America Dissected

Crooked Media

Wellness isn't just about mindfulness, exercise, or the perfect skin. Politics, media, culture, science — everything around us — interact to shape our health. On America Dissected, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed explores what's really making us sick and what we'll need to take on — be it racism, corporate capitalism, or snake oil salesmen — to keep all of us healthy. From insulin price gouging to ineffective sunscreens, America Dissected cuts deeper into the state of health in America. New episodes every Tuesday. Want to know where to start? Here are some fan-favorite episodes to search: Cannabis Capitalism with David Jernigan Weight Weight Don’t Tell me with Harriett Brown Black Scientists Matter with Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett read less

Our Editor's Take

Intriguing yet sometimes shocking, America Dissected is an informative podcast. There seem to be a considerable amount of wellness trends. But what's the actual cost of all this? Also, what other factors impact Americans' health that aren't so obvious? These questions-and more-are what America Dissected is about. It'll give answers to the stuff that's really making people sick. Plus, it addresses how to combat it.

Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is the host of America Dissected. Broadly, he fits the description of a physician, educator, epidemiologist, and podcast host. So he is knowledgeable in many fields. Every week, he raises a new topic. It could be weight loss with Dr. Shauna Levy. Or he might discuss making resolutions stick with Katy Milkman. The podcast gives plenty of time to examine the issue in depth. But it still leaves listeners wanting more.

A little confronting at times, it sheds light on the state of health in America. It would be remiss to assume this podcast focuses only on healthcare. The host discusses health issues like long-term sun exposure with Amanda Mull. He continues with health policies, like high insurance costs with Ellen Haun. The show also touches on subjects in politics, world events, science, culture, and more. It's a mixed bag of issues on the America Dissected podcast. But in the end, all impact the health of Americans.

The America Dissected podcast is fascinating. It offers an enlightening breakdown of the big things impacting the country's health. Listeners will learn about everything from organ transplants to vision. Whatever the topic, it's about to undergo a dissection!

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Society & CultureSociety & Culture

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America Dissected: Season 3 - Coming May 4th

America Dissected: Season 3 - Coming May 4th

The pandemic reminds us that when it comes to health, there’s so much more out there to understand. Every week, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a physician and former city health commissioner, is joined by leading doctors, scientists, culturemakers, and policy leaders, to dissect the trends shaping our health. New episodes out every Tuesday, starting Tuesday 5/4. Subscribe now.

Episodes

How to build a resilient public health workforce.

How to build a resilient public health workforce.

Public health professionals are people, too. Too often, though, we don’t think about them that way — their needs, their hopes, and aspirations, their individual skills and areas of passion. But if we want a functional public health system, we really should. Abdul reflects on the experience of leading public health teams. Then he speaks with Dr. Brian Castrucci, President and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation and co-author of a new book, “Building Strategic Skills for Better Health: A Primer for Public Health Professionals,” about how to build a better public health workforce.

The Other Side of Oppenheimer

The Other Side of Oppenheimer

Last summer’s blockbuster “Oppenheimer” took home best picture for a stirring portrayal of the man behind the world’s most dangerous weapon. But there’s a part the story left out: the devastation wrought by nuclear weapons testing on communities here in the US. Abdul reflects on the broader fallout of producing weapons of war. Then he talks to Tina Cordova, co-founder and Executive Director of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, and Dr. Chanese Forté, a scientist with the Global Security Program of the Union of Concerned Scientists about the testing fallout — and what it spells for the future.

Could Medical Tech be “Coded to Kill”? This Medical School Dean Has Thoughts.

Could Medical Tech be “Coded to Kill”? This Medical School Dean Has Thoughts.

In a time when AI is creating new realities faster than we can make sense of them, we need to imagine possible future scenarios to prepare. Which is why a new novel by Marschall Runge, Dean of the University of Michigan Medical School, is so prescient. In his book “Coded to Kill,” Runge helps us imagine what could go wrong, even if so much can go right. Abdul reflects on the critical role of imagination in science. Then he sits down with Dean Runge to talk about what his book can teach us about how we prepare for a future of artificial intelligence in medicine.

