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Wellness, Actually with Emily Oster & Perry Wilson, MD

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Parenting
Mental Health
Pregnancy
Child Development
Ultra-Processed Foods
Vaccines
Reading Instruction
Sperm Counts
Social Media
Phonics
Pinworms
Self-Care
Childhood Obesity
Public Health
Whole Language Approach
Nutrition
Mediterranean Diet
Postpartum Depression
Obesity
Obstetrics

A staggering amount of health and wellness news and information is bombarding us everywhere we look – and who’s got time to parse it out, to verify it, and then to actually do the work of improving our health?

We do! We are Emily Oster, best-selling author and data expert, and Perry Wilson, a medical doctor. And unlike the influencers, we actually know how to read a medical paper. This podcast se... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes124Founded4 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Health & Fitness

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Artwork for Wellness, Actually

Latest Episodes

This week, Emily and Perry are going classy with a close look at eating organic. We all know it's more expensive, but is it worth the sticker (shock)? Do organic foods actually taste better, are they healthier, and, most importantly, are they safer? ... more

This week, Emily and Perry discuss the highly disciplined world of intermittent fasting: all the different ways you can not eat and all of their purported health effects. Will it make you lose weight, reset your metabolism, live longer? Only if you'r... more

This week, Emily and Perry explore Botox, literally the most toxic substance in the universe, so why not inject it into our faces? From its discovery to its biomechanics to its myriad uses, it might just turn out that smooth foreheads are the least i... more

This week, we're rebroadcasting our episode on GLP-1s, those blockbuster weight-loss drugs that have taken the world by storm -- and not just what you already know about them. From the origins in Gila monster venom to the surprisingly long history of... more

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Recent Guests

Tamar Avishai
Producer and closet-recording booth lead
Wellness, Actually
Episode: It's the First Annual Wellness, Actually Grab Bag Episode!
Allison Williams
Actor and podcaster, guest on pregnancy brain episode
Self/Guest of Wellness, Actually
Episode: What's the deal with pregnancy brain? (feat. Allison Williams)
Dr. Breonna Slocum
Reproductive endocrinologist and fertility specialist
Episode: An Expert Roundtable on Trying to Conceive
Marea Goodman
Licensed midwife, author, and founder of Pregnant Together specializing in LGBTQ+ community
Pregnant Together
Episode: An Expert Roundtable on Trying to Conceive
Dr. Pooja Lakshmin
Perinatal psychiatrist advocating for women’s mental health
Episode: An Expert Roundtable on Trying to Conceive
Dr. Yael Schonbrun
Clinical psychologist and author focused on relationships and mental health.
Episode: How to Baby-Proof Your Relationship: Navigating a new marital landscape
Dr. Adam Davis
Community pediatrician in San Francisco
SF Bay Pediatrics
Episode: All About Vaccines: Why they’re important, and how to make them more tolerable for your child
Dr. Sara Reardon
Board-certified pelvic floor physical therapist and author, also known as The Vagina Whisperer.
Episode: It’s Never Too Late for Pelvic Floor Therapy: Why it’s about more than Kegels
Tamron Hall
Two-time Emmy Award-winning talk show host and mother.
Episode: Tamron Hall's Late-Night Panic Google

Hosts

Emily Oster
Economist, author, and data expert
Perry Wilson
Physician and medical researcher

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 688 ratings
  • Really Fun Weekly Listen

    I love listening and I’ve started listening every Thursday when they come out. I appreciate the news updates and the helpful dialogue around current issues.

    I’ve loved the topics so far and the information shared has been helpful in my day to day life

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    erigrimm
    United States3 months ago
  • Way too many ads

    Good podcast content but the ads make it nigh on unlistenable. I don’t begrudge a podcast some ad revenue but there are so many here and so repetitive!

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    SilverSpiralStyle
    Canada3 months ago
  • My Favorite Podcast

    I love this podcast and look forward to it every week. As a psychotherapist specializing in chronic illness, the data and researched based information that is discussed every week truly helps me in my professional and personal life. Thank you Emily and Perry for all your thoughtful work and please don’t stop!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Rachael A.B.
    United States3 months ago
  • Love

    Love this show and have recommended it to so many people. Listening to science adjacent podcasts as a scientist can be very painful but Emily and Perry do a stellar job (though I have notes on the lsd episode). My only qualm is the latest episode featuring someone that is not a medical/science/data expert… I hope this doesn’t become a pattern.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Stacylala
    United States3 months ago
  • Best Health show out there- and funny too!

