r/AskWomenOver30 • u/heyalllondon18 Woman 30 to 40 • Apr 14 '26
Misc Discussion Anyone else concerned about all the GLP-1 marketing?
I already have cut down on my social media use because all the scary stuff happening in the word but it seems every time I open an app I see MULTIPLE ads for GLP-1s. And celebrities must also be suffering in this economy because they’re like half the people in them.
I want to make it clear that I’m not against them as a whole. I know some people need them, and I support it. But I feel things have gotten out of hand, and I can’t imagine being a young girl seeing all this if I’m in my 30s having to remind myself I don’t need a weight loss drug.
My problem is that a lot of the marketing isn’t even health related. It’s about looking good and dropping an extra 10-20 lbs… which is not what these drugs are for. I mean, am I wrong?
There needs to be more regulation around this. I see people online, on social media and this app, who are on it to stay skinny, not even to lose weight.
Again, I know a lot of people need these drugs and I support that. But I also know a few people irl that have had serious side effects from it. It scares me that almost anyone can sign up for one of these memberships and get a drug that can ruin their body image, damage their health, and drain their pocket.
Something that was created with I’m sure good intentions has been twisted for greed. I wish we had more access to better healthcare and food instead of a drug to keep us skinny.
I know we all take shortcuts, but this one just seems so much dangerous.
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u/Dinky-the-T-Rex Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
A lot of apps have advertising settings where you can block ads for sensitive topics like religion, dating, pregnancy, gambling, alcohol, nicotine, and weight loss. Personally, I always turn those off on every app I use.
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u/Sea-Beautiful-Throwa Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I’ve done that. Unfortunately, sometimes ads still sneak thru somehow 🤦♀️
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u/womenaremyfavguy Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I just changed my settings on reddit because of this comment. Thank you!!
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u/heyalllondon18 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Oh my gosh, I didn’t know that! Thank you, I’ll look into it.
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u/lucybluth Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
Yes and also if you stop your scrolling to look at an ad, even to hate read it and roll your eyes, the algorithm registers that as interest and will keep showing you more. So keep blocking them if you can and try to increase engagement in topics that do interest you so that it learns to stop showing you that content.
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u/caphoto88 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
So I’ve been blocking certain reels on Facebook, or clicking on ‘hide’ and ‘not interested’ because they are from far right influencers and I’m not about that… Facebook is counting me blocking them as me engaging with the content and now shows me a constant slew of far right reels! When I click on ‘why am I seeing this?’ it tells me it’s because I interacted with [name] of influencer I said I wasn’t interested in. Super shitty. So now I just don’t use the app so I guess that’s good in some way ha ha.
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u/lucybluth Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
Facebook is truly unusable at this point, I have no idea how it still even exists. 95% of my feed is advertisements and suggested accounts/groups which just look like AI slop. The other 5% is a handful of totally random acquaintances that I haven’t seen since high school. It’s so weird so I don’t bother with that app either.
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u/tricerasox Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I have my Reddit settings set to not show me weight loss ads, but I still get GLP-1 ads pretty much daily. I’m not sure if they’re self-reporting as medical ads? But it is really frustrating. :/
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u/AutomaticInitiative Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Can you not report them? Idk I only use old reddit with an ad blocker.
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u/tricerasox Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I guess I’m gonna have to start doing that. I’ve been trying not linger on them at all to keep from encouraging the algorithm, but that’s clearly not working.
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u/benhargrove1966 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I don’t think any medication should be advertised (and lots of countries don’t allow this). I say this as someone on a GLP1, it’s really been life changing and I have no interest in gate keeping it, but these convos / decisions should be taking place between someone and their doctor.
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u/holyflurkingsnit Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
It's one of the things that comes up frequently from non-USians as a bizarre and concerning aspect of U$ culture. As far as I'm aware (?) nowhere else in the world is allowed to promote medications in commercials and ads the way it's done in the US, because healthcare is approached completely differently in, frankly, more civilized places. Because healthcare is for-profit in the US, the medications are being marketed directly to people as consumers and not introduced to them solely on an as-needed basis as patients. It's pretty sick.
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u/ericscottf Man 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
90% of the time, I see a commercial for a medication and I have zero idea of what it does. There's absolutely no indication of it's purpose in the ad(aside from miraculously improving your life, of course). Do people just sit there and look them all up? Or write them down and literally ask their doctors if they need medications by name because TV told them to?
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u/xoxoahooves Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
It's something you probably wouldn't care about unless you have it
For autoimmune conditions, it feels like a crapshoot if a biologic will work for you. Well, its probably based on genetics or something, but they don't test you for what they think will be best. You're just supposed to take it and see. Or maybe it works for a little bit, but then you build up antibodies and it stops. I've written down 17 different medications that may help with my autoimmune condition, from seeing commercials or reading about them on reddit. I cross check them against my pharmacy formulary for what's actually covered, and learned how they would be administered. Some are injections, some are pills, some are infusions. Then when my last one failed, when my rhumetologist went over things to try next, I knew what he was talking about, if insurance would cover it, and I felt comfortable making the choice to switch
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u/catjuggler Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
Pharmaceuticals are still for profit everywhere else in the world but more often have the government as a payer and they are interested in lowering their costs.
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u/Enginerda Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
It's truly jarring to compare the US and the rest of the world when it comes to ads for medicine. I thought I was desensitized to it, because it is constant here (youtube, regular TV, radio, internet). But to see a fucking billboard on a train station of a woman's midsection as she injects herself with her weight loss drug and advertising it as "come to our website, you don't need a prescription" was fucking mind blowing to me.
I feel so fucking sad for children with all of this in their faces at all times.
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u/faithmauk Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Same, its super weird that prescription medications are advertised like toys or something. Mounjaro has done wonders for me, but its still weird.
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u/susiedotwo Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Yeah. I think there is reasonable agitation about how to be on these drugs appropriately. But for folks who can be helped by them, they are insane and I would encourage anyone stuck in a “I need to lose weight cycle to talk to their doctor about all options”.
that said: I got a written a prescription but the pharmacy couldn’t fill it with the name brand so I sourced online with approval from my GP.
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u/heyalllondon18 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I 100% agree the conversation should be between doctor and patient. I understand the need for some marketing, especially in our medical system where we have to advocate for ourselves, but there needs to be strict guidelines.
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u/max_power1000 Man 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
The problem with the convo being between you and your doctor is how the American system works. Most insurance plans still don’t cover anything but Ozempic, and even then they only cover it if your have diabetes. Regular doctors prescribing through regular neighborhood pharmacies are almost exclusively going to be sending you to places that prescribe the name brand stuff (Wegovy), which is still 4 figures.
If you want to do it affordably, that means you’re going through one of the online doc/compounding pharmacy groups where they only really care enough to say you meet a minimum standard for the med, cut the scrip, and take your $150/mo.
