People judge weight loss more harshly when GLP-1 drugs are involved, study finds

What people don't understand about trying to lose weight is how hard your body fights back against you. They think that if you ate the same amount as them, you would feel the same as them and that all the extra food you eat is for extra pleasure on top of what you already need to feel satisfied. They can't wrap their heads around the idea that how you physically feel on 2000 calories a day is what they would feel eating 1000 calories a day. Most people are not very smart and cannot easily understand that their experience doesn't also apply to everyone else. A lot of people are also desperately insecure and need to cling onto the thought that they are better than another group of people.

What's even more weird is how people on GLP meds can act the same way toward other people on GLP meds who aren't having as much success as them. You don't see it much on this forum but I see it a lot on other platforms. Someone will post "I'm on X.X mg of Tirzep and not losing weight" and everybody will mock them for not dieting or exercising enough and roll their eyes at another lazy glutton expecting an "easy fix". Like...........did the GLP shots make you lose your memory of your entire life before GLP meds???
 
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On the other hand, when I've lost 42kg/93lb without any drugs, just on diet and activity, people who didn't see me for a while were asking if I was sick (probably thinking about cancer, but didn't mention). Only one fella asked me if I'm on Ozempic. My answer was: "Lad I'm not a celebrity to use that kind of stuff" 😆 And look at me now....😁
 
But I'd like to push back on the idea what people wanted to microdose or get off the medication are all doing it for irrational/psychological/judgy/hateful reasons. There are lots of reasons to want to get off. One of them is that I want to get pregnant in a few years (maybe even more than once) and will have to get off them. Another is that it is legally dubious and some jobs are extremely strict about investigating if you do legally dubious things. Another is that all drugs have risks. I know it's a small risk, but it's not zero, and the higher the dose and the more times you inject, the higher the risk is. So I'm in the camp of "I'm taking this drug for now but I'm not happy about it and will try to keep doses low and try everything I can to get off." It doesn't mean I have any kind of negative thoughts about people who are taking the max dose for life.
 
I'm continually surprised by the number of people who have watched me for DECADES try to lose weight, and FAIL - and when a medication comes out and I start shedding weight like crazy it's somehow suddenly wrong. Why? You know nothing else worked for me, why aren't you cheering this new breakthrough? Geeze
 
Shiet, if you want to experience this firsthand visit the r/loseit subreddit and mention any sort of success on GLP's and watch the hate come in. I'm willing to bet those that hate the most are the ones actually using GLP's to lose weight but acting like they're doing it on their own 🤣
 
birdwhacker said:
That's not surprising. GenX seems to be one of the most judgemental generations alive. Old people in general.
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Welp! Didn’t realize until this afternoon that as a GenX that I’m officially lumped in with the “Old people” 😂, but I the guess judgmental thing is probably true, although I’d like to thinking of it as tough love. And do I have plenty of tough love to go around.
 
I think a lot of people are biased about GLP users because they don't really understand how GLPs work. Then there are the people who don't understand what it's like to have lifelong issues with weight.

As for the GenX thing. I agree. We were raised by boomers and the silent generation. We don't sugarcoat.
 
Estarossa19 said:
Shiet, if you want to experience this firsthand visit the r/loseit subreddit and mention any sort of success on GLP's and watch the hate come in. I'm willing to bet those that hate the most are the ones actually using GLP's to lose weight but acting like they're doing it on their own 🤣
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Every weight loss subreddit seems to hate every other weight loss subreddit. The CICO people hate the keto people and the IF people, the IF people hate the CICO people. The GLP people hate any mention of any kind of diet. The r/loseit people hate every other group. And every single community on the internet will tell you that fasting for 2 seconds will immediately give you an eating disorder and kill you. Go figure.
 
Grogu said:
Not too surprising that society has negative connotations regarding weight-loss medications, but that people using the medications are “viewed as less moral, competent, and deserving.” is kind of sad…
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This is why I don't discuss any of my glp or peptide use with anyone. Although, to be fair, people are critical and judgemental no matter what anyone who is overweight does. Just look at social media. People post their gym trips (get ridiculed), post their healthy what I eat in a days (get blasted and calorie checked), even an overweight person posting what zero calorie flavored water they're drinking gets them mocked. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. It's really sad.
 
There's also the fact that since I'm VERY near the end (five pounds from goal), I look awesome. Oh, you'd like to shame me? Sorry, I can't feel too sad, cause I'm too busy being pretty. Oh, you want to make snotty remarks and try to make me feel guilty? Sure, I'll get right on feeling guilty when I finish deciding if I want two bikinis (a plain white for the gym, and a blue-and-white for boating and beaching) or three bikinis (both of the above, plus a pretty green one if I'm feeling a green kind of day) and buying them. Oh, how sad, you insinuated that I was cheating, I'm gonna get ALL UP IN ARMS and huffy about that but it's gonna have to wait cause I spotted a pretty new dress on the sale rack, it's a size four, and I'll bet it'll make me look so hot, hold my purse, we can argue when I get back.
 