    I am loving this podcast! Totally entertaining while giving excellent evidence based information on the latest health trends. Listen, laugh and learn!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Slowrunner69
    United States4 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some clinicians and science-minded listeners say the discussions are useful in their work and conversations with patients.
Some listeners find the hosts overly dismissive or condescending and would prefer more specialist guests.
A recurring complaint is that long, frequent ad breaks interrupt the content and make episodes harder to finish.
Listeners value the evidence-based explanations and practical context for evaluating health claims and wellness trends.
Many describe the hosts' conversational approach as clear, engaging, and funny, with complex research made accessible.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#112
United States/Health & Fitness
Apple Podcasts
#227
Singapore/Health & Fitness
Apple Podcasts
#232
South Africa/Health & Fitness
Apple Podcasts
#236
Colombia/Health & Fitness
Apple Podcasts
#245
Chile/Health & Fitness

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

What's the deal with intermittent fasting?
Q: Should I be worried? Should I try to steer them towards something else? What are our thoughts on deli meat? Good, bad, indifferent?
Emily says evidence linking processed meat to cancer is observational and confounded, while Perry notes deli meats are salty and recommends moderation, particularly for people who need to restrict sodium.
What's the deal with intermittent fasting?
Q: What's the deal with intermittent fasting?
The hosts explain that intermittent fasting may help some people lose weight by making it easier to consume fewer calories, but evidence does not show special health or weight-loss benefits beyond calorie restriction.
What's the deal with organic food?
Q: After a hard workout, sometimes there's blood in my urine. How concerned should I be?
Wilson says exercise can cause blood in the urine, but recurrent episodes warrant a medical check and kidney function test. He also explains that muscle breakdown can create similarly colored urine and recommends discussing the issue with a primary care clinician.
What's the deal with Botox?
Q: What are we doing about the COVID vaccines this year and who should get them?
Both hosts suggest flu vaccines for almost everyone and recommend considering a COVID vaccine for most healthy adults and children, with particular caution about adolescent boys due to myocarditis risks; they emphasize that risks from infection versus vaccination vary by age and discuss the option to receive both vaccines at the same visit.
It's the First Annual Wellness, Actually Grab Bag Episode!
Q: do cold showers lead to fewer sick days?
The study suggests cold showers may reduce sick days but not the incidence of illness itself; benefits, if any, are subtle and could involve placebo or behavioral effects, so individuals should experiment carefully rather than rely on it as a proven intervention.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
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Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Wellness, Actually

What is Wellness, Actually about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Weekly conversations that separate evidence from hype in health and wellness, with economist and author Emily Oster and physician Perry Wilson explaining what research can and cannot show. Episodes typically pair a health-news roundup and listener questions with a focused discussion of a widely debated topic, from nutrition and vaccines to medications, symptoms, and wellness trends. Oster brings a data-focused perspective, while Wilson adds medical context; together they explain study design, distinguish correlation from causation, and translate technical ideas into practical guidance. The tone is conversational and often humorous, with an emphasis on helping people assess claims rather than offering one-size-fits-all answers. The distincti... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Wellness, Actually?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Wellness, Actually:

1. Good Inside with Dr. Becky
2. Raising Good Humans
3. After Bedtime with Big Little Feelings
4. The Daily
5. The PedsDocTalk Podcast: Child Health, Development & Parenting—From a Pediatrician Mom

How many episodes of Wellness, Actually are there?

Wellness, Actually launched 4 years ago and published 124 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Wellness, Actually?

Recent guests on Wellness, Actually include:

1. Tamar Avishai
2. Allison Williams
3. Dr. Breonna Slocum
4. Marea Goodman
5. Dr. Pooja Lakshmin
6. Dr. Yael Schonbrun
7. Dr. Adam Davis
8. Dr. Sara Reardon

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