{"id":1042828,"date":"2026-09-04T12:07:24","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T12:07:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1042828\/"},"modified":"2026-09-04T12:07:24","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T12:07:24","slug":"how-glp-1-taking-dietitians-are-changing-the-medications-stigma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1042828\/","title":{"rendered":"How GLP-1-Taking Dietitians Are Changing the Medication\u2019s Stigma"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Estimated10 min read<\/p>\n

Something strange started happening to Gianna Beasley four years ago. Despite doing everything right with her diet and exercise, the Denver-based dietitian had been struggling with her weight for her entire life. (She was insulin resistant, a symptom of her polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome<\/a>, or PMOS.) But at 25, she began dealing with unbearable inflammation<\/a> and pain all over her body, as well as brain fog<\/a>. Yet, she says her doctors dismissed her, essentially just telling her to eat less and move more.<\/p>\n

\u201cI literally felt like everything was on fire inside of me at all times, from my fingertips all the way up to my cheeks, my toes,\u201d Beasley says. Feeling out of control of her body, she turned to a concierge doctor and learned she also had lupus, which can cause weight fluctuation driven by inflammation. Eventually, she asked her doctor about starting a GLP-1 to help with her inflammation\u2014and she\u2019s (proudly) been on one ever since.<\/p>\n

Despite the fact that 12 percent of Americans are taking GLP-1s<\/a>, there\u2019s still a massive stigma around them\u2014and it increases when you\u2019re taking one as a dietitian, says Beasley, now 29. \u201cI’ve had people be like, \u2018Why would I work with a dietitian or a personal trainer that isn’t in great shape herself?\u2019\u201d she adds. \u201cMy education, knowledge, and expertise has nothing to do with the size, shape, or look of my body.\u201d<\/p>\n

Besides, GLP-1s are way more than a weight-loss drug, and may have tons of other benefits. They\u2019ve been linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease<\/a> and Alzheimer\u2019s<\/a>, improved symptoms of addiction<\/a>, lessened migraine severity<\/a>, and even stroke prevention and treatment<\/a>. \u201cGLP-1s are helping us change our biology and how our brain is working\u2014and then weight loss is a result of that change,\u201d Beasley adds. \u201cIt’s helping us from the inside out to live healthier, more active, nutritious, nourished lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ahead, find out why three dietitians started taking GLP-1s\u2014and how they\u2019re working to end that stigma.<\/p>\n

Their GLP-1 Origin Stories<\/strong><\/p>\n

At first, Beasley doubted whether taking a GLP-1 was the right move, and whether she should just \u201ctry harder\u201d with exercise and her diet. \u201cI was worried about what other people would say or how they would treat me,\u201d she says. \u201cWould people not want to work with me anymore?\u201d But over time, she realized that she truly did need the extra help. \u201cI was miserable and out of options,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

When Beasley first started the GLP-1, she experienced side effects<\/a> like fatigue and nausea. \u201cI absolutely had moments in my first three months that I was like, \u2018I don’t know if I can keep doing this. I am so nauseous and I’m so miserable,\u2019\u201d she says. However, she still tried to eat and increased her hydration to offset some of the effects. By month four, her nausea and fatigue were pretty much gone.<\/p>\n

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Since starting a GLP-1, Beasley\u2019s joint pain, brain fog, and swelling are gone, and she\u2019s sleeping better.<\/p>\n

Beasley also realized she couldn\u2019t eat (or drink) like she used to\u2014even portion sizes that were right for her prior to taking the medication made her sick. For instance, she used to celebrate Tuesdays with a few tacos and a margarita; but after starting the GLP-1, she got sick four weeks in a row from the food-drink combo in the middle of the night. The drink, along with the volume and fat content of the food, didn\u2019t work for her anymore. \u201cI had to find my new balance,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

But on the whole, starting a GLP-1 has been life-changing for Beasley, to say the least; her joint pain, brain fog, and swelling are gone, she\u2019s sleeping better, and can move regularly without pain. \u201cIt’s given me a quality of life that I don’t think I’ve ever had,\u201d she says. \u201cI feel like superwoman most days.\u201d She also lost weight due to her inflammation decreasing, but perhaps best of all, her PMOS symptoms (like extremely painful, irregular periods) are now under control. After starting a GLP-1, she started getting her period monthly. \u201cI never experienced that in my life,\u201d she adds. \u201cThat was earth-shattering.\u201d<\/p>\n

Similarly, Omaha-based dietitian Whitney Black, 32, consistently struggled to feel full no matter how much she ate, and always toed the line of being overweight and obese her whole life. With type 1 diabetes, Hashimoto\u2019s<\/a>, and PMOS, \u201cmy relationship with food and my body\u2026it just never really felt simple,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

