weight management, and lifelong obesity care. Whether you're considering bariatric surgery, preparing for weight loss surgery, recovering after surgery, or looking for evidence-based strategies to maintain long-term weight loss, this podcast gives you the education, support, and community you need to succeed. Hosted by members of the…
Bariatric surgeon Dr. Eric Smith joins the BariNation Foundation Podcast to continue the six-part series on the Levers of Control. Today's episode is about the second lever: Whole Food Nutrition. Dr. Eric Smith speaks with April Williams and Melanie Lindell to reveal why whole foods quiet food noise, how ultra-processed foods were engineered for overconsumption, and what it takes to build a…
Weight recurrence after bariatric surgery or GLP-1 treatment isn't a personal failure, it's often a natural part of treating the chronic disease of obesity. In this episode of the BariNation Foundation Podcast , April welcomes bariatric surgeon and obesity medicine specialist Dr. Saniea Majid to discuss her groundbreaking research on weight recurrence, why the medical community is moving away from…
What if the biggest obstacle to getting the help you need isn't your body, but the belief that you have to earn it? Even therapists struggle with shame, self-doubt, and asking for help. In this episode of the BariNation Foundation Podcast, April sits down with longtime therapist and BariNation supporter Lora Grabow, who shares her own journey through menopause, unexpected health changes, and the…
Episode 287: What if everything you believed about obesity was wrong? Bariatric surgeon Dr. Eric Smith joins the BariNation Foundation Podcast to launch a six-part series on Mastering Metabolic Health and Weight Management. Today's episode is about the first lever: Beyond the Scale...Obesity as a Chronic Disease. He explains why only 0.5 to 2% of people can lose enough weight through diet alone to…
Summer is here, and so is every barbecue, pool party, and 4th of July spread your family could throw at you. No judgment. We're gonna talk about all of it. April and Nat are back together for a real one, a summer celebration episode built around the four BariNation pillars: movement, mindset, metabolic wellness, and community. They're sharing how they personally live these pillars when routines go…
Your metabolism is not broken. It just might need a new strategy. If you've had bariatric surgery (or started a GLP-1 medication like Ozempic or Mounjaro) and you've hit a wall, struggled with cravings, felt like you can't go more than two hours without eating, or watched the scale stop moving entirely, this episode is for you. Registered dietitian and certified personal trainer Kayla Girgen, RD,…
Nobody tells you that the hardest part of bariatric surgery isn't the surgery. It's year five, when life is full, and your bariatric brain goes quiet. Jason and Natalie are back for a real, unfiltered catch-up and this one is for every patient who's thought, "I don't even think about it anymore." Because here's the thing: bariatrics doesn't stop asking things of you just because you stopped…
You've been fighting your weight for years. You've tried everything. And now you're finally ready to find someone who can actually help. Where do you start? Your primary care doctor? The websites that offer you another miracle? Should you do what Serena Williams is doing and see a bot doc? In this episode, April sits down with Dr. Charles Thompson, a bariatric surgeon practicing in Brooklyn and…
“We are built for scarcity, not abundance.” Most people think obesity is simply about willpower or lifestyle choices, yet its history reveals a long tradition of misconceptions, stigma, and ineffective, somewhat barbaric treatments. In this eye-opening episode, Dr. Nini Peterson, PhD, takes us on a fascinating journey through the history of obesity, showing how misconceptions have persisted for…
Clinical psychologist Dr. Rachel Goldman, PhD joins BariNation hosts April Williams and Jason Smith to discuss the psychological and behavioral tools every person needs to navigate life's hardest moments, especially those living with the chronic disease of obesity. Drawing from her new book When Life Happens, Dr. Goldman breaks down CBT into accessible, actionable tools for building emotional…