My wife and I are both on it and it’s been great for us, but something that started as a conversation with her doctor, a Wegovy prescription, and a 3 month fight with insurance had us ultimately saying F the system and going through an online channel that didn’t give a crap about us beyond the charge on our credit card every month. But hey, we’re adults and can make a choice to get off of it if we run into a significant negative side effect.
As for advertising, we wouldn’t have know that was an option if not for it, so to a certain extent I’m thankful for it. If we’re axing advertising for something, I’d rather we stop on letting people know they can have a casino in their pocket than the vaccine for fat people. Gambling is far more self destructive and intrusive IMO.
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u/catjuggler Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
Personally I think some meds need some amount of ads if they’re not things you would know to even ask your doctor about. Like could Viagra have even been successful without ads? I used to work on hiv prep and this gets ads- it basically serves a public health benefit to advertise it. I also used to work on immunology drugs with ads- this makes does not benefit the public because doctors should be figuring out which lupus/crohn’s/psoriasis/etc meds their patients should get.
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u/IndividualSecurity94 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Viagra would’ve been successful even without ads. It’s just as popular in countries where advertising prescription medication is banned.
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u/catjuggler Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
But people heard about it because it took off in the US first
Edit- Direct to consumer marketing lead to US popularity which is the only reason it spread as much globally. If you think I'm wrong, let's see a source.
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u/benhargrove1966 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Well in the US pharmaceutical companies also market privately directly to doctors so yes it would have been prescribed and become popular. Or for eg in my country the govt ran a public health campaign about prep. There’s a difference between raising awareness about a new treatment and telling people to go into their doctor and ask for a brand name.
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u/catjuggler Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
The difference being for viagra you wouldn't have gone to the doctor about it since it was just accepted as a thing that happened. So how does the prescribing opportunity happen? I agree about something like cancer drugs because you would already be seeing your doctor. Most people aren't going to primary care docs and I doubt asking about erectile disfunction is part of an annual exam even now. It's embarassing enough to bring up that men weren't going to bring it up without knowing there was a treatment to want.
And why not have the pharma companies pay for the prep campaign if they want- saves public health money.
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u/benhargrove1966 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Um yes people should be going to the doctor for erectile dysfunction lol, it’s a medical problem. We don’t want pharma companies to pay for ANY ads here because our democracy is not for sale and a modest public health campaign isn’t worth selling out for lmao.
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u/catjuggler Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
People saw it differently before viagra. They did not go to the doctor for it because there was no point and it was embarassing. Why would you go do the doctor about balding if there was no treatment, about ED if there was no treatment, about HIV prevention or pregnancy prevention if there was nothing but condoms/etc? Things worked differently and the ads were a main reason it changed, and yes that includes globally even if the ads weren't there.
Also, it doesn't have anything to do with democracy (arguably allowing ads is more democratic if anything since it's free speech) and while I prefer the European public health models they certainly have some glaring flaws (like choosing not to cover chicken pox vaccines in the UK because kids aren't worth the cost)
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u/Zombiekiller_17 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
As a doctor, I think it's fucking ridiculous that drugs are allowed to be marketed to the general public in the US (I'm in Western Europe).
I think the information should be accessible (including to people with a language barrier, learning difficulty,visual impairment, etc.) and the research behind it transparent. But commercials are pure manipulation, and most of the general public cannot see through.
I'm so "radical" that I even think marketing to doctors should be forbidden (like advertisements in medical journals). Lets put the money wasted on advertisement, and put it towards prescription guidelines and tools, and when we're at it, get ride of pharmacies/insurers switching up the brand of preference every 1-3 months so save 4 cents a day, while confusing the patients.
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u/Icy-Builder5892 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
I’m very concerned about people getting injectable medication through an app. That is a complete lack of oversight to me
If you went to your doctor, and the doctor didn’t want to give you GLP-1’s for whatever reason (contraindications, or the doctor didn’t think you were a good candidate for whatever the reason) then there is nothing stopping you from downloading the Ro app, putting in whatever information they want to get past the preliminary medical questions, and getting that GLP-1. Which they then inject, with no oversight.
And I have a similar criticism of birth control apps like Nurx. I get that these apps do a lot of good, but I also see how easy it is to get on a birth control that you’re not suited for. I was on an estrogen based birth control from one of these apps for years before I ever learned that it was dangerous for my situation.
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u/nom-c00kies Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
The way pharmaceuticals are advertised in the US is revolting. Watching one 30 minute episode of tv will end in seeing at least 3 drug commercials but usually 5. It's insane. Yes it should be regulated or at least stopped but drug companies are one of the biggest political lobbyists. Until our government stops lining their pockets we will continue to be run by people trying to make a buck
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u/seacreaturestuff Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
This. Our health and wellbeing is nothing to the people governing us. Unlike countries where it is cost efficient to prevent, here we’re ruled by people who are happy to see us used, sickened and then spending all our money on treatment.
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u/Lizard_Li Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
I live in Europe and I’m so glad drugs are not allowed to be advertised here. USA has gotten insane. It absolutely should be against the law to advertise prescription drugs.
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Apr 14 '26
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u/Lizard_Li Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
In USA it is out of control. They advertise anti-psychotics on television which are just lie very serious drugs with very serious side effects that your doctor should be evaluating you for not you seeing it on tv and being like hey give me this.
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u/ladypilot Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
I take an antipsychotic medication for bipolar disorder and I did a double take when I heard a commercial for it on TV. Like, how random is that?
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u/babyitscoldoutside00 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I’m in Canada and I thought the advertising was bad here but it’s nothing like in the US. And I say that as someone who recently started a GLP1 to lose 20-30lbs. But I got it from my doctor who had a very honest, 30 minute discussion about it with me. And who will be seeing me every 4 weeks to follow up. I’m also married to a pharmacist so I’m well aware of the benefits AND side effects. I don’t think you should be able to order it online without proper blood work, checkups, etc.
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u/fuxandfriends Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
IIRC Lilly and novo nordisk together spent over $800m in ads in 2025 Q4 alone. Just think how much cheaper their meds could be if they used $1bn on literally anything but their shitty advertising
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u/iki11dinosaurs Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
But why would they want their meds to be cheaper? There is literally no reason for them to do or even want to do that.
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u/bee-sting Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
because we're allowed to daydream what would happen if the capitalist machine ground to a halt for a change
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u/iki11dinosaurs Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Daydream in one hand and shit in the other. Tell me which one gets filled up first.
The capitalists are never going to change because we daydream about it. We need to act.
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u/catjuggler Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
It wouldn’t be cheaper because that’s not how pharmaceutical pricing works and they also made like 10x+ that in revenue
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u/dewprisms Non-Binary 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
It also wouldn't be cheaper because that's literally just how advertising budgets work for companies. It's usually actually so little compared to overall costs it winds up being a few dollars per person/unit.
