From Shame to Support: How GLP-1s Are Changing the Obesity Conversation
As a GP, I’ve long understood that health is complex. But it wasn’t until I faced my own health challenges that I truly grasped how layered and misunderstood weight gain can be. Following a period of severe mental illness after the birth of my child, I was placed on medication that helped me recover—but also led to significant weight gain. It was a stark lesson in how quickly society shifts its gaze from compassion to judgment.
The Persistence of Stigma
Despite growing awareness, overweight and obesity remain deeply stigmatized. Patients are often met with assumptions: laziness, lack of discipline, poor choices. These narratives ignore the reality that weight is influenced by genetics, medication, trauma, socioeconomic factors, and more. I’ve seen patients delay care out of shame. I’ve felt that shame myself.
The truth is, obesity is not a character flaw. It’s a chronic condition—one that deserves the same evidence-based, empathetic approach we apply to diabetes, hypertension, or depression.
A Turning Point: GLP-1s and the Biology of Weight
The emergence of GLP-1 receptor agonists—like semaglutide—has begun to shift the conversation. These medications regulate appetite and insulin response, helping many achieve meaningful weight loss. But more than that, they challenge the myth that weight is purely about willpower.
If biology can be modulated with a weekly injection, then perhaps we need to rethink our assumptions. Obesity is not a failure of effort—it’s a condition shaped by systems, hormones, and lived experience.
Reframing the Conversation
In my practice, I now approach weight with greater nuance. I ask about mental health, medications, sleep, and stress. I offer options—nutritional support, psychological input, pharmacological tools—without judgment. And when appropriate, I share that I’ve walked this path too.
We are entering a new era—one where compassion replaces blame, and science replaces stigma. It’s time we treated obesity not as a moral issue, but as a medical one. Because when we do, we open the door to healing, dignity, and hope.
