What's Up Docs?

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where identical twin doctors Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing. In this episode, they turn their attention to our feet. They explore the biology and mechanics of our feet and what happens when that delicate balance goes wrong. They also look at footwear and the little changes that can go a l...

Chris and Xand take a closer look at cholesterol - what it is, why it worries so many people, and how diet and medicine fit into the picture. They’re joined again by Professor Nita Forouhi, Professor of Population Health and Nutrition at the University of Cambridge, to discuss why foods like seed oils become controversial, when cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins make sense, and how her thi...

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken untangle the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing. In this episode, they take on one of nutrition’s most misunderstood topics: fat. What is it, and why does our body need it? At what point does something normal and essential become something we worry about? What do cholesterol...

Chris and Xand continue their conversation about the sun's effect on our happiness with Professor Hester Parr, human geography and research lead of Living with Seasonal Affective Disorder. The doctors want to know how low light affects those with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), how the disorder is viewed and what research is being done to help treat those with it, including that being conducted...

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing. In this episode, Chris and Xand will shine a light on…light. They discuss why the sun can help lift our mood, and its effects on our sleep and general wellbeing. Joining them to discuss this is Professor Hester Parr, a prof...

Chris and Xand continue their conversation about how the built environment affects our health, with architect Lisa Finlay from Heatherwick Studio. They ask when wellbeing first became a serious consideration in architecture, how Lisa weaves it into her own projects, and whether cities can be designed in ways that actively support public health. They also explore what the “healthy building” of the...

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the building blocks of our health and wellbeing. In this episode, they step outside into the built environment to ask: can buildings affect our health? From light and air to noise, materials and design, they explore how architecture shapes the way we feel, think and function. They visit Co...

Chris and Xand continue their conversation about hips with Dr Paulina Kloskowska, physiotherapist, academic, and researcher. The doctors discuss hip replacements, how they can potentially be avoided and which activities best support hip health. They also want to learn more about why women are more likely to need a hip replacement and what research is being done to change the landscape of women’s h...

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing. In this episode, Chris and Xand dive into hip health. How do your hips work? Why is it such a unique part of the body? What can go wrong? They also examine common hip injuries, how women’s hips differ from men’s, how our hi...

Chris and Xand continue their conversation about toothache with Praveen Sharma, Associate Professor & Honorary Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at the University of Birmingham. They explore how dental pain was treated in the past, and what’s changed since. They also explore how modern lifestyles and diets may be contributing to dental problems. If you’d like to share your thoughts on this o...

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken get to the root of what shapes our health and wellbeing. In this episode, they ask why our teeth so often cause pain and problems. They look at how teeth work, why they’re so prone to decay, and what actually causes toothache. They ask when it’s time to see a dentist, what helps with the pain, and...

Chris and Xand continue their conversation about endometriosis with Kate Haynes, Chartered Human Physiotherapist and Veterinary Physiotherapist. The doctors want to know how to maintain shoulder health year-round, how to avoid overworking our shoulders and some top tips for rehabilitation of shoulder injuries. They also want to learn more from Kate about the similarities and differences between hu...

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing. In this episode, Chris and Xand dive into shoulder health. How do your shoulders work? What can go wrong? What to do if you experience problems with your shoulders? They also examine how best to maintain shoulder health thr...

Chris and Xand continue their conversation about endometriosis with Dr Chi Eziefula, Associate Professor in Global Health and Infection at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. The doctors want to know what the deeper biology of endometriosis is, how general attitudes around women’s health impact the time it takes to be diagnosed with conditions, and if we are seeing any change in the research and s...

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing. In this episode, Chris and Xand dive into endometriosis, a condition that occurs when cells similar to the ones in the lining of the womb (uterus) grow in other areas of the body. It affects around one in ten women of repro...

Chris and Xand continue their conversation about immune health with Prof Dan Davis, Head of Life Sciences and Professor of Immunology at Imperial College London. The doctors want to know more about the deeper biology of the immune system. Is it true that a bit of stress prevents infection, while chronic stress is detrimental to your immune system? Why does intense exercise drop the immune response...

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing. What defines a well-functioning immune system, and why are some people seemingly "immune" to everything while others catch every cold? In this episode, Chris and Xand dive into the complex mechanics of immunology. They tack...

Chris and Xand dig deeper into the evolution of kissing. They ask what first drew our guest into this unusual area of research, why evidence that humans and Neanderthals kissed is so significant, and why it’s so challenging to explain why kissing developed in the first place. If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co....

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken try to get to the bottom of the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing. In this Valentine’s Day-themed episode, they turn their attention to kissing. Why do humans kiss, how did it evolve, and does it offer any biological advantage? They also explore the meaning behind different types of kisses an...

Drs Chris and Xand continue their conversation about focus with Duncan Astle, Professor of Neuroinformatics at the Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge University. Chris and Xand want to know what the impact of having ADHD is, whether a diagnosis can help and if it can predict anything, the neurology and evolutionary explanations for ADHD, and which interventions are currently available. They als...

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing. In this episode, Chris and Xand dive into focus and how it can be improved. How do focus and attention work? Are there different types of attention? What impacts your ability to focus? Is social media ruining your focus? Ho...

In this Daily Dose, Chris and Xand return to their episode on laughter with Professor Sophie Scott CBE, a leading expert in the neuroscience of laughter, from University College London. Sophie explained how laughter is a positive, evolutionary trait that we all go on a journey to understand as we grow up. Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be dropping each weekday throughout...

In this Daily Dose, Chris and Xand return to their episode on core strength with physiotherapist James Moore. James highlighted why exercising our core can help us live long and strong, but doesn’t have to mean hitting the gym hard. Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be dropping each weekday throughout January (except Tuesdays). You'll find them in the What’s Up Docs? feed on...

In this Daily Dose, Chris and Xand return to their episode on fibre with Dr Deirdre Tobias. Deirdre outlined why fibre is important for our diets and where we should be getting it from. Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be dropping each weekday throughout January (except Tuesdays). You'll find them in the What’s Up Docs? feed on BBC Sounds, alongside all the main episodes of...

Drs Chris and Xand continue their conversation about food with Professor of Psychology Ashley Gearhardt. Drawing on her clinical experience, they explore what it means to live with food addiction and how shame and stigma make it harder to talk openly, seek help, or make changes. They also explore how Ashley came to study food addiction, and the links between industrial processing of food and tobac...