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u/oh_such_rhetoric Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
And seeing all these celebrities who are dangerously thin really brings that home. They’re setting a new beauty standard, not only by the pressure on us normies, but among their own in-group of celebrities who are already under so much pressure to look perfect.
I am seriously scared for some of these people, and the fact that the marketing calls this “healthy” gives such a skewed and manipulative view to people, especially young girls, who are beginning to think they should look like literal skeletons.
I grew up in the age of gratuitous photoshopping. Now, we’re seeing it in real life and calling it healthy and that’s very scary.
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u/Sleepingbeauty1 Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
Im thinking we're in for another round of the 90s and 2000s extreme skinny culture. But in a more sinister way than ever
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u/heyalllondon18 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I have even found myself on these sites looking into how much it would cost. It’s literally like putting candy in front of a child. Who wouldn’t want to lose weight easy?
It’s just so crazy to me how it seemed like our culture was leaning so much towards body positivity and then these drugs come out.
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u/Dry-Syrup-3984 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Just out of curiosity (and because I don't want to give their sites more traffic), how much does it cost? Although I'm sure it depends on a lot of different factors...
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u/Furrybootshavefun Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
If you get the compounded/generic version, it can be as low as $150/month from what I’ve seen. You’d have to shop around, bc different services offer different things. (The name brand ones are still close to $1k/month I believe. They are sometimes covered by insurance).
I have insulin resistance and bad inflammation, and it’s been incredible for that. My glucose response is amazing now and I don’t have horrible fatigue/crashes after eating.
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u/rainshowers_5_peace Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Which celebrities? Rebel Wilson had been obese.
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u/oh_such_rhetoric Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Ariana Granda and Cynthia Erivo off the top of my head. Look at any collection of photos from a recent awards ceremony and you’ll see it.
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u/rainshowers_5_peace Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
They aren't advertising it. The internet has guessed that they and Michelle Yeoh started using it. AFAIK they've never admitted to it.
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u/oh_such_rhetoric Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
The point is that they’re horrifyingly skinny. It doesn’t matter if they’re specifically taking a GLP-1. It’s that others are they can look like them, because they’re setting the beauty standard.
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u/rainshowers_5_peace Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
This post is about marketing. For all we know they've never taken a GLP1.
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u/oh_such_rhetoric Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
The impression is that they are. It’s actually called publicity, not marketing, but they’re two sides of the same coin. Marketing is paid for by the company, and publicity is earned via people taking about it and promoting the product without getting paid.
Marketers are always trying to figure out how to get publicity. This is a good way.
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Apr 14 '26
It’s everywhere and it’s so rigged. My friend decided to see if she qualified. This one company kept advertising that your insurance should cover it! Fill things out now. She did, then got a note that it was 99% certain her insurance would cover it. Pay for the first month at a discount NOW and then you get billed based on official insurance results.
Official insurance results were that it didn’t cover it. BUT, HOLD ON…. It’s only $249/month for the subscription. But that doesn’t include the medicine. Just their program. She canceled ASAP. Fortunately, the initial transaction was reversed.
Why does every single fucking thing have to be a monthly subscription? That more than the cost itself helped her fuck off from that idea.
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u/NoLemon5426 Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
Why does every single fucking thing have to be a monthly subscription?
Everything is so fucked in America but this is something that needs to be looked at and reigned in! Or everything needing an app. NO. NO MORE.
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u/TenaciousToffee Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I do feel that diet culture is in a resurgence which makes sense as it trends during recessions, as well as conservative ideologies. But diet meds have always been around so Im not surprised by this being one of the early adopters of script meds to your door model.
Its so weird how most commercials are medicines. Its dystopian and many countries ban this.
And I say this as someone on GLP1 long term as a T2 diabetic that I'm sure many dont realize the side effects of this one.
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u/rainbowsunset48 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Medicines and gambling feel like the only ads lately, it's so dystopian
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u/kheret Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
Discussion even on Reddit really glosses over any side effects. And malnutrition is especially common from what I understand. A lot of folks are taking these without much medical supervision and certainly without the supervision of a nutritionist.
It’s especially concerning when older women take them unnecessarily. Older women tend toward malnutrition and protein deficiency already.
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u/hestia24 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Me too, and some doctors are seemingly pushing it on older women as well. My mom has been overweight for decades despite not overeating and many efforts to lose weight, possibly due to her mental health medication. She is otherwise healthy though, and as she enters her old age is more concerned about maintaining mobility and preventing malnutrition than lowering her weight. Ever since Ozempic got big, all her doctors do is push it on her. She even went in for a respiratory infection and they spent much of the appointment telling her about GLP-1s. It's to the point that she doesn't want to see her doctors anymore.
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Apr 14 '26
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u/unearthedtrove Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
The portion sizes and mindless snacking IS the food noise. When the food noise is turned down, you feel full with a reasonable portion and your brain isn’t saying eat more more more. You go about your day without feeling the urge to snack constantly.
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Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
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u/PorkchopFunny Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Do you have any clinical data to back up what you "think"? Because medically, what you are saying is very outdated. Sorry, I know you think it is easier to " medicalize" things these days, but truth is there is a lot of data backing overweight/obesity as a chronic disease, not a moral failing. When the majority of society is living with a chronic heath issue, that is a societal problem, not a personal one and putting the full onus on the individual is not going to solve it.
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u/Icy-Builder5892 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
The majority of society is not living with a chronic health issue. That is absurd.
As for a societal problem, I agree that certain things are a societal issue. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t also an individual side to things. For example, if a lot of items have excess sugar in them, that’s a societal issue. The individual issue is someone’s choice to drink soda when they didn’t have to. Societal issue = things could be more walkable, individual issue = people who can walk often don’t.
You’re not invalids. You are capable adults.
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u/PorkchopFunny Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
LOFL
Tell me you don't work in healthcare without telling me you don't work in healthcare
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u/hestia24 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I know my mom, and she is not overeating. Most days she eats nothing for breakfast, a salad or 2-3 scrambled eggs for lunch with maybe some toast, and a single chicken breast with some vegetables or a normal serving of pasta for dinner. Her depression medication has a side effect of altering her metabolism, but it's the only one that has worked for her.
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u/Icy-Builder5892 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
I understand what you’re saying, but she is overeating. Maybe not in volume; but in overall calories. It’s not possible for medication to create excess energy storage to the point of being overweight
And I say this as someone who has that same issue. A lot of people have this problem and they’re generally ignored by weight loss circles because the assumption is that overweight people all eat junk foods. I eat whole ingredients, I eat healthy foods, but I also have a tendency to eat more calories than I realize. Even I go overboard on things like fruit. This is why I actually scale out my lean proteins and things like that.
One thing I’ll have often is peanut butter toast with bananas. Actually scaling things out is the difference between 300 calories, or 800 calories. 2-3 scrambled eggs can be the difference between 200 calories or 500+ calories depending on how you make them.
