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Maintenance Phase

Maintenance Phase

The Diet Crimes of Metabolife

Feb 12, 2026 · 57 min · 16 segments

The rags-to-riches tale of how an illegal methamphetamine manufacturer became a legal methamphetamine manufacturer. **Support us:** Hear bonus episodes on PatreonWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy…

The rags-to-riches tale of how an illegal methamphetamine manufacturer became a legal methamphetamine manufacturer. **Support us:** Hear bonus episodes on PatreonWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and more **Links!** How the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 Weakened the FDAMad About MetabolifeStimulant Propels Diet EmpireThe dangers of the herb ephedra - Harvard Health An Historical Review of Steps and Missteps in the Discovery of Anti-Obesity Drugs Weight Loss the Herbal Way: No All-Natural Silver BulletOver-the-Counter-Strategy - The Washington Post Anxious Pill-Maker Puts ABC...

The rags-to-riches tale of how an illegal methamphetamine manufacturer became a legal methamphetamine manufacturer. **Support us:** Hear bonus episodes on PatreonWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy…

Speakers: Aubrey GordonHostMichael HobbsHost

Show signals: SuitabilitySensitiveBiasLeans leftPopularityVery Populartop 5%Audience≈154k followers

Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube Amazon Music Website

Top entities: Metabolife×86 Ephedra×3 Multi-level marketing×7 Steve Bechler×5 Mel Gibson×7

The 1990s Supplement Boom1:14 – 3:02

Aubrey GordonHost

1:14

Today we are talking about one of the most popular diet pills of the sort of Y2K era.

Michael HobbsHost

1:21

Ooh.

Aubrey GordonHost

1:21

'90s into Y2K.

Michael HobbsHost

1:23

Okay.

Aubrey GordonHost

1:24

The name of it is Metabolife 356.

Michael HobbsHost

1:28

Wait, are they wrong about the number of days in the year?

Aubrey GordonHost

1:30

No, I, that is exactly the thought that I had every time I saw the fucking name, Mike.

Aubrey GordonHost

1:35

I was like-

Michael HobbsHost

1:35

[laughs]

Aubrey GordonHost

1:35

... do you mean 365?

Michael HobbsHost

1:37

Yeah.

Aubrey GordonHost

1:37

Do you mean every day? Do you mean Metabolife every day?

Michael HobbsHost

1:39

Is that 'cause you get nine cheat days, so like you-

Aubrey GordonHost

1:41

[laughs]

Michael HobbsHost

1:41

... [laughs] you have to do it 356 days.

Aubrey GordonHost

1:43

No, it, um ... [laughs]

Michael HobbsHost

1:45

Once a month you can just go nuts.

Aubrey GordonHost

1:47

356 was the number that the lab assigned it when they were formulating it.

Michael HobbsHost

1:51

It's the name of the founder, John 356.

Aubrey GordonHost

1:53

We are beginning our story in the mid-'90s.

Michael HobbsHost

1:57

Mm-hmm.

Aubrey GordonHost

1:58

By this point, the '80s and '90s sort of fitness craze has grown into a massive industry.

Michael HobbsHost

2:05

Mm-hmm.

