Weight is often treated as a simple matter of willpower or discipline, yet for many people it carries a heavy burden of shame and judgement. Conversations about weight can feel exposing and personal, making it harder to seek support or make changes that genuinely improve health.
In this episode, Dr Lee David is joined by Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi – GP and lifestyle medicine specialist – to explore why shame is so closely linked to weight, and why focusing only on the number on the scales often misses what really matters.
They discuss obesity as a complex, long-term health condition shaped by biology, genetics, environment, stress, sleep and social context, rather than personal failure. Hussain shares insights from his clinical work, including how stigma – sometimes within healthcare itself – can undermine confidence, motivation and access to care.
The conversation looks at why behaviour change is rarely linear, how self-criticism can derail progress, and why compassionate, realistic approaches are more likely to support long-term health. They also discuss weight-management medication – when it may be helpful, why it attracts stigma, and how informed decision-making can support wellbeing.
This is a thoughtful discussion about shifting the focus from weight to health, understanding the forces that shape our choices, and finding kinder, more sustainable ways to care for our bodies.
Key moments
00:00 Health gained versus weight lost
02:02 Personal experiences of shame and weight
03:33 Why weight is seen as a personal failing
05:30 Stigma, bias and their impact on care
07:19 Self-criticism and behaviour change
10:33 The value of shared support
12:44 Why advice alone rarely leads to change
15:40 The wider drivers of obesity and environment
22:38 Understanding weight-management medication
27:11 Making health decisions without shame
30:46 Why change is non-linear
33:18 Environments that support healthier choices
37:10 Measuring success through health, not scales
About the Guest
Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi is a GP with an extended role in lifestyle medicine and personalised care lead for the Leamington PCN. He is the RCGP lifestyle and physical activity champion, heads the UK’s first PCN-based fitness club, appears as a TV on This Morning and GMB and is parkrun’s Health Partnerships lead. He is also a trustee at ThinkActive, sits on the advisory board for Swim England and leads the Red Whale Lifestyle and Obesity medicine courses. Outside work, he’s is a keen triathlete who has represented his country.
You can find Hussain on Instagram and LinkedIn
Find the Red Whale obesity medicine course
About the host
Dr Lee David is a GP, CBT therapist and author specialising in mental health and wellbeing. Lee has written many books on CBT, mindfulness and teen wellbeing, and speaks regularly at conferences and in the media. Away from work she enjoys running, hiking, singing in a choir and spending time outdoors with her family. You can find Lee through her website and on Instagram, TikTok (@dr.lee.david), Facebook and LinkedIn. You can find more about her books, wellbeing courses and therapy here: https://linktr.ee/dr.lee.david
