15.5 Million Americans Have Taken Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro
Over the past year, weight loss medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro have become wildly popular.
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In fact, one poll estimates that some 15.5 million people have used one of these drugs in the US alone. However, while the medications certainly help people lose weight, there is a dark side to rapid changes in the body that few people fully understand.
One Woman’s Story: The Emotional Toll of Weight Loss Drugs
After Julie Simonson survived a sexual assault, her world was turned upside down. She started reaching for food whenever she felt shame and sadness. Simonson explained, “I would cope by basically overeating.”
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Years later, Simonson was dangerously overweight and decided the best option was to undergo gastric bypass surgery. She lost 160 pounds almost immediately and then underwent skin removal surgery, a tummy tuck, and even an arm lift.
The Weight Crept Back On
Even though Simonson worked tirelessly to restrict her calories and exercised with a personal trainer, the weight slowly crept back. And by 2023, at 50 years old, she was almost back to where she had started before the surgery.
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That’s when Simonson’s doctor recommended Mounjaro, a new diabetes medication like Ozempic, was proven to aid in substantial weight loss.
Mounjaro Made Simonson Feel Amazing
At first, the weight loss drug made Simonson feel absolutely amazing. The pounds fell off and stayed off, and she felt happy, healthy, and excited about her new life without the debilitating weight.
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However, soon enough, Simonson started to realize that she didn’t just feel different. She was also being treated completely differently by her friends, family, and even strangers she met on the street.
Seeing Things Clearly for the First Time
Simonson reported that people began treating her like a celebrity compared to how they interacted with her when she was overweight, and she found it exceedingly confusing.
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She explained, “My interests haven’t changed. My sense of humor hasn’t changed. Fundamentally, who I am hasn’t changed. That’s why it’s frustrating when people are nicer to me because I’m not really any different.”
People Are Far Kinder to Thin Women
Of course, Simonson isn’t the only person who noticed this extreme change in the way they were treated after losing weight.
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Jeni Morgan, a veterinary assistant in Vancouver, Washington, explained, “Suddenly, I noticed girls wanted to hang out with me more. People started treating me like I was really cool. They liked me even though only my weight had changed…That’s when I realized how much being more conventionally attractive made a difference.”
Fatphobia Is Still Very Real
Another woman, Lynn, a psychoanalyst from New York City, explained that after losing weight, “It is a rare occasion when somebody doesn’t hold the door open for me or is courteous to me now. I used to have doors literally shut in my face when I was fat.”
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Lynn also said she now feels “socially acceptable,” highlighting the fact that, as much as we promote body positivity, fatphobia is still rampant in our modern-day culture.
External and Internal Pressures to Be Thin
Each of these women who decided to use weight loss medication noted that they not only continue to experience fatphobia from friends, family, and strangers but also within their own minds.
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Even though they are now physically thin, they still feel like they have to hide a part of themselves, the part that was once overweight, because it is not accepted by others. As Lynn said, “I feel like I’m hiding an ugly part of myself. I fight it every day.”
Some People Who've Lost Weight Find Themselves More Judgmental Than Before
Another interesting outcome of using weight loss drugs to shed excessive weight is that it has made some patients more judgmental of others, as well as themselves.
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Lauri Barnes, a court reporter from Charleston, South Carolina, said candidly, “When I was over 300 pounds, I had a lot of empathy for people who were heavy because I understood—I was there. I know it’s a terrible thing to say, but now when I see somebody who’s heavy like I was, I think, ‘Why aren’t you going to your doctor and getting help because you don’t have to be like this?’”
Appearance Is Still in the Forefront of Your Mind
The general consensus among those who have lost weight thanks to drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy is that being thinner doesn’t erase the constant concern regarding your appearance and how others see you.
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Simonson reported, “The reaction I’ve been getting nonstop to my appearance is so uncomfortable I want to crawl out of my skin.” And Lynn says she is still constantly checking mirrors and glass to see that she looks “normal.”
Being Skinny Won’t Make You Happy
The truth is that contrary to popular belief, losing excess weight and finally being conventionally thin really won’t make you happy.
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Rebecca Puhl, professor of human development at the University of Connecticut, explained to Newsweek, “People are so heavily stigmatized by their weight that when they lose weight, they still feel that stigma. Either because they’ve internalized the shame and that doesn’t go away, or they feel stigmatized for how they lost the weight.”