Obesity may have finally found its match in Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs that are helping many millions of people lose weight and keep it off. Clinical research continues to show that these medicines are safe and effective when used to treat obesity and related metabolic conditions, undermining critics who claim that they could carry serious unintended consequences.
But these drugs have come under fire from another set of critics: fat acceptance advocates. Champions of body positivity, these self-described fat activists view drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy as a threat to self-acceptance. They argue these medications reinforce fatphobia by medicalizing fatness as a “disease” that needs fixing, rather than promoting societal accommodation. They further contend that the drugs perpetuate the idealization of thinness, counteracting the ongoing effort to embrace all body sizes without judgment. Overall, opponents fear GLP-1s regress cultural progress toward inclusivity.
Though reasonable at first glance, these complaints overlook the evidence-based benefits of GLP-1 drugs as treatments for obesity-related conditions. Medically, they facilitate 12-18% weight loss, reduce heart disease risk, lower blood pressure, and curb hunger, improving quality of life for those with diabetes or metabolic issues. Rather than reinforcing stigma, framing obesity as a treatable condition shifts blame from personal failing to biology, potentially reducing fatphobia.
Moreover, fat activists have taken it upon themselves to speak for people who have their own voices. Patients who want to use these drugs and physicians who want to prescribe them have a right to do so. The bottom line is that no one ideological group should be allowed to dictate everybody’s access to mediation that can improve, or even save, lives.
Join GLP founder Jon Entine and longtime contributors Liza Dunn and Cameron English as they discuss Ozempic, fat phobia and the obesity epidemic. Follow this link or listen to the conversation below:
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— Liza Lockwood (@DrLizaMD) August 22, 2025Dr. Liza Dunn is a medical toxicologist and the medical affairs lead at Bayer Crop Science. Follow her on X @DrLizaMD
Jon Entine, founder and executive director of the Genetic Literacy Project, is an Emmy-winning investigative TV News producer and author of seven books, including three on genetics. Please follow him on X at @JonEntine
Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Follow him on X @camjenglish
