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Episode: The “Health Nerd” on What We Get Wrong About Science

Date: December 16, 2025
Host: Jeff Bennett
Guest: Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz, Epidemiologist, Writer (“Health Nerd”)

Episode Overview

In this incisive episode, host Jeff Bennett sits down with Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz—the epidemiologist and online “Health Nerd”—to dissect how misinformation, misunderstanding, and outright fraud cloud public understanding of health science. Topics range from viral myths about sugar and ultra-processed foods to the politicization of public health and the roots of vaccine and autism conspiracies.

Meyerowitz-Katz brings his trademark candor and depth, illustrating why clear, transparent, and accurate communication remains crucial—especially post-pandemic. He sheds light on why even scientific studies from reputable journals can lead populations astray, and he offers hope and realism in confronting today’s fractured information landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Accidental Path to Public Health Communication

(00:46 – 02:48)

• Meyerowitz-Katz describes stumbling into epidemiology after a psychology degree, inspired by Ben Goldacre’s “Bad Pharma.”
• His current research covers diabetes statistics, large datasets, AI modeling, and clinical trials to improve diabetes care.
• Quote:
  • “I finished an undergraduate degree in psychology… and I saw that Sydney University… was offering a master’s of public health. And I had just finished reading a book… and I thought, you know what, why not? I’ll go into some debt and do some more study.” (00:56, Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz)

2. Becoming ‘Health Nerd’ and the Prevalence of Misreporting Science

(02:48 – 06:44)

• Started blogging after friends encouraged him to expand his frustrated Facebook posts debunking bad headlines.
• Found media routinely oversells scientific findings. Early viral piece tackled misrepresentation of birth control’s link to depression.
• Press releases from universities, not just media, often misinform.
• Quote:
  • “I think the absolute increase in depression rates for people who took the pill… was on the order of about one in a thousand people.” (03:45, Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz)

3. Misinformation vs. Misunderstanding

(04:54 – 06:44)

• Misunderstanding often stems from real research being exaggerated or misconstrued, sometimes by well-meaning journalists or institutional PR.
• Also discusses actual bad research and outright faked studies—an increasing concern since the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Quote:
  • “There’s very little protection for your average person who’s trying to understand the world if the research itself is bad or misrepresents its findings.” (06:21, Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz)

4. How Can the Public Navigate Bad Data?

(06:44 – 08:18)

• Laypeople face near-impossible odds in spotting unreliable or fraudulent studies; even trained researchers struggle.
• Used to trust governmental or healthcare authorities, but this is less reliable today, particularly in the U.S.
• Quote:
  • “It takes quite a lot of time and effort… it’s very hard. And then when we’re talking about unreliable research… even experienced researchers… tend to find that really hard to do.” (07:18, Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz)

5. Enduring Health Myths: Sugar and Hyperactivity

(08:27 – 10:16)

• The widely held parental belief that sugar makes kids hyper is unsupported by rigorous research.
• 1994 study: mothers’ expectations, not sugar itself, drove perceived hyperactivity.
• Quote:
  • “Every parent believes it. But we have known since the 90s… it makes no difference to their levels of hyperactivity.” (08:38, Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz)
  • “The mothers who were told their children were given sugar thought that their children were much more hyperactive… even though none of the children got sugar.” (09:09, Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz)

6. The Roots of Fraud and Low-Quality Research in Science

(10:16 – 12:42)

• Pressure to publish leads to proliferation of low-quality and occasionally fraudulent work.
• Surveys suggest 3–10% of scientists admit to some misconduct; far more cases likely go undetected.
• Particularly acute where funding is scarce but publication demands are high.
• Quote:
  • “Somewhere between 50 and 60%… of papers that are published are very low quality.” (11:13, Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz)

7. “Trust the Science”: Why the Slogan Falls Short

(12:42 – 14:07)

• Gideon critiques the slogan; science is too complex for blind trust.
• Advocates for trusting vetted experts rather than “the science” as a monolith.
• Quote:
  • “The science is sort of a very wide question… I don’t think saying trust the science exactly makes that much sense.” (13:27, Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz)

8. Ultra-Processed Foods: Definitions and Public Confusion

(14:07 – 19:36)

• “Ultra-processed” is a slippery, ill-defined category; what counts can be arbitrary or inconsistent.
• Example: Big Mac patties vs. Doritos vs. generic corn chips; processing steps vs. ingredient lists.
• The Nova scale (basis for most definitions) is ultimately subjective and sometimes contradictory.
• Quote:
  • “If you avoid junk food, you’re probably going to be doing better in terms of your health.” (17:22, Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz)
  • “The term ultra-processed food doesn’t mean that much… it’s a spectrum.” (15:37 & 19:17, Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz)