Aubrey GordonHost

2:05

This is the era of buns of steel, of Stop the Insanity-

Michael HobbsHost

2:11

Oh, yeah

MetabolifeCompanyCompany
99%86 mentions
EphedraEntityPlant
98%3 mentions
Multi-level marketingEntity
96%7 mentions
Steve BechlerPersonAmerican baseball player
94%5 mentions
Mel GibsonPersonAmerican actor and filmmaker
93%7 mentions
HerbalifeCompanyCorporation
91%5 mentions
Food and Drug AdministrationGovernment OrganizationFederal agency
90%24 mentions
Democratic PartyOrganizationPolitical party
88%3 mentions
PseudoephedrineEntityMedication
87%3 mentions
Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994Book
85%14 mentions
Apple PodcastsSoftware Application
83%1 mention
PatreonCompanyCompany
82%2 mentions
Internal Revenue ServiceGovernment OrganizationStatutory body
80%6 mentions
ChineseEntity
79%6 mentions
Bill ClintonPerson42nd U.S. President
77%2 mentions
AppleCompanyTechnology company
75%1 mention
AmericansEntityEthnic group
74%1 mention
Aubrey GordonPersonAuthor
72%2 mentions
Michael HobbesPersonJournalist
71%2 mentions
United States Department of JusticeGovernment OrganizationGovernment department
69%3 mentions
San DiegoCityCity in California
67%3 mentions
Orrin HatchPersonAttorney and former President pro tempore of the United States Senate
66%3 mentions
Slim FastEntity
64%4 mentions
MucinexEntityDrug brand
63%2 mentions
UtahAdministrative AreaUS state
61%2 mentions
Tom HarkinPersonLawyer and former United States Senator
60%2 mentions
Vitamin CEntity
58%1 mention
Mehmet OzPersonAdministrator of the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
56%2 mentions
The FlintstonesTV SeriesAmerican sitcom
55%1 mention
McMansionPlace
53%1 mention
Osama bin LadenPersonCo-Founder of Al-Qaeda
52%1 mention
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.PersonUnited States Secretary of Health and Human Services
50%1 mention
IowaAdministrative AreaUS state
48%1 mention
Republican PartyOrganizationPolitical party
47%2 mentions
George H. W. BushPerson41st U.S. President
45%1 mention
FacebookSoftware ApplicationSocial networking service
44%1 mention
Werner HerzogPersonGerman filmmaker and actor
42%1 mention
NyQuilBrandDrug brand
40%1 mention
HydroxycutBrandDrug brand
39%1 mention
Catherine Zeta-JonesPersonWelsh actress
36%1 mention
EntrapmentMovie1999 film
36%1 mention
Sean ConneryPersonActor and film producer
36%1 mention
EnglishEntitySpoken language
33%1 mention
VolkswagenCompanyAutomobile company
31%1 mention
CraigslistCompanyAdvertising company
29%1 mention
Breaking BadTV SeriesAmerican drama series
28%1 mention
Walter WhiteEntityFictional character
26%1 mention
Gold's GymCompanyChain
25%1 mention
Patriot ActBook
23%3 mentions
Panera BreadRestaurantBakery company
21%1 mention

Society
EphedraHealth > Dietary Supplements > Weight Loss
Metabolife 356Health > Dietary Supplements > Weight Loss > Ephedra
Consumer SafetyBusiness > Marketing > Multilevel Marketing > Health Products
FDA RegulationPolitics > Legislation > Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act
Consumer ProtectionPolitics > Legislation > Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act > FDA Regulation
Dietary Supplement FraudCrime > Fraud > Health Fraud
Legal ConsequencesCrime > Fraud > Health Fraud > Dietary Supplement Fraud
1990s Wellness IndustrySociety > Health Trends > Fitness Culture
Public Perception of SupplementsSociety > Health Trends > Fitness Culture > 1990s Wellness Industry
LegislationPolitics
MarketingBusiness
Fitness CultureSociety > Health Trends
Dietary SupplementsHealth
Weight LossHealth > Dietary Supplements
Health FraudCrime > Fraud
Dietary Supplement Health and Education ActPolitics > Legislation
Multilevel MarketingBusiness > Marketing
Health TrendsSociety
Health ProductsBusiness > Marketing > Multilevel Marketing
Politics
Health
Business
Crime
FraudCrime

The 1990s Supplement Boom1:14 – 3:02

Aubrey GordonHost

1:14

Today we are talking about one of the most popular diet pills of the sort of Y2K era.

Michael HobbsHost

1:21

Ooh.

Aubrey GordonHost

1:21

'90s into Y2K.

Michael HobbsHost

1:23

Okay.

Aubrey GordonHost

1:24

The name of it is Metabolife 356.

Michael HobbsHost

1:28

Wait, are they wrong about the number of days in the year?

Aubrey GordonHost

1:30

No, I, that is exactly the thought that I had every time I saw the fucking name, Mike.

Aubrey GordonHost

1:35

I was like-

Michael HobbsHost

1:35

[laughs]

Aubrey GordonHost

1:35

... do you mean 365?

Michael HobbsHost

1:37

Yeah.

Aubrey GordonHost

1:37

Do you mean every day? Do you mean Metabolife every day?

Michael HobbsHost

1:39

Is that 'cause you get nine cheat days, so like you-

Aubrey GordonHost

1:41

[laughs]

Michael HobbsHost

1:41

... [laughs] you have to do it 356 days.

Aubrey GordonHost

1:43

No, it, um ... [laughs]

Michael HobbsHost

1:45

Once a month you can just go nuts.

Aubrey GordonHost

1:47

356 was the number that the lab assigned it when they were formulating it.

Michael HobbsHost

1:51

It's the name of the founder, John 356.

Aubrey GordonHost

1:53

We are beginning our story in the mid-'90s.

Michael HobbsHost

1:57

Mm-hmm.

Aubrey GordonHost

1:58

By this point, the '80s and '90s sort of fitness craze has grown into a massive industry.

Michael HobbsHost

2:05

Mm-hmm.

Aubrey GordonHost

2:05

This is the era of buns of steel, of Stop the Insanity-

Michael HobbsHost

2:11

Oh, yeah

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