Perimenopause, GLPs, and the Medical Gaslighting of Women

Perimenopause, GLPs, and the Medical Gaslighting of Women

Author: Jo Piazza January 22, 2026 Duration: 39:19
There are only a few topics women in their forties can’t stop talking about right now: perimenopause, hormone replacement therapy, and GLP medications. In this episode, we sit down with physician Dr. Mary Brandon for a no-bullshit conversation about what’s actually happening in our bodies—and why so many of us feel like we’re losing our minds. We break down how GLP medications really work (and why many women feel better on them beyond weight loss), the role inflammation plays in joint pain, sleep, mood, and energy, and what the next generation of these drugs could look like. We also get into hormone replacement therapy—what it actually does, why testosterone is so often ignored in women’s care, and how decades of fear, shame, and misinformation have made this phase of life harder than it ever needed to be. Follow Dr. Brandon's practice here. Follow Dr. Brandon here. Join our newsletter community here. ORDER The Parisian Heist here. Visit our lovely sponsors here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Under the Influence with Jo Piazza, journalist and mother Jo Piazza pulls back the curtain on the multi-billion dollar world of social media influence. This isn't just another show about viral trends; it's a critical exploration of the aspirational marketing that haunts our feeds, where perfectly posed lives in spotless homes mask a complex economy. Jo examines how this ecosystem fundamentally reshapes our culture, our families, and our personal sense of self, especially for parents and kids navigating this curated reality. Each episode of this podcast digs into the forces that brought us here, asking what it means to live, parent, and consume under this constant, monetized influence. You'll hear specific stories and analysis that connect the dots between the content we scroll past and the larger societal machinery at work. The conversation naturally extends beyond the screen to question the real-world impact on our journals, our relationships, and our understanding of value. Under the Influence with Jo Piazza provides the context often missing from the comments section, offering a necessary perspective for anyone who has ever scrolled and wondered about the true cost of that airbrushed perfection.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Under the Influence with Jo Piazza
Podcast Episodes
You're Not Broken, Our Idea of Motherhood Is [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:27
W're told that motherhood is supposed to feel natural, fulfilling and instinctive. If it does not, our culture tells you the problem is you. Jo and licensed psychotherapist Vanessa Bennett, author of The Motherhood Myth,…
All the London Recommendations with Three Feral Kids [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:19
This episode dives into the joy of planning a trip, because there really should be a German word for the absolute delight that the anticipation of travel brings you. Perhaps also one for the thrill of getting great recom…
Sunday Nice Things: Uncover [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:01
You may think you know the NXIVM story. The secretive self-help empire. The sex cult headlines. The downfall of its leader, Keith Raniere. But the most famous woman at the center of the story has remained largely silent.…
Do I Need a Hobby? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:38
Do you actually have hobbies, or do you just have things that feel like self-improvement projects? In this episode, Jo kicks off an “Adventure Year” with her best friend Jackie, a grad student in positive psychology who…
The Women History Forgets [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:09
The stories we tell about women matter. How we amplify and promote those stories matters. To that end we are considering how to resurrect a history series we did years ago about bad ass women that history has forgotten.…
Can Instagram Ever Be Safe for Teens? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:40
Can parents ever really know what’s happening inside their kids’ phones? This episode takes a hard look at how Instagram says it’s protecting teens—and whether those promises hold up. Instagram’s Global Director of Publi…
Guns & Gossip: My So Called Life Rewatch Episode Three [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:07
We’re heading back to 1994 for My So-Called Life episode three, “Guns and Gossip.” A gun goes off at school, rumors spread, and Angela Chase is caught between wanting to be seen and wanting to disappear. Pop culture hist…
Rewatch My So Called Life With Me [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:08
It’s been thirty years since My So-Called Life premiered—thirty years since Angela Chase fell for Jordan Catalano and quietly redefined what teenage angst looked like. This week, Under the Influence rewinds to 1994 for a…
We’re Not Going Quietly Into Perimenopause [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:37
For decades, menopause has been treated like a medical afterthought—a punchline, a whisper, or something to “just get through.” But millennial women are starting to hit perimenopause, and we’re not going quietly. The hor…
The Antidote to Tradwife Economics [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:28
Tradwife influencers are selling women a dangerous fantasy — that dependence is aspirational. It’s not. In this episode, we dig into the real cost of giving up financial agency with Steph Wagner, National Director of Wom…