Getting Practical About Saving Black Moms and Babies

Getting Practical About Saving Black Moms and Babies

Maternal and child health inequities by race are a blot on our national fabric. But fixing them isn’t about one silver bullet — it’s about systems coming together to do their part. Abdul reflects on the struggle for birthing equity. He interviews Dr. Natalie Hernandez, one of the authors of the “Practical Playbook” on maternal health inequities to understand how sectors can come together to save Black moms and babies.

A Bionic Breast

A Bionic Breast

All of us live in bodies. But what happens when those bodies change in ways that rob us of critical life experiences? That’s the question that so many people face after mastectomy. Abdul reflects on the idea of embodiment and the role that healthcare plays in shaping it. Then he interviews Dr. Stacy Tessler Lindau, an obstetrician/gynecologist and scientist designing a bionic breast to help people who’ve lost their breast regain some of the critical functions that they too often lose.

Talkin’ Nerdy about Gettin’ Dirty

Talkin’ Nerdy about Gettin’ Dirty

For so many reasons — shame, privacy, social discomfort — we don’t talk enough about sex as a public health issue. But it's an important part of a healthy adult human life. So, we’re going to talk about sex. Abdul reflects on the forces that keep us from having a healthy, sex-positive perspective. Then he speaks with Emily Nagoski, New York Times Bestselling Author and Sex Educator about how to reframe and rebuild long term sexual relationships. If you’re interested in earning CME credit for listening to America Dissected, share more about your needs at AmericaDissectedCME.com.

Cash as Medicine in Flint, Michigan.

Cash as Medicine in Flint, Michigan.

For nearly a decade, Flint, Michigan has been synonymous with the lead and water crisis that put the city on the map. But Flint is resilient. Abdul reflects on the central role of poverty in all that Flint experienced. Then he speaks with Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the pediatrician who uncovered the water crisis, and Prof. Luke Shaefer, an anti-poverty researcher, about their new “Rx Kids” program to provide cash to pregnant moms to solve poverty in Flint. If you’re interested in earning CME credit for listening to America Dissected, share more about your needs at AmericaDissectedCME.com.

No, IVF Embryos Aren’t Kids.

No, IVF Embryos Aren’t Kids.

A few weeks ago, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos created in the IVF process had the same rights as children. The ruling was a warning of just how far the anti-abortion might go. Abdul reflects on the hypocrisy at the core of the ruling. Then he sits down with Elisabeth Smith, Director for State Policy and Advocacy at the Center for Reproductive Rights to discuss the broader implications of the ruling and what it means for people in Alabama and beyond.

The Invisible Kingdom of Chronic Illness

The Invisible Kingdom of Chronic Illness

Chronic illness is debilitating. But it’s not just the pain and dysfunction it causes, but the anxiety of not really knowing when it’ll strike — or get worse. Abdul reflects on the ways that science has been diverted by the goals of the healthcare industrial complex away from answering questions at the edge of chronic illness. Then he sits down with author Megan O’Rourke, author of Invisible Kingdom, a book about the experience of living with a chronic autoimmune disorder, about her experience, how it changed her, and what she wishes more people understood about it.

Defunding Public Health? One County Tried. It Didn’t Go Well.

Defunding Public Health? One County Tried. It Didn’t Go Well.

Ottawa County, Michigan made national news last year after a MAGA take over of its County Commission. Their first major act? To try to defund their public health department. Abdul reflects on the impending risk of this across the country. Then he sits down with Adeline Hambley and Marcia Mansaray, the leaders of the Ottawa County Health Department to learn what happened — and what they did next.

How Cars Got More Deadly

How Cars Got More Deadly

More pedestrians are dying in auto accidents. Abdul reflects on the public health challenges that cars pose in general. Then he sits down with Dr. Deborah Kuhls, a trauma surgeon who studies pedestrian fatalities to understand why and how to stop it.

