51. Fen-Phen Scandal: What would you risk to be thin?

Bad People

BBC

True Crime

4.4 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 20 January 2022

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Mary Linnen, a woman in her late 20s, had just gotten engaged and she wanted to lose some weight for the wedding. Her doctor prescribed a combination of drugs called Fen-Phen. And it worked instantly. She lost weight but then she also started to lose her breath a lot. Other agonising symptoms soon followed including swelling of legs and stomach. Mary becomes one of the first Fen-Phen victims of which there are thousands. Dr Julia Shaw and Sofie Hagen discuss the extreme lengths and risks that people are willing to take to be thin and the industry that profits from fatphobia. CREDITS Presenters: Dr Julia Shaw and Sofie Hagen Producer: Louisa Field Assistant Producer: Simona Rata Editor: Rami Tzabar Music: Matt Chandler Commissioning Executive: Dylan Haskins Commissioning Assistant Producer: Adam Eland #BadPeople_BBC Bad People is a BBC Audio Science Production for BBC Sounds.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I'd like to tell you why I love podcasting.
0:04.5	I'm Sasha Johansson, I'm an Assistant Commissioner for the BBC, and I work on making podcasts.
0:10.9	My real passion is discovering unbelievable unheard stories.
0:15.6	I'm working with the biggest stars who can really bring those stories to life.
0:20.0	I love the whole process of making podcasts from the spark of an idea to hearing the final edit.
0:26.4	There's nothing like it.
0:27.6	One makes BBC podcast special is that we're working for you,
0:31.0	so whatever we commission has to reflect the things that you care about and love,
0:34.9	wherever you are in the UK.
0:36.7	So if you like this BBC podcast, there's so much more to discover.
0:40.4	Have a listen on BBC Sounds.
0:43.6	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.
0:48.0	A three? A two? A three, two, one.
0:54.4	Julia, have you ever been unhappy with your body?
0:57.8	And did you ever do anything extreme in response?
1:00.7	Oh man, I think I'm unhappy with my body on a regular basis, but I think the most extreme
1:06.5	period of my life, and I'm pretty sure I've actually never told anyone this,
1:09.6	and I'm sure my mom will be appalled.
1:11.9	But when I was 14, I went through a period of trying to starve myself, or go on sort of all juice
1:16.8	celebrity diets that were sold at the mall, and you know,
1:20.3	100% should never have been able to be sold to me a child.
1:23.3	And yet there I was, buying them and drinking them.
	...

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