Short Stuff: Olestra

This episode dives into Olestra, the infamous fat substitute that promised guilt-free snacking in the 1990s but came with a pretty nasty side effect—uncontrollable diarrhea. Josh and Chuck explore how Procter & Gamble spent decades developing this polyester-like compound, knew full well it would cause digestive disasters, and sold it anyway during the peak of America's fat-free food craze. They break down the science of why your body couldn't process this fake fat and how it actually confused your metabolism, plus the wild story of how the FDA eventually let the warning labels disappear.