Oh, how the narrative around Ozempic is shifting!

Weight loss medication isn't new. Extreme diets, appetite suppressants, and miracle shakes have been around for decades. But the hype around GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro is hard to ignore. Everywhere you look, celebrities are talking about them. Even former "body positivity" influencers have promoted these drugs as the "answer" to achieving a particular body ideal (not naming any names).

But let's pause and look at what the research actually tells us. Even the media is slowly starting to acknowledge two key points:

1. These drugs can be harmful, both physically and mentally.

2. They are largely ineffective for long-term weight loss.

   
   

Drugs like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) were originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, not for weight loss. They work by mimicking the hormone GLP-1, which increases insulin secretion, reduces glucagon secretion, and slows gastric emptying, helping to control blood sugar and suppress appetite. Weight loss is technically a side effect, not the main purpose.

For weight loss, these medications are often used at higher-than-recommended doses, maximising weight loss and risks at the same time. Higher doses increase side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and constipation, and can contribute to malnutrition if healthy eating is not prioritised. More serious risks include pancreatitis, kidney failure, gallbladder disease, and medullary thyroid cancer, particularly in those with a family history. Mental health effects, including anxiety, depression, insomnia, suicidal thoughts, and worsening of eating disorder symptoms, have also been reported [1–4].

Importantly, long-term safety data are limited, and groups often excluded from clinical trials—such as people of colour, disabled people, and those with complex health conditions—remain underrepresented.

Does Ozempic actually work?

Clinical trials show that the weight loss effects of semaglutide are temporary. Participants taking 2.4mg lost around 5–10% of their body weight, but within a year of stopping, most regained up to two-thirds of the lost weight [5, 6]. Cardiometabolic improvements also reverted to baseline.

This is also important: if a "treatment" can't be tolerated or sustained long-term (or is inaccessible/unaffordable), it is by definition not effective.

Drugs alone do not create lasting behaviour change. People still need education, support, and resources to build sustainable, balanced eating habits and incorporate enjoyable movement into their lives—habits that actually improve health, unlike weight loss.

Promoting these drugs as a "cure" for higher body weight reinforces the idea that larger bodies are inherently wrong and need to be fixed. This can worsen weight stigma and harm both mental and physical health [7]. For some, using the drug may temporarily reduce stigma or offer relief, but the physical and emotional costs are real.

So, is the body positivity movement dead?

Absolutely not. In fact, we need it now more than ever—not as individual self-care, but as a movement to shift the systems that profit from fear, shame, and temporary fixes to imaginary (and real) problems.

The current GLP-1 hype is a stark reminder that the solution to weight stigma is not pharmaceuticals. Drugs like Ozempic or Mounjaro will never replace systemic change, inclusive healthcare, and body-positive, supportive environments.

Our focus should therefore remain on:

• Challenging societal and industry-driven appearance ideals;

• Promoting equitable, inclusive healthcare and movement spaces;

• Supporting individuals with realistic, sustainable approaches to eating and movement; and

• Fighting weight stigma wherever it exists.

GLP-1s are not natural. Body diversity is. We must continue to challenge narrow appearance ideals and promote acceptance and celebration of all bodies.

That's all for now—thank you for being here and for making a commitment to make movement spaces more inclusive for all bodies!

New posts go live on the 1st of every month.

References

1. Arillotta, D., Floresta, G., Guirguis, A., Corkery, J. M., Catalani, V., Martinotti, G., ... & Schifano, F. (2023). GLP-1 receptor agonists and related mental health issues: Insights from a range of social media platforms using a mixed-methods approach. Brain Sciences, 13(11), 1503.

2. McIntyre, R. S. (2024). Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and suicidality: What do we know and future vistas. Expert Opinion on Drug Safety, 23(5), 539–542.

3. Suran, M. (2023). As Ozempic's popularity soars, here's what to know about semaglutide and weight loss. JAMA, 329(19), 1627–1629.

4. Tobaiqy, M., & Elkout, H. (2024). Psychiatric adverse events associated with semaglutide, liraglutide and tirzepatide: A pharmacovigilance analysis of individual case safety reports submitted to the EudraVigilance database. International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, 46(2), 488–495.

5. Rubino, D., Abrahamsson, N., Davies, M., Hesse, D., Greenway, F. L., Jensen, C., ... & STEP 4 Investigators. (2021). Effect of continued weekly subcutaneous semaglutide vs placebo on weight loss maintenance in adults with overweight or obesity: The STEP 4 randomized clinical trial. JAMA, 325(14), 1414–1425.

6. Wilding, J. P., Batterham, R. L., Davies, M., Van Gaal, L. F., Kandler, K., Konakli, K., ... & STEP 1 Study Group. (2022). Weight regain and cardiometabolic effects after withdrawal of semaglutide: The STEP 1 trial extension. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 24(8), 1553–1564.

7. Fahs, B., & Swank, E. (2025). Hypervisibility meets hyperinvisibility: Anti-fatness, moral panics, and mainstream US news coverage of fat people taking Ozempic and Wegovy. Fat Studies, 1–11.