02/25/2026
This may not be a popular post, but it’s an honest one.
GLP-1 medications (Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, etc.) are rapidly changing the cultural conversation around food and body size.
These medications can be medically appropriate and life-changing for some individuals with diabetes and metabolic conditions. This is not about shaming people who use them under medical care.
But we also need to talk about the psychological and social impact of their widespread use.
While clinical trials support their medical use, we still have limited long-term, real-world data — particularly regarding psychological effects, use in younger populations, and use primarily for cosmetic weight loss. The full impact will become clearer over time.
As clinicians who treat eating disorders, we are already noticing patterns:
• Visible rapid weight loss reinforces the belief that smaller automatically means healthier or more disciplined.
• Appetite suppression can reinforce restrictive eating patterns and interfere with learning hunger and fullness cues.
• Adolescents and individuals in recovery are watching closely — and increased comparison, shame, and distress often follow.
This is not a moral argument. It is a cultural and clinical one.
A treatment can help some people medically and still have unintended psychological effects on others. Cultural messaging matters, and prevention often begins long before a diagnosis.
