GLP-1 drugs for weight loss have now been around long enough for researches to begin detecting a social stigma tied to using these game changing medications.
A study was done by Rice University, published in the International Journal of Obesity, examining this topic.
Participants were shown a fictional person and told they either lost weight using GLP-1 medication, lost weight through diet and exercise, or didn’t lose weight at all.
Then they were asked to rate that person.
The results were surprising even to the researchers.
How GLP-1 Users Were Perceived
People who lost weight using GLP-1 medications were rated more negatively than those who lost weight through the natural way of changing up eating habits and utilizing exercise.
However, the fictitious people were also judged more harshly than people who hadn’t lost any weight at all.
In short, how weight loss is achieved can shape a perception, even though the end result of weight loss would still be for the same reasons.
It’s almost as though people who lose weight with a GLP-1 are thought of as cheaters, even though their motivations for weight loss are the same as though who use diet and exercise: mainly better health, a longer life, improved stamina and mobility, lower risk of chronic disease, and just simply having a more attractive appearance.
Why Weight Loss Doesn’t Automatically Remove Stigma
The study says that some of the judgment seems tied to the idea that medication-assisted weight loss is “taking the easy way out,” which shapes how others evaluate it socially.
The researchers also looked at what happens when weight is regained after stopping GLP-1 medication — a scenario that’s fairly common due to cost, side effects or insurance limits.
Participants viewed people who regained weight more negatively than those who maintained weight loss.
So on one hand, the fictitious people who lost weight on a GLP-1 were viewed negatively, but on the other hand, they were viewed negatively also if they gained back the weight!
However, the study also showed that if the make-believe person regained weight that was lost through diet and exercise, they, too, were perceived in a dim light.
As GLP-1 drugs become more common, those social dynamics become harder to ignore.
The study’s overall message is straightforward: Regardless of the method or outcome, people dealing with weight related issues often face judgment at multiple stages, not just one.