SeaGypsy said:
I am open with my inner circle, hell after seeing my weightloss 3 of my inner circle now have me supplying them. I say nothing to anyone else. Many have no idea the physical and mental exhaustion being obese is. There is nothing anyone could say about me that I haven't said to myself. The shame, guilt, depression, anxieties....it just destroys you. That same mentality was also ingrained in my head, I never felt good enough because I was the fat one. I hid in the back of the few pictures I couldn't weasel out of. I always tried to blend in and not be seen. Because I fought the weight for so long, my mind will never let me believe I'm thin. But now I'm five pounds from goal, I'm working hard on my mental being as well as my physical being. I now do this for me instead of for others, it's all for me!
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Wow that's the feeling...
 
Estarossa19 said:
Shiet, if you want to experience this firsthand visit the r/loseit subreddit and mention any sort of success on GLP's and watch the hate come in. I'm willing to bet those that hate the most are the ones actually using GLP's to lose weight but acting like they're doing it on their own 🤣
Click to expand...
fake natty has always been a thing. post on /r/moreplatesmoredates and watch the love roll in 🤣
 
gimmeshelter said:
Sadly this comes from a place of ignorance and jealousy
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Indeed!

Back when I thought I'd never be able to afford GLP-1s, when I came across people posting their amazing before and afters and saw that they had used them I'd kind of just grumble to myself and scroll along. I had enough self awareness to realize that I was just jealous and I never thought less of anyone for using what tools they had available to them, but I definitely felt bitter thinking it was something only available to the rich!

It's easy to imagine how a lot of people would take that kind of jealousy to the next level, especially combined with ignorance about obesity in general and about how the medications actually work.
 
I lost the bulk of my weight, 100 lbs, before Tirz was commonplace, but wow wish I had it from the beginning. I have told few people that I am taking it because I don't want to hear this kind of stuff, good or bad, private person, not anyones business. But seriously because I work in a salon with lots of women the subject comes up regularly. Saturday one of my clients actually said to me that I had lost my weight "the real way". OMG really?? So hey all the weight you guys and I are losing is "fake" I guess.🤣
 
Years ago when gym attendance became mainstream ago it was creatine and protein powder🤣 New people loved to talk about how they "don't need it" and say "it's all water weight"
 
Nailedit said:
Saturday one of my clients actually said to me that I had lost my weight "the real way". OMG really?? So hey all the weight you guys and I are losing is "fake" I guess.🤣
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Ive noticed with women in the UK that healthy weight is a status symbol instead of a health indicator, so achieving it without hours of cardio/dieting is looked down upon. seems like the US is the same, its a weird culture
 
I've noticed that people who are unhealthy and severely overweight are mainly the ones who say GLP's are "cheating". I've been using Reta since Oct 2025 and have lost 30lb. My bloodwork is now significantly better than before I started. It's also the severely overweight people who say they are worried about the unknown long term side effects. My scale results and my bloodwork results make me believe that my long term health has only improved.
 
I'm approaching official "senior citizen" demographic.
For two decades I have lost weight, regained weight and did that over and over.
For the first time I feel like I have a handle on this, that I'm going to maintain. Cheating?? Sure, why not...I'll take that label and wear it proudly as I am running circles around other's my age and spend a day in the saddle riding to my hearts content.
I am open about my glp use and I supply my sister and two friends now. I just don't give a flying rat's ass what others may or may not think.
 
Grogu said:
This is why I've told nobody at work about my glp-1 use. Not a soul, not even co-workers that I'm close with. People are so freaking judgmental. I'm sure people probably think I'm on a glp-1, but only one has had the nerve to ask. I deflected the question. It must be the topic of workplace chatter because I can't get through a day without someone saying something. 🤣
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I do the opposite, tell everybody with whom the topic comes up. Hiding shit is a big part of the shame cycle that got many of us into this mess to begin with. It’s really liberating.
 
I agree with most of the sentiments posted.

What REALLY doesn’t help is when people like my boss speak about it the way they do: He’s been on Tirz+Sema for about a year now, has lost a fair amount of weight at a rate of roughly 1lb/week- starting I think around 320lbs and sitting currently around 260. He’s very vocal about how he’s lost it, and simply says “it’s the magic shot, that’s it!” “It’s too easy!” He also really hasn’t changed any of his habits.. he eats less, but the same food. He drinks a lot. He eats doughnuts and cake and cookies all the time.

😔

When I started on Tirz and now Reta, I’ve had a very solid progression with an average of 3lbs/week weight loss, but I’m also nutritionally educated, meal prepping, abstaining from alcohol, and dramatically changing my lifestyle and habits.

He sees me and my very effective weight loss and just says, “See!! Too easy right?!.. Tooo easy…”
🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️ it’s not worth arguing, but I think about how different we have approached this, and I know he is contributing to this paradigm of others viewing GLPs as “cheating” and it’s sad.
 