9. International Perspective on U.S. Public Health Policy and MAHA Movement

(19:36 – 25:22)

• Global colleagues are saddened and alarmed at U.S. partisan attacks on public health infrastructure (e.g., loss of CDC funding, disregarding data).
• Issues like vaccine skepticism and seed oil conspiracies illustrate partisan divides; in Australia, bipartisan trust in vaccines still holds.
• Quote:
  • “A lot of people are looking on in horror as major public health programs are sort of just thrown away.” (20:42, Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz)
  • “What’s happened is the Republican Party has made its official position anti vaccine rhetoric…” (22:34, Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz)

10. Vaccine-Autism Myth & Shifting Definitions of Autism

(25:22 – 34:20)

• Rising autism rates are primarily due to broadening diagnostic criteria and increased access to diagnosis—not vaccines or specific exposures.
• The vaccine/autism myth traces to a single, since-retracted 1990s Lancet paper.
• Public fear fuels new hypotheses: currently Tylenol is in the crosshairs, despite scant causal evidence.
• Quote:
  • “The main thing that’s happened… is simply because we’ve changed the definition of what autism is.” (26:07, Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz)
  • “We are as close to 100% certain as it is possible in the scientific world that vaccines do not cause autism.” (33:51, Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz)

11. Motivation & Hope for Scientific Integrity

(34:20 – 36:52)

• Meyerowitz-Katz continues his myth-busting largely out of a sense of pedantic duty and his ability to tangibly improve public health.
• Despite U.S. polarization, most of the world still trusts science; truth persists given enough time.
• Quote:
  • “I really hate it, seeing when people get things wrong… these are things that… have direct impact onto people’s lives.” (34:27, Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz)
  • "What gives me hope... is that in most countries in the world, the public still does sort of trust science and trust data." (35:47, Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• "[T]here was a huge amount of health misinformation and even really simple basic mistakes in the media and in reporting..." (02:58, Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz)
• "There’s very little protection for your average person who’s trying to understand the world if the research itself is bad..." (06:21, Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz)
• “Every parent believes it. But we have known since the 90s… it makes no difference to their levels of hyperactivity.” (08:38)
• "Somewhere between 50 and 60%… of papers that are published are very low quality." (11:13)
• “The science is sort of a very wide question… I don’t think saying trust the science exactly makes that much sense.” (13:27)
• “The term ultra-processed food doesn’t mean that much… it’s a spectrum…” (15:37 & 19:17)
• “A lot of people are looking on in horror as major public health programs are sort of just thrown away.” (20:42)
• “We are as close to 100% certain as it is possible in the scientific world that vaccines do not cause autism.” (33:51)
• “I really hate it, seeing when people get things wrong… and I feel like… these are things that… have direct impact onto people’s lives.” (34:27)
• "What gives me hope... is that in most countries in the world, the public still does sort of trust science and trust data." (35:47)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:46: Gideon explains why he became an epidemiologist—a mix of curiosity and opportunity.
• 03:35: Example of media misrepresenting science: the birth control pill and depression.
• 08:27: The enduring “sugar makes kids hyper” myth, debunked.
• 10:24: Explains why scientific fraud happens and the pressures underlying it.
• 13:00: Critique of “trust the science” messaging.
• 14:47: The tangled debate about “ultra-processed” foods and its definitional confusion.
• 19:36: Global view: The world watches U.S. public health policy shifts with alarm.
• 25:34: RFK Jr., autism, and why rising rates are largely diagnostic, not environmental.
• 29:37: Origins of vaccine and autism myth in the 1990s, and how scientific trust can be broken by a single high-profile, fraudulent study.
• 34:20: What motivates Gideon to keep correcting bad science—personal investment and sense of responsibility.
• 35:47: Remaining hopeful about public trust in science internationally, and history as a corrective force.

Tone & Style

Conversational yet precise, frank yet empathetic, Meyerowitz-Katz uses humor (“…what we call ultra processed foods today are mostly what my mum would refer to as junk food in the 90s” (17:29)) and plain-language explanations while giving weight to the dangers of miscommunication and politicization.

Jeff Bennett anchors the discussion with relatable anecdotes (e.g., childhood trips to McDonald’s) and sharp questions tying the science back to current U.S. policy and cultural debates.

Summary Takeaway

This episode gives an invaluable primer on the pitfalls of health-related science communication—how errors and distortions arise, why systemic pressures and politics compound the problem, and what non-experts can and can't do to separate real risks from exaggerated panics. Through clear examples and honest analysis, Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz demonstrates the value of skepticism, expert judgment, and persistent curiosity in an age rife with misinformation.