‘Fed Up’ examines a diet culture controversy, whistleblowers, and a war sparked with F-Factor’s owner
“Fed Up” is a podcast about a trendy diet plan gone wrong, the creator Tanya Zuckerbrot’s story, and a whistleblower who exposed F-Factor on social media. The podcast chronicles Emily Gellis’ whistleblowing quest after she heard widespread rumors about people’s F-Factor-related health issues. Emily learned that F-Factor’s users experienced terrible side effects after following Tanya’s fiber-rich diet plan complete with bars and powders. This series deep-dives into diet culture, wellness, wealth, and modern influence.
Emily, a fashion and beauty influencer, used her social media platform of over 100,000 Instagram followers to bring attention to F-Factor’s “fiber empire” that triggered a feud, attracted media attention, legal action, and plenty of Internet trolls.
Narrated by Casey Wilson, this Wondery podcast will release new, weekly episodes through August. Subscribers have early access to all 6 episodes, running less than 30 minutes on average.
The podcast examines what’s marketed as healthy, allegations against F-Factor’s side effects, and a national media circus that spiraled as more people came forward. The controversy started in 2020 as people shared their horrifying F-Factor experiences with Emily and the media. The alleged health issues ranged from bloating, gas, cramps, and rashes to having part of their colon removed. Some claimed that F-Factor caused its followers to struggle with eating disorders.
Over the years, Tanya built a solid fanbase, devoted to following her company’s fiber-filled protocol. And as allegations stacked up against Tanya’s company, Tanya and her loyalists hit the ceiling. Tanya wound up filing a $500,000 defamation lawsuit against Emily, and she has countersued.
Tanya, known for her nutrition counseling and lifestyle content posts, continued to tout the safety of F-Factor’s products. Tanya claims that all products are thoroughly tested and efficient as part of her program. The lawsuit claimed that Emily made false statements about F-Factor’s criminal behavior as well as Emily’s supposed lies that Tanya threatened to kill her family.
Hear the full story and resulting investigation in “Fed Up,” with new episodes released over the next few weeks.
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