In this episode, I sit down with head nutritionist at ZOE, researcher, and author of The Appetite Reset, Dr Federica Amati, to unpack the biology of appetite and satiety. Federica holds a PhD in Clinical Medicine Research from Imperial College London, a masters in public health, and a background spanning pharmacology, clinical nutrition, and public health. Her new book takes a deep dive into how appetite actually works, what GLP-1 medications are genuinely doing in the body, and what the science says about how to support metabolic health, whether you’re on medication or not.
The conversation around GLP-1 medications tends to sit at one of two extremes: uncritical enthusiasm for what the drugs can produce, or a scepticism that slides into shame directed at the people using them. What has been harder to come by is a genuinely grounded account of the biology underneath, an honest look at what the evidence says about effectiveness and limitations, and a practical guide to the nutritional and lifestyle support that clinical trials built in from the start. That is what this conversation is about.
What We Cover:
- What GLP-1 is in the body, why the natural peptide lasts only minutes while the drug version lasts for days, and the remarkable origin story involving a venomous desert lizard
- Why supplements claiming to raise GLP-1 naturally cannot replicate what the medications do, and the important distinction between endogenous peptide production and pharmaceutical intervention
- The three types of hunger: hedonic (pleasure-driven and brain-centric), homeostatic (a genuine biological energy need), and microbiota-driven (gut microbes signalling for their own survival), and why recognising the difference changes how you respond
- The four phases of satiety, from sensory through to colonic, and why meal quality and composition, not calorie counting, is the most powerful lever for lasting satisfaction
- What “prehab” means before starting GLP-1 medication: fibre diversity, 30 plants a week, and gut microbiome preparation to reduce side effects and potentiate the drug’s effects
- Why the 30g daily fibre target stays unchanged even when total food intake drops significantly on medication, and how protein targets of 1.2 to 1.6g per kilogram of bodyweight, alongside resistance training three times a week, protect against sarcopenic obesity
- Real-world data on non-responders (up to 20%) and discontinuation rates (up to 75% within 18 months), and why the framing of obesity as a lifestyle choice is both scientifically inaccurate and actively harmful
This is a conversation for anyone trying to make sense of the GLP-1 moment, whether the medications are directly relevant to you or not. Understanding how appetite actually works is one of the most useful frameworks you can have for navigating the modern food environment.
To connect with Dr Federica Amati, follow her on Instagram at instagram.com/dr.fede.amati or explore her work through ZOE at zoe.com. Her new book, The Appetite Reset, is available from June 2026.
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More about Federica Amati
Dr Federica Amati is the Head Nutritionist at ZOE, the nutrition science company leading the gut health revolution, and holds a PhD in Clinical Medicine Research from Imperial College London. She has a masters in Public Health and is an Association for Nutrition (AfN) Registered Nutritionist.
Federica is the author of Recipes for a Better Menopause and Sunday Times Bestseller Every Body Should Know This. Her approach focuses on improving overall dietary quality throughout the life course, using food as the best tool to transform health.
