Summary: As GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy skyrocket in popularity, a new study reveals a growing social backlash. New research found that women who use these drugs for weight loss face significantly more judgment than those who lose weight through diet and exercise.
This stigma is driven primarily by the perception that medication is an “easy way out,” and interestingly, the study found that this “shortcut” bias was more pronounced when the person using the drug was white.
Key Findings
- Racial Disparities in Stigma: Unexpectedly, stigma was higher when the woman in the scenario was portrayed as white rather than Black. White women using GLP-1s were more frequently accused of taking a “shortcut,” which in turn fueled greater social rejection.
- Universal Assumptions: The race of the study participants themselves did not change the results, both Black and white participants tended to view GLP-1 use as a shortcut similarly.
- Prevalence of Use: Approximately 18% of U.S. adults currently use or have used a GLP-1 drug, yet many report feeling intense shame and guilt due to these social narratives.
- Clinical Impact: Weight stigma is not just a social hurdle; it is linked to increased stress, depression, and poor health behaviors. Stigma can discourage the 100 million Americans clinically eligible for these drugs from seeking evidence-based care.
Source: Georgetown University Medical Center
In a new study exploring stigma associated with the use of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, women who lost weight using GLP-1 medications were judged more harshly than those who lost weight through diet and exercise, with negative reactions driven largely by beliefs that medication-assisted weight loss is a “shortcut.
The study also found higher levels of stigma when the women in sample scenarios were portrayed as white rather than Black.
The findings, published April 9 in the American Psychological Association’s journal Stigma & Health , highlight how social narratives about “acceptable” weight loss strategies can shape attitudes toward women with obesity, even when the weight loss is clinically significant.
More than 100 million people in America are clinically eligible to use GLP-1 medications, such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro or Zepbound, for weight loss and approximately 18% of U.S. adults are currently using or have previously used a GLP-1 drug.
“GLP-1 medications can offer meaningful health benefits for people with obesity, but many patients report feeling shame and guilt for using them,” said social psychologist Stacy Post, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Post conducted the research as a part of her PhD doctoral training at George Washington University.
“Our results show that the ‘easy way out’ perception does more than spark casual criticism. It can translate into measurable stigma, including fat phobia and a desire for social distance.”
For the study, Post and her colleagues recruited 402 U.S. women ages 30 to 49 who identified as Black or white and who also reported being overweight or having obesity. Participants were randomly assigned to read a brief vignette about a woman named Evette who lost 15% of her body weight either through diet and exercise or with a GLP-1 medication.
Evette was depicted as either Black or white using a photo paired with the vignette. The images of Evette were pre-tested to ensure there were no perceptual differences between the two women.
Participants then rated Evette on multiple stigma-related dimensions, including fat phobia, dislike, blame, and desire for social distance, and reported whether they believed she took a weight loss “shortcut.”
Stigma was higher when Evette lost weight with a GLP-1 medication rather than diet and exercise. The researchers found that “shortcut” beliefs were a key driver: perceiving GLP-1–assisted weight loss as an easy way out predicted higher fat phobia, greater dislike, more blame, and more desire for social distance.
Unexpectedly, stigma was also higher when Evette was portrayed as a white woman rather than a Black woman. When Evette was portrayed as white and as losing weight with a GLP-1, participants were more likely to endorse shortcut beliefs, which predicted greater stigma.
Interestingly, the race of study participants did not significantly influence stigma outcomes when Evette lost weight with a GLP-1, suggesting that assumptions about GLP-1s as a shortcut may operate similarly across groups.
Weight stigma is associated with harmful health outcomes, including stress, depression and anxiety symptoms, and negative health behaviors. Post and her colleagues say stigma related to GLP-1 medications may discourage people from seeking evidence-based care or may intensify shame for those already managing a chronic condition.
“Having obesity carries many health challenges including increased risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease,” said Post.
“Treatment decisions should be guided by health, not judgments about how someone manages their weight. Reducing stigma means challenging the idea that there is only one ‘right’ way to lose weight, through willpower alone, especially for women, who face intense social scrutiny related to physical appearance and body size.”
The researchers call for communication strategies that better explain how GLP-1 medications work biologically, emphasize positive health outcomes, and reduce the perception that medication-assisted weight loss is inherently less legitimate than lifestyle approaches.
Key Questions Answered:
A: The researchers suggest that participants may have different “shortcut” assumptions based on race. When a white woman used the drug, participants were more likely to endorse the belief that she was taking the easy way out, which directly predicted higher levels of dislike and blame.
A: Yes. When patients feel shamed, they are less likely to stay on their medication or seek help from doctors. The “shame” of taking the easy way out can lead to mental health struggles that outweigh the physical benefits of the weight loss.
A: Dr. Stacy Post argues we need to change the conversation from “willpower” to “biology.” By explaining that GLP-1s correct biological imbalances rather than just “suppressing appetite,” we can reduce the idea that these drugs are a moral failing.
Editorial Notes:
- This article was edited by a Neuroscience News editor.
- Journal paper reviewed in full.
- Additional context added by our staff.
About this weight loss and psychology research news
Author: Karen Teber
Source: Georgetown University Medical Center
Contact: Karen Teber – Georgetown University Medical Center
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Closed access.
“Social Perceptions of GLP-1–assisted Weight Loss in Black and White Women with Obesity” by Post, S. M., Stock, M. L., & Persky, S. Stigma and Health
DOI:10.1037/sah0000689
Abstract
Social Perceptions of GLP-1–assisted Weight Loss in Black and White Women with Obesity
Intersectionality theory suggests that because stigma arises from the interplay of multiple marginalized identities, Black women with obesity may face stronger negative attitudes than White women when using glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, a newer class of obesity medications often perceived as an “easy way out.”
This experimental study tested how exposure to different weight loss methods affected stigma toward a Black or White woman with obesity, as well as the influence of participant race on stigma.
A sample of 402 Black and White women with overweight or obesity were randomly assigned to read about a Black or White woman named Evette who lost 15% of her total body weight with either diet/exercise or a GLP-1. Participants reported stigmatizing attitudes toward Evette (fat phobia, dislike, desire for social distance, and blame) and beliefs that she took a weight loss shortcut.
Stigma was higher when Evette lost weight with a GLP-1 (vs. diet/exercise) and, contrary to hypotheses, when Evette was depicted as White (vs. Black). Moderated mediation analyses demonstrated that GLP-1-assisted weight loss (vs. diet/exercise) led to higher fat phobia, dislike, desire for social distance, and blame via stronger shortcut beliefs, and this effect was more pronounced when Evette was portrayed as White.
Participant race did not influence how weight loss with a GLP-1 and Evette’s race, together, affected stigma through shortcut beliefs.
Findings highlight the importance of challenging societal narratives about what constitutes “acceptable” weight loss strategies for women with obesity to reduce stigma and protect long-term health.