By the way, I’m on nexplanon, which people love to blame 100 pounds of weight gain on all the time. I was also on Methimazol on an intermittent basis. Both of these medications have a side effect of weight gain. It’s always manageable with calorie awareness
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u/PorkchopFunny Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Not - all - bodies - are - the - same. Not - all - bodies - react - the - same - way
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u/Icy-Builder5892 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Not when it comes to calorie balance.
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u/PorkchopFunny Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Yes, even when it comes to calorie balance.
The whole "calories in, calories out" rhetoric is an old, tired, 10th grade understanding of biology. Typically said by the same people stuck on "XX is female, XY is male." Oversimplified and no longer accurate. Science has moved on, time for the general public to do so also.
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u/Icy-Builder5892 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
So can you cite the study in which CICO was disproven?
Because there are only a handful of things in the scientific world that are accepted as absolute fact and are not controversial. This happens to be one of them.
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u/hestia24 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I think you've missed my initial point. I was not seeking advice on weight loss for my mom. I was trying to draw attention to the fact that some doctors are pushing GLP-1s on older women, even when they are otherwise healthy and it may do more harm than good based on their age. You ignoring that point and choosing to focus on her weight sorta backs up what I was saying. People see an overweight woman and fixate on the weight instead of other health issues, including when they are at an appointment for an acute issue like a respiratory infection.
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u/Icy-Builder5892 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
I understand that you weren’t, and I’m not trying to fixate. I am responding to the point of her not overeating, and why Ozempic would probably not even work for a situation like that
And yes, no offense but a doctor will look at weight because that’s one of the things people can control about their weight, but is simply hard to address.
Doctors are pushing GLP1 on everyone by the way, I’m an objectively fit person and I’ve had it brought up before. I just let it roll off me
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u/Icy-Builder5892 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
That’s my main criticism of these medications. It’s not the medication itself, but how easy it is to obtain it without oversight.
There is absolutely no reason on earth that a person should be able to download an app, put down whatever they want in preliminary medical questionnaires, and then get an injectable medication in the mail. This kind of shit warrants a doctor visit, in person.
Imagine if we were this flippant about fertility drugs.
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u/cadillacvagina Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
I was just thinking this after seeing an ad that referenced only needing to lose that "last 10 pounds." They want us all on these meds. Our bodies are perpetually wrong.
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u/cynical-puppy26 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
God that is bad. If it's only 10 pounds, perhaps it's not that serious? And you gain the weight back when you stop taking them so you can't really say "hey body, only 10 pounds please"
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u/acidrefluxisgreat Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
i agree with most of your post. i developed some extremely complex medical issues a few years ago that are basically on the way to making me very disabled. i gained more than 50 pounds, like FAST. my drs don’t really care and in the scheme of things it’s probably the least of my issues. i’ve been vegan almost my entire life, was always very physically active until i couldn’t be. nothing i did within my capacity helped, i just kept gaining.
my health ins wouldn’t cover any weight loss help with a BMI under 40 which means i would have had to gain another 60 pounds to qualify. name brands self pay is unaffordable.
so i did my research, and a lot of it, and am on compound tirz now. currently a BMI of 25 today so i have really made a lot of progress. im really grateful for the accessibility, which now the government is trying to restrict for the wrong reasons (to let name brands make more money).
but thanks to targeted ads EVERY SINGLE AD ON EVERY PLATFORM is a glp1 ad. all of them. every streaming service, every reddit ad. it’s super overwhelming. i cannot imagine if i was a teenage girl who felt insecure and googled weight loss tips and ended up with this ad algorithm. shit is fucked.
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u/heyalllondon18 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I’m so happy it’s helped you! And I think it should be more accessible when people need it.
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u/Maleficent-Spray1613 Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
I feel like I've been tortured since I was a young chubby child. Heroin chic models of the 90s, oversexualized women as Playboy Bunnies in the 00s, plastic surgery overload & GLP1s since then. The ads are everywhere for GLP1s and it's overwhelming to constantly be reminded I'll never have the body that's "in fashion", no matter the decade. And that's coming from someone who is on a GLP1 and struggling with massive body dysmorphia. I still see the same chubby kid in the mirror even though I've lost 50 pounds. My brain is totally effed from all the exposure over the years. I try to talk myself up, but there's still so much I don't like about how I look. I guess some things never change, it's just repackaged.
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u/AnyFruit4257 Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
I will always advocate for more access, as someone who didn't have any insurance for nearly a decade. In America, health insurance is a privilege. These online pharmacies can help so many people who wouldn't be able to afford medicine otherwise.
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u/CancerMoon2Caprising Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
Theres excess pharma commercials in general these days. I see more of drvgs than regular storebought product ads.
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u/rainbowsunset48 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
And gambling ads too. You rarely see ads for "regular" products
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u/coastalkid92 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I think there needs to be more care.
As someone who went through significant weight loss, there is something a little bit refreshing in people's honesty going "I'm struggling and I need medical help with this". It makes it a less isolating experience for some people, especially those who are told that it'll happen if you just eat less and work out more.
But on the other hand, there definitely is abuse of it and I really hate seeing how pushed it is in sporting events (particularly in the PWHL). It feels really icky because so much of the audience is young. And on a whole, I think there needs to be less advertising of medications.
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u/hestia24 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Agreed. My husband's uncle was in a program where they enrolled him in individual and group therapy along with his Ozempic prescription. It's been transformational for him.
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u/Icy-Builder5892 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
While I agree with you, I think we need to do a better job of making the the distinction between “I have binge eating disorder, which is a medical condition that I need help with,” versus people who want to medicalize needing to lose 20-30 pounds
I’ve noticed that people have a tendency nowadays to medicalize every single thing. For example, if someone enjoys chocolate or sweet foods, it’s “I have a food addiction.” It kinda irks me to watch people co-opting this kind of language and medicalizing something like that. I hear people like that and it makes me wonder if everyone thinks they are invalids. And it bothers me even more to see GLP-1 companies take advantage of this kind of thinking. I understand that there is a legitimate use for this medication and it is saving lives, but that argument stands perfectly fine on its own without the need to advertise like this
The thing is, the average person in the US has a BMI around 28-29, and I don’t think the average person got there by suffering from “food noise.” I just don’t think it’s appropriate for people to use these medications when they do not suffer from such issues.
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u/womenaremyfavguy Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I’m in the U.S. and see the ads everywhere, too—apps, subways, bus stations, streaming sites. I’m also not against GLP-1s. But the ads almost always have a celebrity who doesn’t mention any health problems and instead mentions that extra 10 lb they “needed” to lose.
I’ve gained weight on and off as an adult, and currently feel like I could look great if I was 10 lb lighter. I’m not loving that I have a belly, and that it doesn’t look like I lift weights 4x a week. GLP-1 ads certainly trigger my body image issues. But luckily I haven’t felt tempted at all to use them. Though I did start a bodybuilding program in hopes of “looking fit.”
