Zepbound helped me lose 18% of my body weight. I wish I didn't feel the need to apologize for it.
The author shares her personal experience using the GLP-1 medication Zepbound to manage weight and health issues. She discusses the societal stigma surrounding weight-loss drugs and her struggle to overcome feelings of guilt for using medical intervention to improve her well-being.
Why it matters
As GLP-1 medications become more prevalent, the narrative surrounding their use is shifting from medical necessity to a subject of social stigma and personal shame.
The author, shown after she started taking Zepbound, said she wishes she didn't feel guilty about losing weight in a way that works best for her body. Courtesy of Caralynn Matassa. Soon after I started taking Zepbound, friends started notice that I was losing weight. I guiltily admitted that I had, thanks to starting a popular GLP-1 medication. It's strange to apologize for getting healthier. I'm trying to stop treating it like a confession. "You look great! Did you lose weight?" a friend I hadn't seen in a few weeks asked, barely a beat after saying hello. I grimace as I guiltily admit that I did. "Zepbound," I say, the one-word explanation slipping out almost unbidden, like a naughty confession. It feels strange to apologize for improving my health. And yet that's exactly what I did.
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