The BariNation Foundation Podcast

What if some of the things you were taught about obesity were simply wrong? In this episode of the BariNation Foundation Podcast, April Williams sits down with obesity medicine physician Dr. Michelle Gordon and BariNation community member Tabitha Tyler to discuss what happens when patients and providers are willing to say, “I was wrong,” and follow the science forward. They discuss the physiology...

What does it take to decide on weight loss surgery? Therapist Derek Colvin (@giant_therapist) and his wife Sheena share how they each chose sleeve gastrectomy, recorded just two days before their surgery together. Derek is a former basketball player, six foot ten, and a licensed therapist. After three knee surgeries, years of intense workouts, calorie cutting, a carnivore diet, and serious thought...

Movement can be so much more than a way to change your body. In this episode of the BariNation Foundation Podcast, April Williams sits down with psychologist, researcher, and movement expert Dr. Kelly McGonigal and BariNation community member Charity Guerrero to completely rethink the role of movement in the obesity health journey. They discuss the “comfort paradox,” why movement may require us to...

What does it actually take to fund the future of obesity treatment? On this episode of The BariNation Podcast, host April Williams sits down with Dr. Carlos Galvani, a bariatric surgeon of over two decades and President of the TREO Foundation (Treatment, Research, and Education to end Obesity), formerly known as the ASMBS Foundation. Click HERE to join our free, virtual TREO Walk team! Dr. Galvani...

Obesity is a chronic, lifelong disease, not a failure of willpower. In this episode of the BariNation Foundation Podcast, April Williams sits down with bariatric surgeon Dr. Monique Hassan and BariNation community member Jasmine Fernandez to challenge the idea that one tool can treat obesity. They discuss the full range of surgical options: surgery, GLP-1s, mindset, movement, community, self-advoc...

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 sustai...

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 d...

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 thinki...

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 Qu...

“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 ce...

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 resi...

In this engaging conversation, Aimee Rothe, a board-certified bariatric nurse and post-op bariatric patient, shares her journey from being a medical provider who sought treatment for her obesity after a harrowing experience with a patient, when she was over 400 lbs, to being a provider in the field of obesity care. She emphasizes the importance of normalizing obesity treatment, individualizing car...

The BariNation Podcast is a production of the BariNation Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit that advances metabolic wellness for people living with obesity by providing evidence-based education, stigma-free support, and meaningful connections in the moments that shape daily life. The Foundation's mission is to walk alongside individuals pursuing medical, surgical, and comprehensive care, supporting rea...

The BariNation Foundation The BariNation Podcast is a production of the BariNation Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit that advances metabolic wellness for people living with obesity by providing evidence-based education, stigma-free support, and meaningful connections in the moments that shape daily life. The Foundation's mission is to walk alongside individuals pursuing medical, surgical, and comprehe...

Today changes everything. In this special episode of the BariNation Podcast, we officially announce the launch of the BariNation Foundation , a federally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting people fighting the chronic disease of obesity. Founded by patients, built by patients, and guided by experts, the BariNation Foundation exists to bring knowledge, community, and...

Have you ever worked so hard to lose weight, only to feel frozen at the idea of intentionally putting weight back on your body? You’re not alone. And this episode is for you. In this BariNation Podcast episode, we sit down with Kayla Girgen, RD, LD, CPT, registered dietitian, personal trainer, and author of the new book Ruck Fit , to break down rucking through a bariatric lens, the fears, the resi...

Metabolic health is more than weight loss—it's about addressing the root causes of obesity as a disease. Today’s episode is sponsored by AdventHealth and we were excited to sit down with Dr. Damon Tanton, Executive Medical Director of AdventHealth Central Florida's Metabolic Health Institute, to explore how insulin resistance drives weight gain and metabolic dysfunction. Dr. Tanton explains why tr...

If you’ve ever felt confused, discouraged, or even ashamed about your weight— especially if you’ve tried “everything” and it still feels difficult —this conversation will change how you understand your body and your journey. In this encore episode, recorded live at AdventHealth, bariatric and metabolic medicine specialists Dr. Melissa Bagloo and Dr. Shiva Seetahal explain why weight loss is not ju...

What if the reason change feels so hard isn’t because you’re failing… …but because you’re finally doing it right ? In this first episode of 2026, April, Jason, and Natalie gently but firmly dismantle one of the biggest lies in the bariatric space: that transformation is something you can plan, download, buy, or perfect. It isn’t. Real transformation isn’t clean. It isn’t aesthetic. It isn’t linear...

Are you struggling to see obesity as more than a number on the scale? Do you wonder why shame and stigma still dominate the conversation around bariatric surgery? In this revisited episode, we explore the truth about obesity as a chronic disease and how we can shift the narrative to one of compassion, education, and long-term support. Our guest, Carah Horn, brings her clinical expertise and lived...

Bariatric surgery patients often face intense fear about weight recurrence, but understanding obesity as a chronic disease can transform the healing journey. In this BariNation episode, we explore what happens when therapist and bariatric patient Melanie Lindell wears a simulation suit that recreates her pre-surgery body. The experience revealed how trauma and fear live just beneath the surface, e...