Ozempic threatens the burgeoning 'body positive' movement as Americans told to embrace plus size suddenly find an easy way to lose weight
Ozempic is threatening the body positivity movement as Americans told they want to be plus-size have found an easy way to get slim, experts warn.
The drug, originally designed for people with diabetes, is made from a substance called semaglutide. Ozempic and alternatives like Wegovy are part of a class of drugs called GLP-1 RAs, which help people produce insulin and lower the amount of sugar in their blood.
The drugs also slow the movement of food through the stomach, which reduces appetite – and makes people see it as an easy way to shed pounds.
“With Ozempic, obesity can be remedied immediately (albeit expensively),” Raven Smith wrote for Vogue in March.
'Larger people can quickly switch to a more socially acceptable format. Ozempic is a miracle cure, a cure for the fatness we have reluctantly forced ourselves to accept.'
The drug has seen a surge in popularity online as people post their weight loss results and wear the drug as a miracle cure
But as more and more Americans use the drug, the body positivity movement – which includes all body types, especially plus-size ones – appears to be going out of fashion (Photo: Dear Kate 2014 ad campaign)
Ozempic, a GLP-1 drug intended for use by people with diabetes, has become extremely popular as a weight-loss aid
The body positivity movement began in earnest in 1969, when an engineer named Bill Fabrey founded the National Association to Aid Fat Americans, today known as the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance.
In the 21st century, body positivity was embraced by companies looking to reach a broader audience. Brands like Dove ran ads featuring women of different sizes and others embraced the slogan “all bodies are beautiful.”
But after the rise of weight-loss drugs, there seems to be a shift in tone. Weight loss services like Noom, a subscription-based diet app, have embraced them.
And while the app is built on the foundations of behavioral changes and mental wellness, it seems to be taking a shortcut. It was launched last year Noom Med, which offers prescriptions for GLP-1 medications as patients fall within a certain BMI range and meet other requirements.
Similarly, after acquiring the telehealth company Sequence, Weight Watchers came up with WW Clinic, an online portal that facilitates prescriptions for GLP-1 medications.
Data shows interest in these drugs has increased, and the numbers are dramatic: From 2021 to 2022, prescriptions increased 130 percent in Atlanta, 351 percent in Seattle and 481 percent in Cleveland, according to analysis from Trilliant Health.
GLP-1 drugs have also been embraced by the ultra-famous. Oprah Winfrey has been candid about her experiences using weight-loss drugs, telling People in December that she saw them as a “gift.”
“The fact that there is a medically approved prescription to manage weight and stay healthier in my lifetime feels like a relief… and not something to hide behind and be ridiculed for again,” she said. “I'm done with shaming other people and especially myself.”
The body positivity movement started in the 1960s and has been embraced in the 21st century by companies like Dove (pictured)
Influencers who rose to fame through the movement have experienced a backlash for using the drug. Gabi Menard, a TikToker and Instagram influencer, was criticized for her decision to use Ozempic simply to be 'skinny'
Claudia Oshry, an influencer and comedian who has been outspoken about her use of the drug, posted a tongue-in-cheek response to a comment calling her an “Ozempic skeleton”
Ozempic is not explicitly approved by the FDA for chronic weight management, but this doesn't stop patients from using it off-label — and has created a major shortage for diabetics and those who need the drug to survive.
But the shame goes both ways – even for plus-size people who are open about their decision to use the drug. Gabi Menard, an influencer who rose to fame with the body positivity movement, announced in May that she was using Ozempic simply to be “skinny.”
She faced backlash and immediately deleted the video, but this didn't stop netizens from leaving comments on subsequent posts, including one that read: “How's the Ozempic going?”
Comedian Claudia Oshry has also opened up about her use of the drug. After a user left a comment calling her an “Ozempic skeleton,” Oshry posted a TikTok dancing around in a skeleton costume.
Journalist Constance Grady said in News Nation that body positivity simply doesn't make sense for many companies' bottom lines anymore.
“The way many companies and brands paid lip service to body positivity turned out to be very superficial, and as soon as Ozempic arrived we saw them start to move away from it,” she said.
At runway shows, Grady explained, the number of plus-size runway models dropped from a peak of 5 percent in 2022 to just 0.6 percent in 2023.
“I think what we're seeing is Ozempic giving people the opportunity to embrace a smaller body and companies saying, 'Oh, now that that's a realistic option for a lot of people… then we're just going to lean in.' all the way into this,'' she continued.
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists published a notice earlier this month about the ongoing shortage of Ozempic and Wegovy.
Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of both drugs, has taken steps to increase production capacity, but supply is not expected to meet patient demand for certain dose strengths.
The FDA approved Ozempic in 2017 as a treatment for type 2 diabetes with diet and exercise. It is not approved for chronic weight management but is often prescribed off-label.
Wegovy, on the other hand, is explicitly approved for people with severe obesity.
GLP-1 medications have also been embraced by people with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a hormone disorder. Many people with PCOS have insulin resistance, which affects metabolism and causes people to gain weight or struggle to lose weight.
Ozempic has not yet been approved by the FDA to treat the condition, but this has not stopped people from taking it and using it as a miracle cure.
Dr. Shauna Levy, assistant professor of surgery at Tulane University Medical Center, argued that the body positivity movement is experiencing a shift simply because Ozempic offers an easy way to lose weight.
“I think this movement confused people in a lot of ways because there was an assumption that just because big is beautiful, big is healthy,” she told News Nation.
“And I think it put people off going to the doctor because they felt like it was okay.” People accept me now that I no longer have to deal with this disease.'