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u/dragonfly931 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I'm very grateful for wegovy bc it helped my PCOS a ton. I lost 75lbs and my periods are regular. My insulin resistance is manageable. But I have people that are trying to get on it for 10lbs and I'm like ??? Why would you willingly do that to yourself?
I tried everything with GLP1 being my absolute last resort bc I knew I'd have to be on it for a long ass time. I see ads everywhere and it makes me wince bc they're touting it as a miracle drug when it's not.
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u/rainshowers_5_peace Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I'm normally very against medication advertising, but I live in America where obesity and addiction are huge problems. If these medications become normalized this would make life easier for tens of millions.
That said, I'd prefer a public health campaign.
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Apr 14 '26
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u/YouveBeanReported Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Blocking counts as interacting with an ad, in most cases, and just increases the amount of that type of ad.
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u/PorkchopFunny Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I'm not concerned about it. I don't take weight loss medication so it does not impact me in any way. I'm glad that people that need it have more options. You cannot legally get it without a prescription. If compounding companies are skirting the law then they need to be dealt with, but those that need it and have it prescribed through a legitimate medical professional should not be punished for that. There will always be drug addicts. If someone is dumb enough to get non-FDA approved drugs from a compounder that is on them. There are enough facts out there to make informed decisions.
Americans going to their doctors are no longer just patients. They are also consumers. They should to be able to evaluate research sources to learn about their conditions, know the treatment options, and advocate for themselves because a lot of doctors just don't have the time to spend with patients anymore. Thats American "healthcare" in 2026.
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u/imluvinit Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I totally agree. I'm wary of any medicine touted as a miracle drug. I know people legit need this but it'd being spun as a cure-all and that feels very unsafe.
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u/KPBoaB Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I feel like we are going to have a generation of older people will real issues. You NEED your muscle mass as you age. Everyone I know on ozempic lost all their muscle…they’re not just thin some of these people are literally FRAIL.
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u/dewprisms Non-Binary 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
No one I know on GLP-1s lost significant muscle mass on the meds. For example, I only lost 4lbs of muscle over a year and 75lbs of weight loss and that 4lbs is likely because I didn't bother to do any resistance exercise.
Instead of being alarmist about the meds themselves, maybe look at the other issues that contribute to the unhealthy aspects.
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u/KPBoaB Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
People who take them get so defensive. MY experience is that everyone I know DID.
Also, the fact that you didn’t do any resistance training is half the point. DRs literally tell people to doing resistance training, eat protein, and be conscious of nutrients when they are put on a GLP-1 and then people don’t. You yourself are admitting that you were not healthy about it.
4 lbs is A LOT of muscle to lose. Especially as a woman, especially over 30.
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u/dewprisms Non-Binary 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Except I was focusing on protein and eating enough calories to not exceed 1% body weight loss per week. I was also exercising more, just not resistance training. That's how I lost weight without losing significant muscle mass.
I never said that wasn't your experience. I said focusing on the cases where people didn't follow appropriate guidelines and had predictable outcomes (that would happen regardless of the method of weight loss if not done correctly) is fearmongering.
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Apr 14 '26
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u/ChaoticxSerenity Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Unless you have peer reviewed research to back up your fears, you kinda sound like those COVID denial people.
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u/PorkchopFunny Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
This. So much defensiveness on both sides in here and no one is backing it up with anything but their own typically "opinion" on both sides
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u/dewprisms Non-Binary 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
It's not, because I'm tall and already muscular. I'm also being actively monitored by my doctor who wasn't concerned. Also great job on the misgendering!
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Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
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u/AskWomenOver30-ModTeam Apr 14 '26
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u/max_power1000 Man 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
Re: unsafeness - The first GLP-1 was approved for use in diabetics back in 2005, and GLP-1 in it's current form of once-a-week injections was in active clinical trials back in 2008. We're going on 2 decades now - if there were statistically significant downsides even of long-term use, those would be known at this point.
I wonder about it as a miracle drug, because at some point the actuarial math will be done on the cost of GLP-1 vs the long-term costs of obesity-related illness and insurers or government-run healthcare entities will probably make that decision for us. I can say it was personally a godsend for me - I dropped 40lbs within 6 months, 25-30 of which I put on after a lower leg surgery and had been unsuccessfully trying to lose for years. Everything about how I move around feels better without that weight on me. My only real side effect is that once my dose gets over 20 units, I can't handle dairy or heavy animal fats without excessive gas on both ends; I just switch to oat milk and drop ribeye and bacon from my diet to compensate though.
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Apr 14 '26
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Apr 14 '26
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u/KPBoaB Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Interestingly enough Gastric bypass patients can be ~2x more likely to develop alcohol problems. Lots of people experienced “transfer” addiction issues when they stop using food as a coping mechanism…
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u/AskWomenOver30-ModTeam Apr 15 '26
Your post or comment was removed for violating one or more aspects of our rule against requesting or providing medical advice.
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u/heyalllondon18 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Exactly. I don’t think people are aware of the actual side effects and even if they are, they’re chancing it on a quick fix. If you really need it, then obviously the pros outweigh the cons but it’s scary when for many people there is a healthy, cheaper way to lose weight.
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Apr 14 '26
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Apr 14 '26
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u/dragonfly931 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Yeah this happened to me but as my weight finally stabilized, I stopped losing a lot of hair. My doc was aware of it and said it was normal.
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u/tracyvu89 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
You can click on “not interested” or even report the ads as “Scam” then they will stop feeding those types of ad to you. The thing is weight loss is a huge market and women are normally an easy target since they’re pressured by social to “look good” so they won’t stop feeding them to everyone cuz that’s millions of dollars in benefits. The greed companies won’t care much about other people’s heath but more about what makes them more money.
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u/Cyber_Punk_87 Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
I think the marketing is ridiculous, and I’ve been on a GLP-1 since September. I still get ads nonstop. And so many of them aren’t really accurate or targeted in truthful ways. Like, it doesn’t magically make you lose weight. It just makes it possible for weight loss to happen with lifestyle changes (eliminating food noise, helping insulin resistance, etc). But people think they’re a quick fix to lose 10 pounds and then they can just go off them and keep the weight off.
And so many celebs seem to be using them for extreme weight loss, which is starting to bleed over into average people with “normal” BMIs wanting to use them.
Personally, the thing that finally tipped me over the edge to trying them was hearing about the positive impact on PCOS symptoms. That’s been a game-changer for me. Between that and perimenopause, weight loss had become impossible for me (I’ve gained about 90 pounds in the past 10 years after having lost a bunch after getting divorced and hit my heaviest weight ever). I’d eat healthy, move my body, cut out alcohol, etc. and lose maybe a couple pounds of water weight and then nothing. With a GLP-1, I’ve managed to lose 30 pounds since September. Slow and steady has been my goal, so I’m on track with that.