Sickle Cell and All the Diseases We Choose to Ignore

Sickle Cell and All the Diseases We Choose to Ignore

Sickle Cell Disease is a debilitating genetic disease that almost exclusively affects Black folks. While genetic breakthroughs have made a cure possible, the high price tag may keep them away from people who need them. Abdul reflects on the way that society shapes the scientific questions we ask — and whose diseases we take seriously. Then he interviews Dr. Titilope Fasipe, a pediatric hematologist who treats sickle cell disease — and has lived with the disease her whole life.

A Public Health Catastrophe in Gaza

A Public Health Catastrophe in Gaza

In less than four months, more than 25,000 people have been killed by Israeli bombardment in Gaza. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of devastation. Abdul reflects on how the way we talk about this will shape how the international community values human life. Then he interviews Dr. Tanya Haj-Hasan, a pediatric intensive care doctor with Doctors without Borders and creator of the social medial channel “Gaza Medic Voices.”

Has Public Health Lost Its Way? This Public Health Dean Thinks So.

Has Public Health Lost Its Way? This Public Health Dean Thinks So.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a crucible for America’s public health institutions. It brought out their best — and worst. And many of us didn’t like what we saw. Abdul sits down with Prof. Sandro Galea, Dean of the Boston University School of Public Health to talk about his new book, Within Reason, in which Galea argues that the pandemic uncovered an “illiberal,” even, at times, authoritarian, strain within.

America’s Drug Policy Czar Breaks Down the Fentanyl Crisis

America’s Drug Policy Czar Breaks Down the Fentanyl Crisis

Over the past decade, Fentanyl, a cheap, hyper-potent, and synthetic opiate has accelerated the opioid pandemic already ravaging the country. Abdul reflects on the way that our atomized, lonely communities left us vulnerable to opioid addiction and fentanyl and sits down with Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of National Drug Control Policy to talk through the history of the opioid epidemic, fentanyl, and how the federal government is working with local communities to solve it.

New Year, New You?

New Year, New You?

America’s most common New Year’s resolutions focus on health–weight loss, fitness, or something else. While almost all of them focus on physical health, they all run through our mental health. Abdul reflects on how essential health is to everything else we do. Then he sits down with psychiatrist and author Dr. Jud Brewer to understand the mind-body axis and how mastering it can help us nail down those resolutions.

Words Matter. Especially in Public Health.

Words Matter. Especially in Public Health.

It’s not only what you say — it’s how you say it. And that’s often where public health gets it wrong. Our producer Emma Illick-Frank talks to a recovered anti-vaxxer about what ultimately brought him around. Then Abdul talks to Jessica Malaty Rivera, an epidemiologist and health communicator, about how far humility and accessible language can go to protecting health.

Nasal Congestion is More Complicated Than You Think.

Nasal Congestion is More Complicated Than You Think.

Feel that in your nose? If you’re like everyone else this time of year, you’ve probably got that dreaded nasal congestion that comes with the colds and flus this time of year. But nasal congestion is more complicated than you think. Abdul reflects on the collective burden of the annoying illnesses we fight through every year. Then he speaks with Sarah Zhang, a staff writer at the Atlantic who recently wrote about why nasal congestion is more complicated than you might think.

It’s Cold & Flu Season. Here’s How to Protect Yourself.

It’s Cold & Flu Season. Here’s How to Protect Yourself.

It’s cold and flu … and RSV, and COVID season. But vaccinations are down this year — and we haven’t made critical investments in things like air purification and ventilation that we could have and should have to protect ourselves from airborne diseases. Abdul reflects on the opportunities missed and the consequences of missing them. Then he sits down with Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, author of the Your Local Epidemiologist newsletter to talk about what folks can do to protect themselves.

Reaching Back into the America Dissected Archive to Remember Ady Barkan

Reaching Back into the America Dissected Archive to Remember Ady Barkan

Ady Barkan was a lion for healthcare justice. After his diagnosis with ALS, he spent his final years fighting for Medicare for All. Ady passed away this month at 39. We go back into the AD archives to 2019, when Abdul sat down with Ady to learn about his activism and his hopes for the America he’d leave his kids.