I’m a pharmacist and I worry that in ten years this is going to be another fen-phen. The heart is a muscle, too. Just as with any medicine, some people do really need it, AND the use to conform to thinness is disturbing to see for all the reasons you laid out. Thank you for this.
Thank you for this reminder, the heart is probably our most important muscle! I'm sure by the time we've recognized the harm these caused for those who didn't actually have a medical need to take them, there will be something to replace them.
Thank you for writing this! I think it’s such an important conversation to have. As a fitness professional, it’s shocking how little people understand about the way these drugs work yet are desperate to get their hands on them. There’s a lot of misinformation and confusion around the role muscle plays in our overall health and well being- it’s not simply about being ripped. Of course everyone should make their own decisions regarding the trade offs, but so much reality is being suffocated by gatekeepers motivated by financial gain.😣
These medications are a GODSEND. I’m one year in and my blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol are all perfect. I no longer have sleep apnea. My mobility is far better.
Before these drugs, nothing I did would budge my weight or those metrics, and I tried everything.
I didn’t have to change a thing about my diet because I was already eating very healthy. These drugs fixed something that was broken.
I’m sick and tired of the claims these drugs are dangerous. They’ve saved me from insulin resistance and almost certain future diabetes.
Yeah, I went from obese to a normal weight but I’m not thin and don’t care if I reach that point. I feel just fine where I am.
Thank you for sharing this. These drugs can be lifesaving. I don't disagree. But there are lots of people taking them who don't need to and don't care about the potential side effects. That's the part that's problematic.
Can we stop pretending the drugs are problematic ?
If some people are misusing them, address THAT.
Don’t vilify people who are using them to be healthier. There are millions of us who expect to live much healthier lives thanks to these drugs. But they’re so commonly criticized that a lot of people who would benefit from them distrust them or are afraid to take them.
I tell everyone I am using the shots. I want to show people the positives.
Who gets to decide if it’s necessary for health or just aesthetic purposes? I’m glad it works for you, but the extended use by people who are not dealing with health issues is problematic.
Ditto what folks have said re thank you for writing this. I’ve seen a bit of this backlash online (I’m not on socials so less than others perhaps) but you expressed the concern in such clear eyed and frankly, terrifying terms. Damnit. It’s so upsetting. This quote sums shit up: “When one of the strongest, most successful athletes in the world feels the need to shrink herself, muscles and all, what message does it send the rest of us?”
It was never about health. The world we live in wants women's bodies to take up less space and be less visible. And if you're a Black woman? Even more so.
I wish we could plaster your first sentence everywhere, because it's the biggest lie used to sell weight loss. And 100% agree with you. Our thin ideal has its roots in racism, which makes it even more problematic.
It is about health on a personal level, but I'm referring to the concern trolling by other people. No one looks at a thin person and asks "but what's your cholesterol level? What's your A1C?" But they look at my fat ass and suddenly everyone is a diabetes expert. Everything i read implies very strongly to me that mostly, people don't want so many fat people around, not because of health concerns, but because they don't want to look at us.
Thanks for sharing about this important topic. The rush of bodies to receive these meds is disturbing, but nothing new for the pressure of society's want for them. Good for her to want to use drugs and have whatever benefits she may find as a result, but shame is felt when it comes to commercializing the reason for it. Why must an obsession for capitalism and hypercomsuption phuck up everything 😔
Thank you for sharing this. I feel like this is another way for women to be controlled. How about eating what nourishes/fuels us, strengthen our bodies for longevity and independence, and love the body that results?
It's about how we feel, the energy, the ability to fulfill our soul's purpose, clarity in our hearts, minds, and spirits.
If we get rail thin and our bones break, we can't lift something, then isn't that another way for others to say that we're vulnerable, needy and should be cared for? Another way of controlling us?
We can be strong, varied sizes, shapes, personalities, abilities AND love who we are!
Thank you for this. It’s complicated, and so disappointing. As a 57 year old post menopausal woman who has been diagnosed with osteoporosis brought on by hereditary factors and muscle loss from weight loss(thanks Bright Line…) I am so disheartened by this development. Always short and stocky, broad shouldered and muscular, I have been fighting my body composition and weight since puberty. I had been making headway in accepting my size and shape, and concentrating on being strong and capable (I’m in the best shape of my life, fitness wise, but also the heaviest I have ever been), but feel like i’ve been thrown back in to self doubt and self loathing. And the guilt for spending so much mental energy on my body! I’m glad the drug exists for those with health issues, but I hate that it makes me feel like I should try it.
I have the same body type as you and went through a lot of the same struggles to accept it. I'm also the heaviest I've ever been. And while I'm not the fittest I've ever been, I'm still very fit and healthy. I continue to believe that the way past the body image struggles is through more kindness, less judgment, and focus on real health rather than weight loss.
Our brains have evolved to take advantage of a quick fix that uses the least energy even if it is detrimental to our overall health. Taking a drug to lose weight lets us skip the lifestyle changes which are slow and hard. I can understand why people use glp 1 but I like the idea of improving my lifestyle to achieve long term health.
I’m a pharmacist and I worry that in ten years this is going to be another fen-phen. The heart is a muscle, too. Just as with any medicine, some people do really need it, AND the use to conform to thinness is disturbing to see for all the reasons you laid out. Thank you for this.
Thank you for this reminder, the heart is probably our most important muscle! I'm sure by the time we've recognized the harm these caused for those who didn't actually have a medical need to take them, there will be something to replace them.