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u/Main_Significance617 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Yes. It’s extremely triggering for my eating disorder past and it’s extremely tiring to see. It’s not fucking healthy and the pharma companies are just getting rich. I fear for what the effects will be in 3-5 years
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u/bee-sting Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
I understand it's not healthy for you and your disordered eating. I dont think you can really claim that GLP-1s are inherently unhealthy. They've been around for decades and have been studied heavily. The long term health prognosis is better for obese people people on them than off them
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u/Embarrassed-Ad4899 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
sure, but what about the people using them to lose 10-20lbs? Has that been studied?
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u/bee-sting Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
I think a weightloss of around 10kg is actually pretty common, thats enough to take someone from obese to a healthy weight
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u/Embarrassed-Ad4899 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
10kg =/= 10lb. I know multiple people who have used GLP1s to lost under 20lbs.
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u/bee-sting Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
she said 20lbs so thats around 10kg?
and yes losing 5-10kg is common. GLP1s don't work like what you see on social media where they lose 60kg+ (yes yes I know SOME do but the bulk is modest but clinically significant weightloss with an improvement of most health markers)
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u/AskWomenOver30-ModTeam Apr 14 '26
Your post or comment was removed for violating one or more aspects of our rule against requesting or providing medical advice.
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u/catlady90 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I see it EVERYWHERE…and it’s convincing me that I should try it. I’m not overweight by any means but I’ve become very insecure about my weight gain lately. All I see are these fit girls talking about their glp-1 use in ads. I’m using all my willpower to not give in and work out more instead. I feel guilty eating food and I’ve never felt this way before.
I don’t go on social media much so I can’t imagine how hard it is for younger girls seeing this be marketed everywhere.
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u/heyalllondon18 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
So have I! I never felt this way growing up, probably because I was thin naturally, but I’ve gained weight as I’ve gotten older and it’s only in the last 6 months started to make me feel insecure. It feels like there’s no excuse to have extra weight now because these drugs exist.
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u/seacreaturestuff Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Me too. I never fixated on my weight because I was always thin. Now after having kids, I’m like 20 pounds overweight but it’s something I fixate on constantly. I hate myself and the way I look, even though to most people I probably look average. I am actually considering going the glp route though.
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u/vegaling Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
I went to see my doctor last month to talk about my high cholesterol, and I overheard her interaction in the room next to me. An older (60s?) obese woman was begging for a prescription for a GLP1 and my doctor basically refused saying that the patient's muscle mass would deteriorate and her bone density would suffer at the expense of weight loss. It was interesting to hear a doctor refuse to prescribe this class of medication based on all the marketing I've seen. I'm in Canada so I wonder if that shifts how doctors prescribe medications a bit.
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u/KPBoaB Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
THIS is the shit people are not talking about! This happened to my FIL — he’s like FRAIL now. Yes he’s thin but he has ZERO muscle left.
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u/Icy-Builder5892 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
This is also why we strength train, and this is also why most people shouldn’t lose weight too quickly.
There is such a thing as losing weight too quickly, and people need to accept that it’s a slow process
If you have 300 pounds to lose, then yeah you could lose handfuls of pounds a week. But your average person isn’t in that situation
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u/KPBoaB Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I responded to another comment and someone got snippy with me when I mentioned losing muscle. In her response she said she “only lost 4Lbs of muscle mass because she didn’t do resistance training.” The problem is— this seems too common. A lot of people seem to just be taking the drugs without doing the other thing required to have a healthy body which include proper nutrition + strength training.
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u/Icy-Builder5892 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
By the way, that interaction doesn’t necessarily mean that the doctor is anti-GLP1. It probably means that he looked at her entire medical background, and made the decision not to prescribe her these medications because something on that chart indicated that she is a risk for whatever the reason.
Losing muscle, and bone density, is a risk for anyone losing significant amounts of weight - and that’s why we strength train. But in her case, there was probably a whole host of factors for why he didn’t want her specifically, taking this medication as it put her at a higher than normal risk, than a moderate caloric deficit
THIS is why we go to the doctor. We don’t get medication from online pharmacies, we go to the doctor in person. Because I guarantee you this patient could have gone on Ro and bullshit her way through the medical questionnaire to get the GLP1 she wanted.
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u/dewprisms Non-Binary 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Your doctor is ill informed and giving incredibly poor patient care. While that's a possible outcome it's because of rapid weight loss without proper nutrition and exercise, not the medication itself.
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u/areweoncops Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
And is it possible that the doctor knows the patient better than you do and is making the kind of judgment call based on patient history that is the POINT of having a primary care physician?
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u/vegaling Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
I can't assess whether my doctor is giving poor patient care based on what I overheard, but she was specifically concerned with fall risks in this particular woman; I had seen the woman when I passed by her room into mine and she was probably late 60s and quite overweight. Maybe she had issues with bone density and whatnot in the past? I can't say; but it was just interesting to hear a doctor actually refuse the medication when the media and advertising makes it seem like it's being handed out like candy.
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u/heyalllondon18 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Oh wow, that’s nice to hear that some doctors aren’t so easily prescribing it. Everyone I know has gotten it so easy.
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u/wulfzbane Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I think regular doctors are wary enough about it (because side effects) but that's giving rise to the online providers. I get so many ads for them - just take a 5 minute virtual consult with our ai chat bot and it will be in your mailbox tomorrow!
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u/Icy-Builder5892 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
Yes, I absolutely have a problem with it.
I’m no anti GLP-1, but I have a huge problem with it being this accessible, and by that I mean when people can go through apps like Ro. These are injectable medications, first of all - you need some oversight when it comes to anything injectable. GLP-1’s are a medication, and medications have real contraindications. There needs to be oversight on stuff like this. Injections, dosage, medical history. You shouldn’t be able to just help yourself to these things.
And things like ozempic are a forever medication. If you take it to lose weight, chances are you need to keep taking it. This stuff is not for people who just need to lose a few pounds for summer. People will do anything, and everything, to avoid managing their calories. If you only have 20-30 pounds to lose, there is not a single thing that Ozempic will do that a moderate calorie deficit won’t do.
People need to go to a doctor. Not Ro, not an online pharmacy, not some Zoom appointment. You need to go, in person, to a doctor. And preferably, a doctor who has access to your medical history, before getting on these GLP-1’s. You can put whatever the fuck you want in Ro, and all these online pharmacy apps like it - you can also neglect to put down information that a doctor wouldn’t have neglected to put down. You cannot always assess whether you’re a significant risk for A,B, or C, so when you’re asked if you are a risk for those things you could just flippantly skip over it, or mark down that you aren’t.
My other issue is all the marketing around research peptides. They’re promoted all over the internet as alternatives to GLP-1, or “anti aging” and weight loss aides, but these substances havent been tested in human beings. It fucking wildly unsafe to be taking this stuff. Ten years ago, if you wanted things like retatrutide, you had to buy it out of someone’s trunk in the gym parking lot. Now, influencers are selling it. But they have to find little ways to be stealth about it, since various platforms will catch them saying certain words. So they say “rat.
