Snapshot · Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
BetterHelp's 2026 State of Stigma report found 85% of Americans believe getting mental health support is wise, yet 74% say society still discourages people from seeking it.
Where this was said
At 0:49 · chapter starts 0:00
The episode opens with Dax and Monica introducing Grant Achatz — restaurateur, culinary innovator, and one of Monica's biggest 'quashes' — describing Alinea as arguably the best restaurant in the United States. The hosts tease that the worst imaginable thing that could happen to a chef is exactly what happened to Grant. Before the interview begins, the pair deliver sponsor reads for BetterHelp (citing a 2026 survey showing 85% of Americans believe therapy is wise but 74% say society discourages it) and Squarespace. Monica's admission that she mildly judges people who haven't sought therapy despite prolonged struggles introduces the episode's undercurrent of vulnerability and self-improvement.
Grant Achatz grew up in Saint Clair, Michigan — population 3,000, two stoplights, no fast food. His parents ran the town diner, which became a community hub where regulars never had to order. That sensory, seasonal, communal world shaped everything he would later do at Alinea.
Mental health challenges are nearly universal — BetterHelp's own research found the majority of Americans experiencing symptoms right now.
When applying for Medicaid to cover nursing home costs, there is a 5-year look-back period that can disqualify applicants who gave away or spent down assets.
A broken pipe filled the Bad Friends studio with what the hosts identified as hydrogen sulfide — microscopic fecal aeroparticles — that the crew denied smelling.
Fei-Fei Li's father's liver surgery performed by a da Vinci robot resulted in 10 times less blood loss than a typical open liver surgery, thanks to laparoscopic precision.
Approximately 115 million adults in the US currently have prediabetes, most of whom are unaware, according to the Lingo sponsor segment.
Drug overdose deaths in the US fell from 110,000 to 80,000 in 2024, and then to roughly 70,000 — the largest single-year drop the CDC has ever recorded.
Men's overdose death rate fell 27% in a single year, outpacing the 23% drop for women.
The steepest decline in overdose deaths was among 15–24-year-olds, whose rate fell 37%.
Fei-Fei Li observed that on a given hospital shift, nurses walk miles just to fetch medicine and supplies, illustrating a clear use case for assistive robotics in healthcare.
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