A new study examining the stigma associated with the use of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss found that women who lost weight using GLP-1 drugs were judged more harshly than women who lost weight through diet and exercise, and the negative reaction was primarily driven by the belief that weight loss with drugs was a “shortcut.” The study also found higher levels of prejudice when the women in the sample scenario were depicted as white rather than black.
The findings (“Social Perceptions of GLP-1 Weight Loss in Obese Black and White Women”), 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 obese women, even when weight loss is clinically significant.
More than 100 million Americans are clinically eligible to use GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, Wigovy, Munjaro, and Zepbound for weight loss, and approximately 18% of U.S. adults currently use or have used GLP-1 drugs.
GLP-1 drugs offer meaningful health benefits to obese people, but many patients report feeling embarrassed or guilty about using them. ”
Dr. Stacey Post, social psychologist and postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center
Post conducted this research as part of his doctoral training at George Washington University. “Our results show that the perception of an ‘easy getaway’ does more than just cause criticism; it can lead to measurable prejudices, such as fatphobia and a desire for social distancing.”
For the study, Post and colleagues recruited 402 American women between the ages of 30 and 49 who identified as black or white and who reported being overweight or obese. Participants were randomly assigned to read a short vignette about a woman named Evette who lost 15% of her body weight through either diet and exercise or GLP-1 drugs. Evette was depicted as black or white using photographs combined with vignettes. Evette’s images were pretested to ensure there were no perceptual differences between the two women.
Participants then rated Evette on multiple dimensions related to stigma, including fatphobia, disgust, stigmatization, and desire for social distance, and reported whether they believed she had taken a “shortcut” to weight loss.
The stigma was even higher when Evette lost weight with GLP-1 drugs rather than diet and exercise. Researchers found that “shortcut” beliefs were a key factor. Perceiving weight loss with GLP-1 as an easy way out predicted increased fatphobia, increased disgust, increased stigmatization, and increased desire for social distancing.
Unexpectedly, the stigma was further heightened when Evette was depicted as a white woman rather than a black woman. When Evette was depicted as white and losing weight on GLP-1, participants were more likely to endorse shortcut beliefs, which predicted greater stigma.
Interestingly, the race of the study participants did not significantly influence stigma outcomes when Evette lost weight with GLP-1, suggesting that assumptions about GLP-1 as a shortcut may operate similarly across groups.
Weight stigma is associated with adverse health outcomes such as stress, depression, anxiety symptoms, and negative health behaviors. Post and colleagues say the stigma surrounding GLP-1 drugs can discourage people from seeking evidence-based treatments and increase shame for people already managing chronic conditions.
“Obesity leads to many health problems, including increased risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease,” Post said. “Treatment decisions should be based on 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 their appearance and body size.” ”
Researchers are calling for communication strategies that better explain how GLP-1 drugs work biologically, emphasize positive health outcomes, and reduce the perception that pharmacotherapy-induced weight loss is inherently less legitimate than lifestyle approaches.
sauce:
Georgetown University Medical Center
Reference magazines:
Post, SM, others. (2026). Social perceptions of weight loss with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists in obese black and white women. prejudice and health. DOI: 10.1037/sah0000689. https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fsah0000689
