The guilt of taking medication for weight loss affects a majority of patients on GLP-1 agonists. This shame, fueled by moralizing discourses on obesity, is a major obstacle to well-being and treatment adherence. It’s time to deconstruct it.
Why Guilt Is So Widespread
A 2024 survey by the World Obesity Federation reveals that 65% of patients on GLP-1 agonists experience guilt or shame related to their treatment. This emotion stems from a moralizing view of obesity deeply ingrained in society: the idea that weight is a matter of willpower and that resorting to medication is an ‘admission of weakness’.
Media and social networks fuel this guilt with narratives of celebrities using semaglutide or tirzepatide as a ‘shortcut’, obscuring the medical reality. Obesity is a chronic, multifactorial disease recognized by the WHO, involving hormonal, genetic, epigenetic, and environmental mechanisms that willpower alone cannot correct.
Obesity Is a Disease, Not a Choice
More than 100 genes are involved in body weight regulation. Satiety hormones (leptin, GLP-1, GIP, PYY) are dysfunctional in people with obesity, creating a biological hunger impossible to ignore through mere willpower. The ponderal set point (the weight the body defends) is 70% determined by genetics (Science, 2022).
Tirzepatide does not make one ‘lose weight easily’: it corrects a hormonal dysfunction, just as insulin corrects diabetes or thyroxine corrects hypothyroidism. No diabetic patient feels guilty about taking insulin. The same logic applies to obesity treatments.
Sources of Judgment and How to Deal With Them
- Family and friends: ‘you could lose weight without medication if you had willpower’. Response: ‘obesity is a chronic disease, and my treatment is prescribed by a doctor, just like for any other illness.’
- Social media: derogatory comments about GLP-1 users. Solution: limit exposure and follow accounts of healthcare professionals.
- Yourself: the inner voice that says ‘you should be able to do it alone’. Reminder: 95% of diets fail long-term without medical management (Lancet, 2023).
- Healthcare professionals: some doctors still have weight-biased views. Don’t hesitate to change practitioners if you feel judged.
Reframing the Inner Narrative
- Replace ‘I am weak for taking medication’ with ‘I am courageous for taking charge of my health’.
- Replace ‘I am cheating’ with ‘I am using a medical tool validated by science’.
- Replace ‘it’s not natural’ with ‘no medication is natural, and that’s why they work’.
- Replace ‘others will judge me’ with ‘those who judge me do not understand the biology of obesity’.
- Note your daily victories: each day on treatment is an act of self-care.
The Importance of Peer Support
Support groups (online or in-person) for patients on GLP-1 agonists are valuable spaces to normalize treatment and share experiences. The MounjaGO community offers a supportive environment where patients can exchange without judgment about their journey, doubts, and victories.
Track your progress with the MounjaGO app.
FAQ
Is it wrong to take Mounjaro for weight loss?
No. Obesity is a chronic disease recognized by the WHO, and tirzepatide is a medical treatment prescribed based on indication. Taking Mounjaro is an act of self-care, not an admission of weakness. 95% of diets fail without medical management.
How to respond to criticism about my GLP-1 treatment?
Stay factual: ‘Obesity is a chronic disease with hormonal and genetic causes. My treatment corrects a biological dysfunction, like insulin for diabetes.’ You do not have to justify yourself to non-medical individuals.
Is guilt normal when taking Mounjaro?
Yes, 65% of patients experience guilt, fueled by the social stigmatization of obesity. Therapeutic work on cognitive reframing and participation in support groups help overcome this emotion.