Glow up tips, workouts, and new diets are seen all over social media, but there is a recent addition: weight loss drugs. In recent years, weight loss drugs have been increasingly used to aid people in losing weight.
Celebrity usage of weight loss drugs could be what has led to their popularity. Pop singer Meghan Trainor recently opened up about using Mounjaro, a drug used to lower blood sugar in those with Type 2 diabetes when used with exercise and a healthy diet. She used this with her husband, actor Daryl Sabara, to help with her weight loss journey.
Trainor used to be a strong advocate for body positivity through both her daily life and through her songs, like her 2014 single “All About That Bass.” The song encourages girls to embrace their inner beauty. However, in the time since releasing the song, Trainor has lost at least 60 pounds, in contradiction to her previous claims that it’s okay to be bigger than the beauty standard body size.
Actress Rebel Wilson, who has played roles in the past that utilized her larger size, such as Fat Amy from “Pitch Perfect,” has stated that she used Ozempic to aid her body transformation.
Today, the most popular weight loss drugs are Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound. These drugs aren’t always meant for weight loss; Ozempic, for example, is a drug whose original use was to help treat Type 2 diabetes. Some side effects of Ozempic include fatigue, confusion, vomiting, stomach pains, and what some call “Ozempic face,” which is the sunken face and aged skin that is caused by the rapid weight loss from the drug.
“They can be really helpful for those struggling with potential health complications due to higher body mass because they can use it as a tool,” San Marin Health teacher Cory Boyd said. “But they can also increase the likelihood of negative impacts when abused or used incorrectly.”
Weight loss drugs can significantly impact teens, even if they aren’t the ones taking them. Through seeing people losing weight on social media apps, such as Instagram and TikTok, which the average teen spends 4.8 hours a day on, teens have begun to see skinnier and skinnier bodies as the new norm. According to the National Institute of Health, the exposure can impact mental health through increasing body dissatisfaction. This dissatisfaction can in turn lead to depressive states and eating disorders.
Seeing the effect of weight loss drugs on people close to them can also have a major impact on mental health. The real effects of weight loss drugs aren’t always seen on social media. Not many people show the mood swings and pain accompanying the drugs, but that doesn’t mean those symptoms aren’t there. Living with someone going through these things at home can leave people in a constant state of wariness because they are doing everything they can not to deal with bad emotions. They may also feel helpless because of the pain their loved ones are feeling and lost because they don’t know how to take away that pain.
“I have no idea how to make this person see how valuable they are and I wish every day I could take the drugs away and help them heal their relationship with themselves,” an anonymous San Marin student said. “These [weight loss drug] companies prey on the insecure and damage generations of people.”
Weight loss drugs are a way to lose weight that seems to be easier than dieting or exercise, but they can also lead to deteriorating mental health, both directly and indirectly. It is important to recognize the damage these drugs can do to those taking them and those surrounding them.
