It all started with the Kardashians, as every trend does, but now it’s snagged Oprah, Lizzo and Lana Del Rey. If you haven’t been living under a rock these past few years, you’ve probably had Ozempic advertised to you with a cutesy video of Serena Williams injecting herself with GLP-1 drugs and raving about insurance costs. Now, you don’t even need a prescription: you can buy GLP-1 patches on TikTok shop. But the truth is there’s still a lot of controversy out there about intended users and long-term efficacy that might make drug-induced weight loss not so glamorous.
How Do They Work? 
Gerald Joseph, a board-certified health and wellness coach at Wellness Academy USA with locations in Miami and San Diego, describes GLP-1 drugs as “a class of medications that mimic the naturally occurring hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) to manage blood sugar levels and promote weight loss.”
Marc Puccinelli, a University of Miami psychology professor who specializes in the psychology of drugs and behavior, explained the drug’s effect in simpler terms.
“Anecdotally, what people report is that things they used to enjoy a lot that they eat, and either it just doesn’t feel good in their stomach, or it just doesn’t feel as satisfying to them anymore, and so they just don’t really crave eating as much anymore.”
Weight loss supplements, surgeries, machines and techniques have been around forever. You name it, someone’s tried it — for better or worse — but none of them have been that “magic pill” society has been praying for. Are GLP-1 injections finally it?
“They’ve been working on these drugs for decades, and they were able to get drugs that were able to have those effects and regulate your sugar,” said Puccinelli, “but it would only last [up to] an hour, and so the big breakthrough for these drugs was the fact that they can last for a week.”
It all sounds great in theory, but it’s important to remember who these drugs were made for. One student struggling with diabetes explained her experience. Out of respect for her privacy, she will be referred to in this article as Kate.
“It is sometimes sad for me to see, especially with girls that I know,” Kate said. “Then they say, ‘Oh, I’m on Ozempic’ and [they’re] talking about it very loosely around me, knowing my condition. I’m like, ‘Okay, no, this drug was made for diabetics.’”
Muscle Loss Trending
We’ve all seen trends like skinny-fat, heroin chic or pilates arms. The fear is that these trends will mislead otherwise healthy people into believing they need to match some arbitrary societal expectation.
Julia Howe, an exercise physiology major and UM Herbert Wellness Center personal trainer, warned that to get that lean body you’ve been looking for, GLP-1 drugs might not be the answer.
“Diet is crucial because in order to gain muscle, which is, in a sense, gaining weight, you have to eat,” said Howe.
Seems simple enough, right? But when you’re constantly being bombarded with photos of ultra-thin girls, using an FDA-approved drug may seem less harmful than continually counting calories.
Howe acknowledged the struggle and encouraged consumers to research all weight loss options before deciding what’s best for them.
“It’s really tough because we are in a society where we are chasing aesthetics versus health,” said Howe. “We look at someone skinny, and we think that they’re healthy when that’s not the case, because that person could not be eating very much or they could be eating so much and then working out to compensate.”
What About Safety?
It’s essential to know what you’re putting in your body – especially with drugs like GLP-1, where the long-term effects aren’t exactly known. Still, even more importantly, research can also help eliminate ignorance toward those who choose not to use it.
Kate added, “Just because it was intended and made for diabetics doesn’t mean that other people can’t use it… What upsets me is people’s lack of knowledge about the drug and why it’s originally intended, and then the way that they speak about it and how they use it against people.”
Trends come and go, but your health is forever.
“Longevity is so important, and working out and following a well-rounded nutrition protocol is the best way to do that,” said Howe.
GLP-1 drugs can be amazing for type 2 diabetics, but they’re not always the right choice for those looking just to shed a few. The reality is that they work differently for everyone.
“I had already been working with diabetic coaches and overall health professionals to try to lower my A1C and to try to regulate my blood sugar and my diet and working out, but that wasn’t working for me,” Kate said. “So that’s why I needed some extra help, but my experience with GLP-1 drugs personally wasn’t actually as positive as I’d hoped.”
As a type-1 diabetic, although Ozempic was not FDA-approved for someone with her condition, it was still encouraged to her as a treatment that ended up having the opposite effect, reducing her insulin production even further.
“Because I don’t have any natural insulin production, it was counteracting the insulin that I was giving myself.”
Is it a quick fix, a lifesaver or a bit of both? “Our culture in the U.S. is very kind of pro-drug, and we’re looking for an easy fix,” said Puccinelli. “With these drugs, people who struggle with weight for years and years can keep it off… which is healthy and fantastic and amazing.”
The easy fix doesn’t come without a downside. Puccinelli said, “If people are on these drugs too young, they don’t really get the opportunity to develop those skills in life, like exercise strategies and eating strategies that are healthy for you.” That being said, it is truly uncanny the impressive strides GLP-1 drugs have made for the diabetes community and those who’ve struggled with their weight long term.
“They’re able to get to a weight they want and be able to maintain it and see really big improvements in their life, and so I’m kind of a fan of these drugs, and hopefully no bad side effects pop up, but so far so good,” said Puccinelli.
“So people want this quick and easy solution, and they want to see results really quickly,” said Howe. “And that’s just not the reality of trying to have a long-term effect.”
“If people stop taking these drugs,” Puccinelli said, “things kind of go back to normal.”
Healthier Alternatives
The consensus is that GLP-1 drugs are indeed groundbreaking, but they’re most effective when used as part of a broader treatment plan, emphasizing longevity and clean habit-making for everyone.
Howe suggested, “fine-tuning or adding little tiny things to your day” such as listening to podcasts. Additionally, home meal-prep in place of take-out is a great step.
While GLP-1 drugs can be an excellent tool for weight loss, we’ve been manipulated by our society into believing that they fix the root of the problem. We’re learning it goes much deeper than that.
“There is no substitute for nature — nature got it right,” said Gerald Joseph. “We are a species that is about 400,000 years old; nothing has changed from then to our current biology. What has changed is that we are now consuming foods that we did not evolve with, and as a result, the body reacts metabolically, and you die younger, often from preventable heart disease.”
Kate has found success without GLP-1 drugs, confirming there are alternatives, more difficult, albeit, but can be more helpful in the long run.
GLP-1 drugs are definitely the closest we’ve ever gotten to magic, but it’s essential to exercise caution with anything new and shiny. Follow your body’s needs and make the decision that best ensures a healthy future.
words_amber mason. photo_julia campbell. design_lucy carlson-pietraszek.
This article was published in Distraction’s Fall 2025 print issue.
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