In the Ozempic era, not all pounds lost are met with praise.<\/p>\n
New research suggests that people may face more judgment for slimming down with the help of a GLP-1 drug<\/a> than if they hadn\u2019t lost weight at all.<\/p>\n \u201cWe expected there might be some stigma around using a GLP-1,\u201d Erin Standen, assistant professor of psychological sciences at Rice University and the lead author of the study, said in a press release<\/a>. \u201cBut what surprised us was the extent of it.\u201d<\/p>\n People typically lose between 15% and 25% of their total body weight after just one year on a GLP-1 drug. Studio Romantic \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n In the study, Standen and her colleagues asked more than 600 participants to evaluate a fictional person based on their weight history. <\/p>\n The person was described as a 38-year-old college graduate with no specified gender who had been living with obesity<\/a> since adolescence and recently weighed around 220 pounds.<\/p>\n The participants were told that the person had either slimmed down using a GLP-1 drug like Ozempic or Wegovy, shed pounds through diet<\/a> and exercise<\/a>, or hadn\u2019t lost weight at all.<\/p>\n After reviewing the profile, the participants rated the person on a series of positive and negative personality traits, from \u201cfriendly\u201d and \u201cintelligent\u201d to \u201clazy\u201d and \u201csloppy.\u201d They were also asked whether they\u2019d want to spend time with them.<\/p>\n \u201cThe GLP-1 users were socially penalized not just compared to someone who lost weight through diet and exercise,\u201d Standen said. \u201cThey were also rated more harshly than someone who didn\u2019t lose weight in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n The findings come as GLP-1 use for weight loss has skyrocketed in recent years, climbing from 5.8% of US adults in February 2024 to 12.4% in October, according to a Gallup poll<\/a>.<\/p>\n At least one in eight American adults has used a GLP-1 like Ozempic or Wegovy to lose weight. Kateryna \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n Originally developed to treat diabetes, the drugs work by mimicking hormones released in the gut after eating, helping regulate blood sugar, appetite and cravings. <\/p>\n They\u2019ve quickly reshaped modern weight-loss care, with studies showing people typically shed between 15% and 25%<\/a> of their body weight after a year of consistent use.<\/p>\n That shift is now starting to show up in national data.<\/p>\n Last year, the US adult obesity rate fell to 37%, down from a peak of 39.9% in 2022, Gallup data shows. That amounts to an estimated 7.6 million fewer obese adults<\/a> nationwide compared with three years earlier.<\/p>\n But while GLP-1s have proven to be highly effective tools, many people stop taking them because of the cost, side effects<\/a> or reluctance to stay on the drugs long-term.<\/p>\n In fact, more than three-quarters quit within two years<\/a>, and when they do, the results often unravel quickly<\/a>.<\/p>\n One study<\/a> found that people returned to their pre-treatment weight within about a year and a half of stopping the medication. Another showed<\/a> weight is regained roughly four times faster after discontinuing GLP-1s than after ending diet or exercise programs. <\/p>\n Weight regain is common after stopping a GLP-1, as the drugs are intended for long-term use. itchaznong \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n Curious how people would react to weight regain, Standen and her colleagues conducted a second experiment involving more than 700 participants.<\/p>\n This time, the fictional person was described as having regained weight after stopping a GLP-1 drug, regained weight after abandoning a diet and exercise plan, never attempted to slim down at all, or successfully shed pounds and kept them off.<\/p>\n The participants viewed people who regained weight more negatively than those who maintained their slimmer size, regardless of whether the initial weight loss came from medication or lifestyle changes.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of stigma tied to weight regain in general,\u201d Standen said. \u201cAnd that doesn\u2019t seem to depend much on how the weight was lost in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s not the first time researchers have found that the public doesn\u2019t always view GLP-1 drugs favorably.<\/p>\n A study released last year<\/a> found that people, particularly women, who achieve significant weight loss with the drugs are met with more negative attitudes, suspicion and less admiration than those who slim down through diet and exercise.<\/p>\n The\u00a0\u201cright way\u201d to lose weight\u00a0is often thought of as exercising willpower, being more physically active and eating less. GLP-1 users, meanwhile, are often perceived as taking a shortcut or cheating. <\/p>\n That perception may help explain why a significant number of people are taking the drugs in secret<\/a> despite their massive popularity, keeping it hidden from their spouses, partners, friends and family.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a narrative that using these medications is \u2018taking the easy way out,’\u201d Standen said. \u201cAnd that belief seems to shape how people are judged.\u201d<\/p>\n The ripple effects are wide. <\/p>\n