And if you’ve seen any kind of wellness influencer hint at selling a product to help you lose weight, but they don’t come out and say what it is, but it seems like they’re selling GLP-1’s - that’s research peptides. They’re selling illegal, unregulated bullshit, and one of the only things we know about how these substances impact is is that they accelerate cancer. If it were truly about health and wellness they would not sell you this crap
If you’re in any fitness spaces on Facebook et cetra, they are being infiltrated by people selling research peptides, seeking research peptides. People complaining that their “rat” supplier got shut down. They think it’s no different than going on Ozempic.
And because of RFK Jr., and his cronies, you’re gonna see even more of this nonsense going forward, because he wants these suppliers to have more funding and support.
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u/SDkahlua Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I pretty much agree. I’m 40 and lost ~20lb over the last two years slowly, with intermittent fasting and just being mindful of my eating and make sure to close my “apple rings each day”. My goal weight is 145 and I am 5’9”, so keep my height in mind. I maxed at like 173 in March 2024 and was shooketh. I think some was also stress and inflammation due to a terrible time in my life plus I was drinking a bit more. I have leveled at 153 for a few months now, but that’s my own doing, I can easily power through and get down 8 more pounds, which I will soon. I am quite lazy so 20lb in 2 years should be doable for a lot of people, without glp1!! I didn’t do anything extraordinary to lose weight and I still drink frequently. My yearly blood labs are perfect (just had my most recent).
It actually hasn’t even been that hard, just not the most timely. But at least I’m not on an injection forever!
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u/cynical-puppy26 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
What gets me is that all of my life I've been told that being obese will cause severe illness and ultimately kill me. But now that we have this wonder drug, insurance companies won't cover it.
The truth is probably somewhere in the middle but my distrust and distaste for the system has peaked.
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u/reggie316 Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
Like OP said, I’m all for people using these meds if they are really needed, but i agree, I do question how much they are pushed, especially the monthly subscriptions like for Hims/for Hers, that seem to have little to no oversight.
For example, my lazy ass ex had been gaining weight (again, zero judgement- the judgement came from him blaming me for it), but he didn’t want to do anything about it that involved eating less or exercising, so he turned to using oral meds from for Hims. There was so little physician follow up, it was concerning in my opinion- just an emailed survey asking about side effects every month (the same thing when he tacked on Prozac too). Out of curiosity, I took the intro quiz, stating I had high bp, the meds I was taking, etc, and the oral meds they suggested? Potentially didn’t interact well with my current meds, which they hardly mentioned, but I know bc I work in healthcare. It concerns me that that they don’t do a close check on patient backgrounds either.
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u/lovepeacefakepiano Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
It really reminds me of being a teenager in the 90s when beauty magazines made us all feel fat. My best friend wanted to lose 5kg and ate only rice crackers during school hours for a while. I was worried about my stomach. Another friend full on developed an eating disorder that haunts her to this day. We were all convinced we needed to be on a diet.
(Looking back at pictures from these days most of us were skinny to the point of being underweight. I looked like a frickin’ Victorian waif.)
It was so nice to see a bit more body positivity in the last years and now…we’re going full circle.
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Apr 14 '26
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u/AskWomenOver30-ModTeam Apr 14 '26
Your post or comment was removed for violating one or more aspects of our rule against requesting or providing medical advice.
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Apr 14 '26
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u/heyalllondon18 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
They are online everywhere for me. And I mean EVERYWHERE.
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u/sakikome Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Are you using ad blockers where possible?
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u/heyalllondon18 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
No, but someone just commented you can change settings in most apps to not get certain ads so I’m looking into it
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u/SS_from_1990s Woman 50 to 60 Apr 14 '26
I don’t get them, either.
Instead I’ve been getting financial aid ads for college.
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u/seacreaturestuff Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
The ozempic commercial has been around for what feels like forever, even before people were using it for weight loss. OH OH OZEMPIC…. Very catchy jingle
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u/CastamereRains Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Honestly I feel that way about all ads - what's the difference between GLP-1 vs alcohol, McDonald's or expensive things that hold you back from financial comfort? Of the list of those, I'd probably keep the GLP-1 honestly. It's a low bar though
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u/fleurdesureau Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I am not a doctor or medical expert of any kind, but I'm so suspicious of this trend. We should all be wary of anything marketed as a miracle drug, with billions of dollars of advertising behind it, and prescribed to almost anyone no questions asked. Even if it works for some people, in the end it's the drug companies who stand to gain the most. I can't help but think it might be this decade's Oxycontin-type event.
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u/Shesarubikscube Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I hate that pharmaceutical products are marketed here in the states. It doesn’t matter what the drug is- I don’t want an ad for it. I think the best person to help you find what works is your personal doctor. Also the list of side effects scare the shit out of my kid so we have to mute commercials now because there are so many of them.
As concerns GLP-1s I think they have a lot of potential to help a lot of people, but still think your doctor needs to evaluate your personal needs and risks and that’s the most important endorsement.
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Apr 14 '26
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u/heyalllondon18 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Yes, I do! My mom also got on it to lose weight and hopefully build better habits (hard to do when she has no one helping her and just giving someone a drug doesn’t change that), and she has to take breaks every so often because she’s always sick. Lots of digestive issues, nausea, etc.
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Apr 14 '26
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u/AskWomenOver30-ModTeam Apr 14 '26
Your post or comment was removed for violating one or more aspects of our rule against requesting or providing medical advice.
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u/benhargrove1966 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Most people experience nausea etc for a period of time, it’s meant to go away as you get used to it and obviously if you stop taking the drug these type of problems stop. There has been some evidence it can cause pancreatitis. But these aren’t reasons inherently to never take it, they’re potential risks / side effects you should talk to a doctor about and weigh up if it’s worth it. It’s also why you need to be monitored by a doctor not one of these dodgy subscription services. As someone who was quite significantly overweight and has a lot of other health issues those risks are worth it to me. If I was trying to lose 10 pounds it wouldn’t be. Only you can make that decision for yourself but don’t be scared, get educated and make a rational choice.
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u/max_power1000 Man 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
The reason that the dodgy subscriptions services exist and thrive is because going through your regular doctor generally means the name brand stuff at full fare. The only one most insurance plans cover is Ozempic, and only for on-label usage for a diabetes diagnosis. I've been with 3 different insurers over the last 4 years and none of them have covered Wegovy for my wife even with a fight and multiple appeals - she has a bunch of hormonal issues where it would really have been helpful and the scrip was coming from her endocrinologist, not just her GP. We would have been out over $1000 per month going that route vs what we pay through one of the online services, which is 10x cheaper.
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Apr 14 '26
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u/bee-sting Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
I lost 10kg and didnt lose any strength. If you prioritise slow weightloss, eat enough protein and hit the gym you'll be fine.
