“Do you think she’s on it?” “There’s no way she lost it naturally, right?” “Can you believe how thin she’s gotten?” These are the questions on everyone’s minds as we find ourselves in the depths of the age of Ozempic. Everywhere you look, all you can see are protruding bones and tightened skin. Your favorite body-positive singer, the actress you hadn’t realized had any weight to lose and even your old teachers, it feels like everybody is on a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1).
GLP-1 agonists are medications that promote weight loss and lower blood sugar levels, often to treat Type 2 diabetes and obesity. They work by mimicking the hormone that triggers the release of insulin from the pancreas, blocking glucagon secretion, slowing stomach emptying and increasing how full you feel after eating. By triggering this hormone, the medications help manage blood sugar and decrease appetite.
The Ram does not mean to discount the medical value of GLP-1 drugs, but instead warn about the dangers of both misuse and overuse, as well as the powerful impact of the image of a thinner body standard on society. Though they can be very helpful for some in addressing medical issues, there are increased risks of gastrointestinal problems, pancreatitis and decreased kidney function. Additionally, while they are not chemically addictive, they can easily be misused by those with access, such as the upper class and celebrities. These drugs are for people medically diagnosed with diabetes or obesity, but they are not proven to be safe for those attempting to lose weight casually or for cosmetic purposes. When a user stops taking the drugs, the weight comes back, risking the creation of a dangerous cycle of overusing the drug to stay at a desired weight or look.
The recent Academy Awards on March 15 put the drastic nature of this weight-loss trend on full display, with the most popular accessory of the night being exposed ribs and collar bones. Actresses who were already extremely thin now appear emaciated, and all who admit how they did it excuse their choice in the name of “health.”
One celebrity outside of the entertainment industry who might be the most shocking proponent of weight loss drugs is Serena Williams. Last August, the world-class tennis player and four-time Olympic gold medalist revealed that she had been taking a GLP-1 while announcing her partnership with Ro, a telehealth weight loss company where her husband, Alexis Ohanian, is an investor on its board. Since starting the drug, she has lost 34 pounds and claims she is the healthiest she has ever been. Yes, Serena Williams, one of — if not the — greatest athletes of all time, is apparently just now at her healthiest because of a weight loss drug.
What does this say about society’s definition of health? If even our strongest and most dominating athletes cannot feel “healthy” until they are palatably thin to the world, how can any of us ever be comfortable in our own skin
Although it is certainly uncomfortable to think about, our body shapes and sizes frequently go in and out of style. Celebrities dictate those trends because of their easy access to plastic surgery, medical assistance and other cosmetic advantages. From heroin chic in the 1990s to the Brazilian butt lift craze in the 2010s, it is impossible to always keep up with beauty trends. Still, we are pressured into trying, and as a result, hating ourselves for not looking like the people we see in our media.
Compared to the ’90s and 2000s, when extreme thinness was last in fashion, our access and exposure to the media has exponentially increased due to social media and more advanced cell phones. This exposure hits adolescents the hardest, due to being in such a critical age of development and often having increased time on social media. A 2023 study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that 95% of youth ages 13-17 are on social media, more than a third saying they were on it “almost constantly,” and nearly 40% of children ages 8-12 are on social media. This increased media usage is alarming, but it isn’t going anywhere, and the content that these young people are consuming can have extreme effects on their mental health and body image.
Social media use often leads to social comparisons, especially for adolescent girls who are constantly being shown what the “ideal woman” looks like through influencers and female celebrities. This comparison can lead to body image issues through the internalization of beauty standards and ideals of thinness. It can also motivate and trigger the development and/or worsening of eating disorders, which are unfortunately extremely common these days. Across the globe, 22% of children and adolescents exhibit disordered eating. This statistic is frightening but true, and it will likely only increase as more and more young people are given access to social media, where they are faced with constant images of thinness.
As a media-driven society, we are obsessed with looking like anyone but ourselves, and bringing back a frail and emaciated appearance as the “ideal body” can only bring extreme dangers to our population, especially for women and our youth. Though GLP-1s like Ozempic could be life-changing for some, this fad could result in an extreme increase in negative body image, leading to severe eating disorders that threaten the lives of much of our society.