{"podcast":{"title":"What's Up Docs?","slug":"what-s-up-docs-7261292","podcast_index_feed_id":7261292,"rss_url":"https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/m00298p7.rss","website_url":"http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00298p7","image_url":"http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/3000x3000/p0m1xdtt.jpg","author":"BBC","episode_count":163,"summary":"In this BBC Radio 4 podcast, Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken are on a mission to help us take better care of ourselves. Although they are identical twins, Chris and Xand are very different and they never stop thinking and arguing about science and health. They want to lead healthy, happy lives and as doctors, they want this for everyone. Yet they tussle over how best to get there. When it comes to looking after our own health, it can be confusing. Medicine and science produce amazing new treatments and diagnostics every day and we are bombarded with so many headlines and pieces of advice; but how are we supposed to know what's really best for us and then successfully apply it to our lives? Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken embrace this challenge; even as they marvel at the scientific breakthroughs, they grapple with the competing claims about health, wellbeing and how to live. From understanding testosterone therapies to microplastics in our diets, and the concept of 'hangriness' to the power of saying no - this podcast deals with the health stresses we all face every day, while taking on board how the decisions by corporations and governments affect all our health. Each episode, Ch…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-28T16:18:00.642247+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-s-up-docs-7261292"},"episode":{"title":"Why do we follow bad advice?","slug":"why-do-we-follow-bad-advice","published_at":"2026-07-28T07:15:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-s-up-docs-7261292/why-do-we-follow-bad-advice","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-s-up-docs-7261292","url":"http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002zghj","audio_url":"http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/6/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download-rss/proto/http/vpid/p0p0gk7p.mp3","summary":"Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing. In this episode, they discuss a behaviour almost everyone recognises - following advice we suspect is bad, or even know is wrong. So why do we do it? From medicine and wellness culture to friendships and everyday life, Chris and Xand unpack the psychology behind why bad advice can be so hard to resist. They consider how authority, confidence and social pressure shape our decisions, and why warning signs don’t always protect us from making choices we later regret. They also ask why questioning experts can feel so difficult, even when our wellbeing depends on it. Along the way, they discuss how people can become more confident questioning advice, seeking second opinions, and making decisions that genuinely align with their own judgement and wellbeing. To help them untangle it all, they’re joined by Professor Sunita Sah, Organisational psychologist at Cornell University. If you want to get in touch, you can email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk . Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken Guest: Professor Sunita Sah Producer: Maia Miller-Lewis Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar Editor: Jo Rowntree Researcher: Grace Revill Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable Social Media: Leon Gower Digital Lead: Richard Berry Composer: Phoebe McFarlane Sound Design: Ruth Rainey At the BBC: Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4","meta_description":"Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing.…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1754,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/what-s-up-docs-7261292/episodes/why-do-we-follow-bad-advice/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-s-up-docs-7261292/why-do-we-follow-bad-advice.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}