There’s something we don’t talk about enough, even in this space.
Being thin has always had value, not just health value but social value. It’s a kind of unspoken currency. The smaller your body, the more seriously people take you. The more doors you get to walk through without question. The more you’re seen as capable, disciplined, attractive, worthy.
And for decades, that currency was controlled. You either had to be born thin or spend your life obsessed with earning it. And the people who could do that held a kind of power. They were the gold standard. They got the praise, the platforms, the paychecks.
But now?
GLP-1 medications like Zepbound, Wegovy, and Mounjaro are flipping the system. They’re putting that so called currency in the hands of people who were never allowed to hold it before. People who have been mocked, dismissed, ignored. People who tried every diet, every plan, every “lifestyle change” and still lived in larger bodies. These meds are giving those people, us, a chance to live without starving. To feel full. To exist in the world without constantly being reminded that we take up too much space.
And that makes a lot of people uncomfortable.
Not just strangers on the internet. Not just Twitter trolls or talk show hosts. I’m talking about people like Jillian Michaels, who made a career out of yelling at fat people on television. People who sold the idea that shame and suffering were the only real paths to weight loss. People who profited from the lie that obesity is a personal failure.
If GLP-1s had existed back then, no one would have needed to be humiliated for ratings. Her whole brand would have crumbled. And deep down, I think she knows that.
Recently, I sat down with former Biggest Loser contestant, Adrian Gledhill, to discuss her journey on the show. We discussed how her participation on the show effected her health journey in the subsequent years, and how she has developed a new outlook now that she is receiving treatment with GLP-1 medications:
Fat shaming has now turned into treatment shaming. These public figures like Jillian are not fighting for public health. They’re fighting for relevance.
And they’re not alone. There’s an entire system built around the idea that if you want to lose weight, you should have to earn it through suffering. That if you didn’t, you don’t deserve the results. That thinness should stay exclusive, reserved only for those willing to white knuckle it forever.
But the more people who lose weight on GLP-1s, the more that narrative breaks down.
And if you’re someone who’s already seen results, I want you to really think about this:
How are people treating you now compared to how they treated you before?
Are strangers more polite? Are doctors more attentive? Are people congratulating you for the same qualities they used to ignore? Because if so, what does that say about the way this world treats people in larger bodies?
The weight may have changed, but you didn’t. Not your worth. Not your work ethic. Not your soul.
That’s what this is really about. GLP-1s aren’t just helping people lose weight. They’re challenging the entire structure that said some bodies are worth more than others. And the people who benefitted from that structure are panicking.
Let them.
Because we’re not going back. And we’re not going quiet.
If this hits you, share it. Someone out there still thinks this is their fault. Help them know it’s not.
Well said! I could never watch the biggest loser - it looked like abuse to me. How can shaming and torture fundamentally heal anything? With the GLP-1s we are learning so much about the human body and brain and how to undo obesity. I am so curious to understand how we can prevent it in the first place. What truly needs to change in our world - how do we protect metabolic health?
Thanks Dave for always raising the bar on discussions and inquiry.
100% agree! Sad to say, but I have lost 100+ lbs not once, not twice but five (5) times following the WW food plan, only to put the weight back on shortly thereafter. The rollercoaster was not only physically challenging but also totally mentally challenging. The surge of feelings of self-worth followed closely by utter humiliation. I was never weak or foolish. But fighting my body was a constant battle that I just couldn’t win in the long term. Zepbound has been a godsend for me. It saved me from regaining all of my weight after my 5th weight loss go-round. I’d regained enough poundage to qualify for a prescription and it changed my world. The food noise,the eating compulsion became controllable, allowing me to profit from eating healthier foods and moving more. I was able to return to my “goal” weight and, equally important, I have been able to maintain my goal weight. There’s nothing special about me. And I look forward to the day when this medication (or future improved versions) can be affordable and accessible to all who would benefit from it. Obesity is a legitimate health issue that should be addressed as such, not as a laughable matter for those who are lucky enough not to have this issue.