After Black had her second child in March 2024, she gained a bunch of weight, experienced joint pain, and became insulin resistant. She knew what to eat, but her hunger cues still felt out of control. \u201cI couldn’t recognize myself and I was so frustrated,\u201d she says. \u201cI was thinking, \u2018I’m a dietitian. I should know how to do all this.\u2019\u201d Despite worrying that people would think she was a fraud, Black spoke with her medical team and endocrinologist, and started a GLP-1. \u201cI had to get comfortable with realizing my health decisions are for me alone,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

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At first, Black was one of the \u201chyper responders,\u201d where she was super nauseous and didn\u2019t have much of an appetite at all. So, instead of doing three meals, she had to first do a lot of snacking throughout the day to make sure she was eating enough. \u201cOnce my body got used to the medication, then I was able to really hone in and focus more on the compositions of the meal,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

When she had adjusted to the medication, Black\u2019s hunger and fullness finally cues felt normal. It was \u201ca night and day difference,\u201d she says. Her stomach no longer felt like a \u201cbottomless pit,\u201d and for the first time, she didn\u2019t feel like she had to finish full plates of food.<\/p>\n

Summer Kessel, 39, a dietitian based in Tampa, was also trapped in a lifelong cycle of losing and gaining weight. \u201cI just always, my whole life, remember having a huge appetite and struggling to maintain a normal, healthy weight without having to be super diligent with my nutrition,\u201d she says. Over the course of a marriage, divorce, and having babies, she lost 100 pounds through diet and exercise. But she struggled to maintain it. In fact, her struggles were part of why she became a dietitian. \u201cI thought if I just was a dietitian, I would be able to manage my weight better, but that never worked out because it’s not a knowledge deficit,\u201d she adds; it was her biology.<\/p>\n

\"ASummer Kessel<\/p>\n

Using a weight-loss medication has helped Kessel feel in control with her food.<\/p>\n

Then, about four years ago, one of her colleagues started tweeting about how GLP-1s could help minimize food noise<\/a>, and she realized that\u2019s what she was struggling with. Hungry and miserable, she decided to take the shot.<\/p>\n

Within a week, Kessel felt in control with her food, eating intuitively and feeling full. She didn\u2019t really experience any negative side effects\u2014just the occasional upset stomach when she tried to eat a little too much of something too rich. But on the whole, \u201cit was just such a dream,\u201d she says. \u201cI can have that flexible diet and stay a healthy, normal weight without having to stress out about exactly how many calories I’m eating,\u201d she adds. She\u2019s been on a maintenance dose for a few years now and has zero intentions of stopping. \u201cI’m in the best shape, best health, best place in my life I’ve ever been since starting these medicines,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

Flipping the GLP-1 Stigma on Its Head<\/strong><\/p>\n

The world of GLP-1s is basically the wild west; there\u2019s a range of people using these medications\u2014and both sides are giving weight-loss meds a bad rap. The stigma is \u201ca double-edged sword,\u201d says Black. \u201cThere’s this skinny epidemic, and there’s a lot of people that are abusing these medications.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, there\u2019s also still a lot of misconceptions about those living in larger bodies. They\u2019re \u201cunfairly judged as if obesity is a character flaw, and it’s not. It’s biology, it’s a disease,\u201d Kessel says. \u201cThere’s so many environmental, political, socioeconomic impacts that drive obesity in certain people versus others.\u201d Because of that stigma, there\u2019s this perception that everyone can easily lose weight if they just try harder.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe don’t tell people with high blood pressure, \u2018Just don’t be so stressed\u2014we provide them evidence-based care,\u201d she says. \u201cObesity has just not yet fully been adopted by the general public as a disease in those same ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

To turn the stigma upside down and fight the misinformation on the internet, all three dietitians have taken to social media to be authorities in this space. \u201cPeople are still so starved for accurate, reliable, practical, realistic guidance for using these medications in a healthy way,\u201d Kessel adds.<\/p>\n

Still, it was hard, even for Kessel, who\u2019s shared the ins and outs of her health journey on social media for years. \u201cI was and still am known for being extremely honest about the wins, failures, struggles,\u201d she says. But the response was overwhelmingly positive. \u201cMy followers didn’t really care because I was always so open and honest about being a real human and struggling with my weight,\u201d even as a dietitian, she adds.<\/p>\n

Despite what some may think, GLP-1s are much more than just a so-called vanity drug: They\u2019re changing lives. \u201cThe stigma makes me so sad because for so many people who benefit from being on a GLP-1, we have battled stigma, shame, guilt, and blame, a lot of our entire lives, especially around our body,\u201d says Beasley.<\/p>\n

Black is hoping to humanize GLP-1 use and help people realize that it isn\u2019t some fad diet, they\u2019re a medication. \u201cI’m not trying to just fit this skinny narrative\u2014I have a health condition,\u201d she says. She wants to help others who are using this medication live their longest, best, healthiest lives, outside of weight loss.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow we talk about it matters,\u201d Beasley says. That\u2019s why on social media and with clients, she uses language describing them as a way to improve health overall. \u201cYes, that can have weight loss included, but it’s also going to come with more nutritious meals, more balanced meals, an ability to move more frequently and regularly, better sleep, feeling more energized,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