Grogu said:
www.news-medical.net

People judge weight loss more harshly when GLP-1 drugs are involved, study finds

In four pre-registered studies across Belgium, the US, and the UK, people judged anti-obesity medication users as putting in less effort and, in turn, viewed them as less moral, competent, warm, and deserving than non-users. The findings suggest that effort moralization may help drive stigma...
www.news-medical.net www.news-medical.net

Not too surprising that society has negative connotations regarding weight-loss medications, but that people using the medications are “viewed as less moral, competent, and deserving.” is kind of sad…
Click to expand...
I'd bet these people cheat on their taxes w/out a problem..
 
DragonOfTheSea said:
I agree with most of the sentiments posted.

What REALLY doesn’t help is when people like my boss speak about it the way they do: He’s been on Tirz+Sema for about a year now, has lost a fair amount of weight at a rate of roughly 1lb/week- starting I think around 320lbs and sitting currently around 260. He’s very vocal about how he’s lost it, and simply says “it’s the magic shot, that’s it!” “It’s too easy!” He also really hasn’t changed any of his habits.. he eats less, but the same food. He drinks a lot. He eats doughnuts and cake and cookies all the time.

😔

When I started on Tirz and now Reta, I’ve had a very solid progression with an average of 3lbs/week weight loss, but I’m also nutritionally educated, meal prepping, abstaining from alcohol, and dramatically changing my lifestyle and habits.

He sees me and my very effective weight loss and just says, “See!! Too easy right?!.. Tooo easy…”
🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️ it’s not worth arguing, but I think about how different we have approached this, and I know he is contributing to this paradigm of others viewing GLPs as “cheating” and it’s sad.
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We need to evaluate his endothelial function haha. But there are meds for that too. Certainly, energy level seems better with traditional exercise vs. meds alone.
 
randompersonrandom said:
There's also the fact that since I'm VERY near the end (five pounds from goal), I look awesome. Oh, you'd like to shame me? Sorry, I can't feel too sad, cause I'm too busy being pretty. Oh, you want to make snotty remarks and try to make me feel guilty? Sure, I'll get right on feeling guilty when I finish deciding if I want two bikinis (a plain white for the gym, and a blue-and-white for boating and beaching) or three bikinis (both of the above, plus a pretty green one if I'm feeling a green kind of day) and buying them. Oh, how sad, you insinuated that I was cheating, I'm gonna get ALL UP IN ARMS and huffy about that but it's gonna have to wait cause I spotted a pretty new dress on the sale rack, it's a size four, and I'll bet it'll make me look so hot, hold my purse, we can argue when I get back.
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As someone who does not look good in green no matter what shade of it I try, GET THE GREEN ONE FOR MEE.

I put on a hoodie yesterday (you know, THE hoodie. The safe one that I didn't feel too fat in a year ago but was not so slowly eating my way out of...) and it was just hanging on me. I got all excited and snapped a picture and sent it to my friend group chat like, "guys! this was so tight on me! I'm doing the thing!" and everyone was super supportive except for the one "friend" who has every excuse under the sun for why she's 340lbs, snaps back with, "Better keep it, you know you'll be back at 230lbs by November 🤣🤣🤣 "

No I won't. I'm petty.
 
ochoseis said:
except for the one "friend" who has every excuse under the sun for why she's 340lbs, snaps back with, "Better keep it, you know you'll be back at 230lbs by November 🤣🤣🤣 "
Click to expand...

what the actual hell?? Where are y'all FINDING these "friends" who'd just say something like that right out loud with witnesses??
 
Grogu said:
www.news-medical.net

People judge weight loss more harshly when GLP-1 drugs are involved, study finds

In four pre-registered studies across Belgium, the US, and the UK, people judged anti-obesity medication users as putting in less effort and, in turn, viewed them as less moral, competent, warm, and deserving than non-users. The findings suggest that effort moralization may help drive stigma...
www.news-medical.net www.news-medical.net

Not too surprising that society has negative connotations regarding weight-loss medications, but that people using the medications are “viewed as less moral, competent, and deserving.” is kind of sad…
Click to expand...
Society’s track record on morality, general intelligence, or basic human decency isn’t what I would call sound…

To quote the great JFK: “Fuck em!”
 
exploitedworkerbee said:
I do the opposite, tell everybody with whom the topic comes up. Hiding shit is a big part of the shame cycle that got many of us into this mess to begin with. It’s really liberating.
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I totally get why many people freely share their glp-1 journey when the topic comes up and I think it's great. I'm usually that person, but maybe your right, years of fat shaming and internalized shame has made me not want to talk about my weight. It's been a lifetime of people objectively being able to comment on my weight. Maybe when I've been able to maintain at my goal weight for a year that I'll be more open. Because I've lost 100s of pounds before. This is nothing new for me right yet. 🤣
 
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