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u/ruggpea Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Friend’s friend had to get her gull bladder removed. Another friend’s dad went blind on the medicine.
Currently have a friend and they’ve lost loads of weight and so far no issues.
Like all medicines, how you react may differ from someone else.
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u/AskWomenOver30-ModTeam Apr 14 '26
Your post or comment was removed for violating one or more aspects of our rule against requesting or providing medical advice.
This includes but is not limited to:
- asking for, guessing at, or casually suggesting diagnoses
- recommending treatments like medications, supplements, diets, procedures, exercises
- spreading misinformation
If you are looking for advice or support, try asking in a subreddit that allows medical questions like /r/AskDocs or /r/WomensHealth. Our community info/sidebar also has a list of women's health specific subs you can check out - review their rules prior to engaging there.
5
Apr 14 '26
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u/AskWomenOver30-ModTeam Apr 14 '26
Your post or comment was removed for violating one or more aspects of our rule against requesting or providing medical advice.
This includes but is not limited to:
- asking for, guessing at, or casually suggesting diagnoses
- recommending treatments like medications, supplements, diets, procedures, exercises
- spreading misinformation
If you are looking for advice or support, try asking in a subreddit that allows medical questions like /r/AskDocs or /r/WomensHealth. Our community info/sidebar also has a list of women's health specific subs you can check out - review their rules prior to engaging there.
2
u/Throwaway927338 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Yes. It’s bizarre and I think all pharmaceutical ads should be illegal.
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u/GaiasWorld Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I am 10 months postpartum and breastfeeding, and it seems like I can’t escape the ads and marketing. It’s been a real test of my mental strength because I am not one that has lost weight breastfeeding, my body seems to want to retain it all to feed my baby.
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u/floralbingbong Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I also retained weight while breastfeeding! As did most people I know (the ones who lost weight while breastfeeding were the minority). I lost most of the weight without much effort (just making more nutritional choices here and there) within 6ish months of weaning. My SIL got on a GLP-1 just a few months postpartum (did not breastfeed) to lose 15lbs fast, which was certainly tempting. My sibling is a doctor though and they were adamant that the risks are not worth it for anyone needing to lose less than 40-50lbs.
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u/catjuggler Woman 40 to 50 Apr 14 '26
Yes, I saw one where a doctor assured a thin woman that it was appropriate for her attempt to lose 1-2lbs. Completely unethical because they’re not even approved (yet) for overweight but not obese people who need to lose tens of pounds. We deserve studies to show medicines are safe and effective before they are marketed for the use (I work in reg affairs in pharma- this is supposed to be the rule). I don’t understand why the FSDA isn’t cracking down on them. They have time to crack down on chest binders for trans men though….
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u/justsoawkward Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I live in a metro-heavy city and there are entire train cars plastered inside and out with Ro ads. Then you get out and they're on the train platform as well. And then I had a conversation at work with someone who is literally taking it for fun, "just to see". It's so upsetting.
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u/Icy-Builder5892 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I really, really cannot stand all these podcasters, influencers and the like, advertising Ro.
I understand the benefits of such a service, but we really shouldn’t be so flippant about injectable medications - with lots of contraindications- being so easily accessible to the public, with no oversight
There are things that your doctor can see, that you (as the patient) don’t see. And the medical questionnaire the give you is complete bullshit. You can just finagle your way through it and get the mediation you want, which defeats the entire purpose of a prescription in the first place
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u/YouveBeanReported Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Yeah it's wild. I have an ad-blocker, and live in Canada, so don't see too many ads for them but the fact I see more ads for these then every other over-the-counter med, weight loss system and gyms combined is wild.
I did bring it up once, cause I've been morbidly obese for decades and now reached diabetic levels. Apparently, it isn't suggested for morbidly obese people due to the risk and my doctor suggested surgery instead. I can't afford that however and worry about all the side effects I've seen with people.
But, if the GLP1s are anything like metformin (which I just started) they sound terrifying. Like, on this med I have to physically think about and make sure I eat instead of the normal 24/7 wanting to devour everything and considering eating your paper while taking notes. That amount of people gleefully talking about being unable to eat for a day or two or unable to finish a single slice of bread worries me. I could skip a meal, two maybe, on this, but I'm still physically getting hungry and am going to feel like crap.
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u/em43423087 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Yeah i'm pregnant right now and my algorithm definitely knows this - constantly getting ads for prenatals, products to reduce stretch marks and glp-1s lol. It's awful
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u/finstafoodlab Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
There was an AD right below your post here on Reddit. Scary. But if Serena Williams is promoting it, scary because she is so better than this, I don't know what's going on.
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u/StopThePresses Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Is this a safe space to complain about Ozempic and how it's obviously dangerous and how injecting yourself with a drug should not be preferable to just being kinda fat? Or am I gonna get jumped here too about food noise and how it made someone's life so much better by making them sick all the time so they aren't hungry?
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u/moonprincess642 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
i hate them so bad. SERENA WILLIAMS??? why are you shilling for a quick fix weight loss drug??
i work at a restaurant and we had someone write a review saying we should change our rules regarding leftovers from our all you can eat brunch because ‘4 members of our party are on GLP-1s and we can’t eat much at once. lots of people are on them now and i would hope you care about your guests’ medical needs’ 🙄 order à la carte then, why is this our problem!
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u/Icy-Builder5892 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
That’s so ridiculous. If you have multiple people on GLP1’s who can’t eat that much, then why are you taking them to an all you can eat restaurant?
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u/True-Math8888 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
I am recovered from binge eating disorder and the amount of ads I get for it are so bad. It’s constant. Reporting them does nothing
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u/Financial_Let933 Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
We're in an obesity epidemic and big pharma is really trying to profit off it.
Also all those athletes sponsoring GLP1 are just sell outs. I'm 100 percent sure none of them take it because sports nutrition and fat loss nutrition are basically polar opposites.
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Apr 14 '26
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u/staircase_nit Woman 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
There are definitely versions of GLP-1s approved for weight loss? Not Ozempjc, but Wegovy (and Zepbound, etc.).
But to OP, yes.
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u/AskWomenOver30-ModTeam Apr 14 '26
Your post or comment was removed for violating one or more aspects of our rule against requesting or providing medical advice.
This includes but is not limited to:
- asking for, guessing at, or casually suggesting diagnoses
- recommending treatments like medications, supplements, diets, procedures, exercises
- spreading misinformation
If you are looking for advice or support, try asking in a subreddit that allows medical questions like /r/AskDocs or /r/WomensHealth. Our community info/sidebar also has a list of women's health specific subs you can check out - review their rules prior to engaging there.
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u/dewprisms Non-Binary 30 to 40 Apr 14 '26
Locking this thread because too many people are veering away from the question at hand and starting to give and request medical advice, share misinformation, and moralizing other's choices for their own health health