\"AKasie Wilcox of The KMC Agency<\/p>\n

For Black, a GLP-1 has helped her put together healthy, well-balanced meals.<\/p>\n

Of course, the haters still lurk in the dietitians\u2019 Instagram comments sometimes. \u201cMy favorite is, \u2018You must not be a very good dietitian if you couldn’t lose the weight on your own,\u2019\u201d Kessel says. \u201cJust because I have this profession, education, and training for being a registered dietitian doesn’t mean that I don’t have this insatiable appetite. My profession has nothing to do with my biology.\u201d<\/p>\n

If someone needs a little extra assistance to live their healthiest, longest life\u2014and losing weight is part of it\u2014that\u2019s completely fine. \u201cWhy do we judge people for wanting to change their bodies? If they’re unhappy, uncomfortable, and unhealthy and they want to make a change, I support that,\u201d Kessel says. \u201cHealthy nutrition and weight management can be a very enjoyable, self-loving self-care activity with these medications. Just because some people abuse them doesn’t mean that the majority of people taking these medications aren’t doing so appropriately.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Message for the GLP-1-Curious<\/strong><\/p>\n

When people who need GLP-1s finally take them, it\u2019s rewarding because they can eat less with appropriate hunger and fullness signals\u2014and it actually results in weight loss. \u201cMost people I know that start these medications have done every diet under the sun,\u201d Kessel says. \u201cIt was never a knowledge problem. It was an application problem. They just couldn’t stick to it long enough for it to be effective.\u201d<\/p>\n

When you have chronic health issues and you feel like you\u2019ve exhausted all of your options, it can feel nerve-wrecking to try yet another supposed solution. But if you\u2019re doing everything \u201cright\u201d and you still can\u2019t lose weight or you\u2019re dealing with pain, inflammation, or other symptoms causing discomfort, chat with your doctor about trying weight-loss medication. \u201cIf you’re a candidate for it and you’re wanting to see if it could support you and your body, it’s worth it,\u201d Beasley says.<\/p>\n

Then, when you\u2019re adjusting to the meds, go back to the basics with your health habits. \u201cGet some protein in, get some fiber, drink some water, be consistent, get some movement,\u201d says Black. \u201cIt doesn’t have to be overly complicated.\u201d That way, your routine will be sustainable\u2014and you can always build on it. Then, regularly check in with your doctor to talk about your dosage and how you\u2019re doing, she adds.<\/p>\n

Being on a GLP-1 hasn\u2019t just improved the lives of all three dietitians; it\u2019s also changed the way they work with clients. Black can empathize better with what clients are going through. \u201cThey kind of go, \u2018Oh, you get it. I don’t have to sit here and explain all this to you. You know what food noise is like. You know what it’s like to be hungry all the time,\u2019\u201d she says. \u201cThey know I’m not just this picture perfect aesthetic dietitian online. I am a human and I struggle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Build balanced meals with the WH+ ultimate protein + fiber guide<\/a><\/p>\n

Beasley now knows how to help clients who want to lose weight (with or without GLP-1s) focus on their health and lifestyle habits outside of the scale. \u201cThe biggest thing that I hope people walk away from when working with me is that they’ve learned how to build flexibility and resilience into their routines that help them be as healthy as they can be,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

These dietitians are never looking back. \u201cI wish I would’ve started sooner,\u201d Beasley says. \u201cI wish I would have taken the leap and trusted myself.\u201d She\u2019s giving clients the support she wishes she had from her family and friends when she began: \u201cThat’s why I now am very determined to support other women when they start GLP-1s or when they’re on GLP-1s, because I know how life-changing it’s been for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meet the dietitians:<\/strong> Gianna Beasley<\/a>, RD, CPT, is the host of the podcast Your GLP-1 Bestie<\/a> based in Denver. Whitney Black<\/a>, RD, is the owner of Whitney Black Nutrition based in Omaha. Summer Kessel<\/a>, RD, dietitian with the weight-loss platform Vineyard<\/a>, is based in Tampa.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0Addison Aloian is the associate health & fitness editor at Women\u2019s Health, where she writes and edits across the health, weight loss, and fitness verticals. She\u2019s also a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). In her free time, you can find her lifting weights at the gym, running on the West Side Highway in New York City\u2014she recently completed her first marathon, the 2025 New York City Marathon\u2014and watching (and critiquing!) the latest movies that have garnered Oscars buzz. In addition to Women’s Health, she\u2019s made an appearance on the Oprah Podcast and her work has also appeared in Allure, StyleCaster, L’Officiel USA, V Magazine, VMAN, and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n