Perceptions and Experiences from the Fat Community In the GLP-1 Era

Background and Purpose: The use of weight loss drugs, particularly glucagon-like peptide-1(GLP-1) medications such as Wegovy and Zepbound, has increased dramatically over the last 5 years, leading many people to lose noticeable amounts of weight. GLP-1 advertisements are extremely frequent, and celebrities once celebrated for their bigger bodies are now marketing and supporting GLP-1 weight loss medications. This qualitative research study seeks to understand how this phenomenon affects individuals in bigger bodies, examining their mental health, body image, and experiences of anti-fat bias. The research question for this exploratory qualitative study is, what are the perceptions and experiences of the rise in popularity of weight loss drugs among individuals in bigger bodies? This study was framed using social comparison and social dominance theories.

Methods: Ten 20-minute, semi-structured interviews were conducted over Zoom with 10 adults aged 27 to 74 years, who self-identify as being in a bigger body. Study participants were recruited through Facebook and Instagram social media platforms. Participants were asked questions related to GLP-1 experiences, GLP-1 weight loss medication perceptions, body size portrayals in the media, body image, and anti-fat bias. Results were coded and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results: Most results varied by the age of study participants. The eight youngest participants shared a generally negative but nuanced view of GLP-1 weight loss medications, while the two oldest participants had positive views of the medications. The seven youngest participants commented negatively about the way bodies are currently portrayed in the media, while the three oldest participants expressed satisfaction with the overall increase of fat representation in the media over the last decade. All 10 participants shared experiences of anti-fat bias, particularly in medical settings.

Conclusions and Implications: This study highlights the generational differences in the fat experience. Older adults who lived through previous periods of rapid weight loss may focus on more long-term progress, while younger adults who generally spend more time on social media may be more affected by current media trends. This study also highlights the prevalence of anti-fat bias and emphasizes the need for protection against this system of oppression in medical settings and society at large. From a research perspective, this study emphasizes the need for comprehensive research on the rise in popularity of GLP-1 weight loss medications in the fat community and the broader need for academic research centering the fat community in non-weight loss context.