Celebrities Embrace Ozempic But Face Backlash as Diet Culture Evolves
In earlier times, celebrities often shed pounds rapidly and credibly claimed their secret was a sensible diet of reduced quantities. While the public longed for this to be genuine — believing we too could achieve similar results by mimicking their straightforward approach — an underlying suspicion persisted that they withheld crucial aids, such as personal chefs, lavish home fitness facilities, and perhaps exclusive medications only available to the wealthy elite. Consequently, it's been refreshing to witness celebrities openly admitting to the use of semaglutides, known as GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro. However, this newfound transparency also comes with disadvantages.
Upon Serena Williams's August revelation of her Zepbound use — and her subsequent role as a prominent patient advocate for the telehealth provider Ro, a seller of GLP-1s — a rapid negative reaction ensued, with critics blaming Williams for actions ranging from promoting an unhealthy body image to demonstrating medical negligence. Weeks later, Williams — an unparalleled figure in sports history — shared an Instagram update detailing a challenging period, emphasizing her current focus on mental well-being. The conclusion was unavoidable: Her candid disclosure regarding the use (and commercial promotion) of weight-loss medications had not been received favorably.
Other public figures have faced similar situations: celebrities such as Rebel Wilson and Lizzo, who for years served as guiding lights for larger individuals advocating for societal change over personal body alteration. When they each confessed to using Ozempic (with Wilson currently serving as Noom’s chief wellness representative, endorsing the company’s low-dose GLP-1 offering), many felt deceived. These were individuals who had previously defied conventional diet norms, boldly asserting acceptance of their natural selves or demanding others leave, but were now utilizing their hands to operate an injector device and, in some instances, urging others to adopt similar practices. (Male celebrities using GLP-1s, such as Eric Stonestreet, a Mounjaro representative, and Charles Barkley, an ambassador for Ro, appear largely exempt from the criticism women experience. Particularly, Black women face heightened scrutiny due to intersecting prejudices.)
Serena Williams Displays Her Physique Following Weight Reduction Medication Use
I identify as an individual with a larger body type who has engaged in cyclic dieting throughout my existence. Following a prolonged period of consciously unlearning and disavowing dietculture, I commenced Wegovy treatment in 2023. My emotions were mixed: Firstly, I possess the autonomy to make choices regarding my own physicality. Indeed, during an era of expanding restrictions on women, this action felt somewhat defiant. Conversely, it seemed less like an act of rebellion and more like a renewed acceptance of the pervasive, gender-biased diet industry.
Those most adversely affected by the widespread acceptance of weight-loss medications are individuals with larger physiques who have no desire to shed pounds and who already contend with medical neglect and sanctioned prejudice. (Federal statute Title VII, which forbids workplace bias based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin, offers no safeguards against size-based discrimination.) Social commentator Virgie Tovar, a spokesperson for Weight Stigma Awareness Week (September 22–26), recounted on Instagram an incident of body-shaming she encountered at New York Fashion Week 2025, an occurrence she claims was unprecedented. “The prevailing pro-weight-loss culture, driven by GLP-1s and their marketing strategies, is generating tangible and significant human consequences due to these cultural transformations,” she observed.
Serena Williams Discloses 31-Pound Reduction in Weight Attributed to GLP-1
In summary: The situation is multifaceted. Individuals using weight-loss medication should not feel obligated to apologize, yet I continue to hope that public figures — revered by countless admirers — would refrain from actively promoting such products. Above all, my aspiration is for society to reach a stage where a slender physique is no longer conflated with wellness, attractiveness, or ethical supremacy. Regarding that objective, I fear considerable progress remains to be made.