Thank you for writing this! I think it’s such an important conversation to have. As a fitness professional, it’s shocking how little people understand about the way these drugs work yet are desperate to get their hands on them. There’s a lot of misinformation and confusion around the role muscle plays in our overall health and well being- it’s not simply about being ripped. Of course everyone should make their own decisions regarding the trade offs, but so much reality is being suffocated by gatekeepers motivated by financial gain.😣
100% agree. But I also think lots of women are so desperate, the potential risks are worth it.
Stop it.
These medications are a GODSEND. I’m one year in and my blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol are all perfect. I no longer have sleep apnea. My mobility is far better.
Before these drugs, nothing I did would budge my weight or those metrics, and I tried everything.
I didn’t have to change a thing about my diet because I was already eating very healthy. These drugs fixed something that was broken.
I’m sick and tired of the claims these drugs are dangerous. They’ve saved me from insulin resistance and almost certain future diabetes.
Yeah, I went from obese to a normal weight but I’m not thin and don’t care if I reach that point. I feel just fine where I am.
Thank you for sharing this. These drugs can be lifesaving. I don't disagree. But there are lots of people taking them who don't need to and don't care about the potential side effects. That's the part that's problematic.
Can we stop pretending the drugs are problematic ?
If some people are misusing them, address THAT.
Don’t vilify people who are using them to be healthier. There are millions of us who expect to live much healthier lives thanks to these drugs. But they’re so commonly criticized that a lot of people who would benefit from them distrust them or are afraid to take them.
I tell everyone I am using the shots. I want to show people the positives.
Who gets to decide if it’s necessary for health or just aesthetic purposes? I’m glad it works for you, but the extended use by people who are not dealing with health issues is problematic.
If people are using it while anorexic, their doctor should take them off it.
Ditto what folks have said re thank you for writing this. I’ve seen a bit of this backlash online (I’m not on socials so less than others perhaps) but you expressed the concern in such clear eyed and frankly, terrifying terms. Damnit. It’s so upsetting. This quote sums shit up: “When one of the strongest, most successful athletes in the world feels the need to shrink herself, muscles and all, what message does it send the rest of us?”
Thank you. I fear the direction we're headed but really hope we can keep prioritizing health over aesthetics.
It was never about health. The world we live in wants women's bodies to take up less space and be less visible. And if you're a Black woman? Even more so.
I wish we could plaster your first sentence everywhere, because it's the biggest lie used to sell weight loss. And 100% agree with you. Our thin ideal has its roots in racism, which makes it even more problematic.
It is indeed about health for most of us.
It is about health on a personal level, but I'm referring to the concern trolling by other people. No one looks at a thin person and asks "but what's your cholesterol level? What's your A1C?" But they look at my fat ass and suddenly everyone is a diabetes expert. Everything i read implies very strongly to me that mostly, people don't want so many fat people around, not because of health concerns, but because they don't want to look at us.
Thanks for sharing about this important topic. The rush of bodies to receive these meds is disturbing, but nothing new for the pressure of society's want for them. Good for her to want to use drugs and have whatever benefits she may find as a result, but shame is felt when it comes to commercializing the reason for it. Why must an obsession for capitalism and hypercomsuption phuck up everything 😔
Yes, this is it. These companies, and their ambassadors, have a vested interest in continuing to make us feel inadequate in our bodies.
I’m all for using natural hacks to increase the body’s own production of glp1. Much of what I’m reading gives common sense approaches
centered around gut health, which has an overall benefit anyway.
I was dismayed by Serena Williams’ decision to use & promote the drug for weight loss, you make excellent arguments here!
Thank you!
Thank you for sharing this. I feel like this is another way for women to be controlled. How about eating what nourishes/fuels us, strengthen our bodies for longevity and independence, and love the body that results?
It's about how we feel, the energy, the ability to fulfill our soul's purpose, clarity in our hearts, minds, and spirits.
If we get rail thin and our bones break, we can't lift something, then isn't that another way for others to say that we're vulnerable, needy and should be cared for? Another way of controlling us?
We can be strong, varied sizes, shapes, personalities, abilities AND love who we are!
Couldn't have said it better!
Thank you for this. It’s complicated, and so disappointing. As a 57 year old post menopausal woman who has been diagnosed with osteoporosis brought on by hereditary factors and muscle loss from weight loss(thanks Bright Line…) I am so disheartened by this development. Always short and stocky, broad shouldered and muscular, I have been fighting my body composition and weight since puberty. I had been making headway in accepting my size and shape, and concentrating on being strong and capable (I’m in the best shape of my life, fitness wise, but also the heaviest I have ever been), but feel like i’ve been thrown back in to self doubt and self loathing. And the guilt for spending so much mental energy on my body! I’m glad the drug exists for those with health issues, but I hate that it makes me feel like I should try it.
I have the same body type as you and went through a lot of the same struggles to accept it. I'm also the heaviest I've ever been. And while I'm not the fittest I've ever been, I'm still very fit and healthy. I continue to believe that the way past the body image struggles is through more kindness, less judgment, and focus on real health rather than weight loss.
Our brains have evolved to take advantage of a quick fix that uses the least energy even if it is detrimental to our overall health. Taking a drug to lose weight lets us skip the lifestyle changes which are slow and hard. I can understand why people use glp 1 but I like the idea of improving my lifestyle to achieve long term health.