Let's talk about something that doesn't get addressed enough: the stigma, bias, and discrimination that people with obesity face every single day.

Obesity stigma exists because of oversimplification, cultural beauty standards, medical bias, harmful language, and — yes — legal discrimination. In many places, it's still legal to deny someone a job, charge higher insurance premiums, or refuse accommodations based on their weight.

In this episode, I break down why stigma exists and the real harm it causes:

• Oversimplification: The "just eat less, move more" narrative ignores genetics, hormones, trauma, environment, and mental health
• Beauty standards: Society still promotes thinness as the ideal, and social media amplifies harmful comparisons
• Medical bias: People with obesity are more likely to be dismissed in healthcare settings, leading them to avoid care altogether
• Language and humor: Fat jokes are still socially acceptable, and medical terms are weaponized as insults
• Legal discrimination: Weight-based discrimination is still legal in many places — this isn't just social, it's structural

But we can do better. I share practical steps we can all take to challenge stigma:

• Use respectful, person-first language ("person with obesity" vs. "obese person")
• Avoid making assumptions about someone's health or habits based on their size
• Promote body diversity in media, schools, and clinics
• Focus on behaviors and wellbeing, not just the number on the scale
• Lead with compassion and empathy, not judgment

If you want to learn more about what I'm doing to fight stigma and advocate for change in healthcare and our communities, visit my website.

🌐 Learn more at weightandmetabolism.com

This is the question I get asked most often — and the answer matters more than you might think.

In this episode, we're tackling the science, the stigma, and the uncomfortable truth: your weight is not your fault.

If you've ever been told to "just eat less and move more," if you've been blamed, judged, or dismissed because of your weight — this episode is for you. Because obesity isn't a willpower problem. It's a complex, chronic, multifactorial disease rooted in genetics, epigenetics, disrupted neurohormonal pathways, environmental factors, and socioeconomic conditions.

I break down the pathophysiology (in plain language, I promise) so you can understand just how complicated weight regulation really is. We'll talk about why the World Health Organization recognized obesity as a disease all the way back in 1948, but the American Medical Association didn't officially declare it one until 2013 — just 12 years ago.

We'll also discuss why treating obesity requires a team: physicians, nutritionists, psychologists, coaches, exercise physiologists, and sometimes bariatric surgeons. Because effective treatment isn't about shaming people into change. It's about addressing the root cause with compassion and evidence-based care.

This is where we start shifting the conversation — from blame to biology, from shame to science.

🌐 Learn more at weightandmetabolism.com

Before we dive into all the science, protocols, and practical tools — let me tell you why I'm really here.

In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on my own journey: from vanilla scones and lattes to oats and smoothies (thanks to my son for that wake-up call), from primary care physician to triple board-certified specialist in family medicine, obesity medicine, and lifestyle medicine. I share what changed when I became a mother, when I started noticing the stark difference between thriving 80-year-olds and struggling ones, and why my own battle with weight and habits led me down a path I never expected.

Here's the truth: even with all my medical training and certifications, I still struggle to choose the healthier option. I still want the samosa over the nuts. And that struggle — that very human experience — is what led me to life coaching. (Yes, I was skeptical too. Very skeptical. But I was also very wrong.)

This episode is about why behavior change is so hard, why knowledge alone isn't enough, and why addressing your health means looking at everything — your food, your sleep, your stress, your relationships, your environment, and the patterns you didn't even know you had.

This is my work. This is my why. And I'm so glad you're here.

🌐 Learn more at weightandmetabolism.com

Welcome to Weight and Metabolism with Dr. Deepti Sharma — your health is in your hands, and this podcast exists to help you take it back.

In this very first episode, Dr. Deepti Sharma introduces the heart and mission behind this show. She breaks down what to expect — real, evidence-based conversations about weight, metabolism, hormones, nutrition, movement, sleep, stress, and the everyday habits that shape your long-term health.

But more than that, Dr. Sharma gets personal. She shares her journey from primary care physician to obesity and lifestyle medicine specialist, and the pivotal question that changed everything: How do we keep people out of the hospital in the first place?

She also tackles something that doesn't get talked about enough — the deep stigma surrounding weight. Because if you've ever felt dismissed, blamed, or ashamed about your weight, this episode is for you. Your weight is not a moral failure. It is not a lack of willpower. And this podcast is the space where science, compassion, and real life finally meet.

🌐 Learn more at weightandmetabolism.com