This week, we’re diving into the slightly shocking (and sometimes surprisingly wholesome) stories shaping our health and habits.

We start with TikTok’s decision to ban the hashtag #SkinnyTok, following a viral exposé revealing the darker side of the “skinny girl” aesthetic and the influencer-led community profiting from it.

Then there’s new research showing that smiling might be six times more effective than Botox when it comes to attractiveness, raising big questions about beauty standards, confidence, and connection.

We also get into the shrinking length of TED Talks, the red meat industry’s influence on heart health studies, and the surprising truth about coconut sugar, agave, and maple syrup. Are any of them actually better for you?

Elsewhere in the episode, we cover Britain’s booming banana obsession (and the waste it’s creating), why Scandinavian saunas are strictly nude, and what’s changing in school food.

This week’s recommendations

• The Cut article
• The Unprocessed Plate by Rhiannon Lambert
• Your Friends and Neighbours (Apple TV)
• Sirens (Netflix)

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