Ozempic, and other GLP-1-based obesity and diabetes drugs like it, have been unleashed on the market in a contentious moment: a cultural movement around fat acceptance and “Health at Every Size” is gaining traction — with acolytes saying obesity is not a disease in need of treatment, nor should weight loss be medically prescribed. At the same time, obesity doctors and researchers I talk to and read about view these drugs as a true breakthrough. And… obesity rates are increasing, along with weight discrimination.
So where does all this leave patients? I wrote about this moment, and how patients are navigating the medical and cultural shifts, for Vox.
The story focuses on the experiences of two women: one, Aditi Juneja, had been steeping herself in the Health at Every Size and fat acceptance literature — and had come to embrace her body size — and then obesity started to hamper her health. The other, Tracey Yukich, was the self-described poster child for “diet culture” — as a former contestant on the Biggest Loser reality TV show. In 2021, she decided her obesity needed medical treatment, not just more dieting and exercise. Both have been taking GLP-1 based drugs for help losing weight. And like almost all the patients I’ve talked to about these medicines, their stories are a lot more nuanced than either the doctors hailing the drugs as a breakthrough or critics might suggest.
For more, you can read the story here. If you’ve been using GLP1-based medicines and have a story to share, I’d love to hear from you. As usual, you can contact me here, or through my Twitter @juliaoftoronto, Mastodon @juliaoftoronto@masto.ai or Facebook profiles.