GLP-1 Users Face Stigma From Friends and Family, Study Finds

People taking GLP-1 medications are often reluctant to tell friends and family about their treatment, fearing they will be judged as "lazy" or accused of taking the "easy way out," according to new research.

The study, published in Health Communication, explored how users of GLP-1 medications manage discussions about their treatment in a social environment where weight loss is often celebrated, but the use of medication to achieve it can be heavily stigmatized.

Researchers from Florida State University and collaborating institutions interviewed 34 adults aged 21 to 73 who were currently taking, or had previously taken, GLP-1 medications. The small study was qualitative in nature and designed to explore deep personal experiences rather than represent a statistically generalizable sample of all GLP-1 users.

Participants included people using the drugs primarily for weight loss as well as those taking them for conditions such as diabetes, prediabetes, sleep apnea and hormonal disorders.

The researchers found that many participants carefully assessed the attitudes of people around them before deciding whether to disclose their medication use.

Some chose to keep it secret altogether after hearing friends or relatives criticize others who used GLP-1 drugs.

One participant recalled a close friend describing GLP-1 users as people who were "too lazy to work out or change habits" and who had taken "the easy way out."

Hearing those comments convinced her not to reveal that she was taking the medication herself.

Braidyn Lazenby, an assistant professor at FSU's College of Communication & Information and the lead author of the study, told Newsweek the most-surprising finding was that participants often reinforced the very stigma they were trying to push back against.

"We have known for a while that stigma related to GLP-1 medications often centers around the idea of ‘taking the easy way out’ or ‘cheating’ weight loss, and participants would acknowledge that as well," Lazenby said.

"However, participants would then report combating GLP-1 stigma by emphasizing the effort they would engage in while taking the medication or sometimes categorize GLP-1 users into groups, where there were people who were taking GLP-1 medications ‘the right way’ and others who were taking it ‘the wrong way,’" she said.

Lazenby also argued that public conversations around GLP-1 medications frequently overlook the nuances behind why people choose to take them.

"It's easy to latch on to a ‘hot take’ or bold statement about GLP-1 medications that you see online, but reducing the stigma around GLP-1 use includes considering all of the different reasons why someone might choose to take a GLP-1 medication," she explained. "These conversations and stigma are less about the medication itself and more about the broader stigma surrounding body shape and size."

Another participant from the study described overhearing negative remarks about a woman who had lost a significant amount of weight, with the implication that her success was somehow less deserving because she was believed to be taking Ozempic.

Many participants also reported internal struggles. Some said they felt guilty about wanting to lose weight at all, even when they were pleased with the results.

Others described becoming more confident and kinder to themselves after starting treatment, while also recognizing how societal attitudes about body size had shaped their self-image.

To counter criticism, participants frequently emphasized the effort involved in their health journeys.

Rather than presenting GLP-1 medications as a quick fix, they described them as tools that worked alongside healthy eating, exercise and long-term lifestyle changes.

"They call us cheaters," one participant told researchers, before explaining that she still carefully managed her diet, exercised and used the medication to help control binge eating.

Dr. Jessica Duncan, medical director at Ivím Health and a board-certified obesity medicine physician, told Newsweek that about half of her patients are open about using GLP-1 medications, while the other half aren’t.

"The study separates weight loss from 'strictly medical purposes,' as if those are two different things," she said. "That's the whole problem. Obesity is a medical condition. Treating it is a medical purpose."

While Duncan said patients should never feel pressured to disclose any medication they take, she worries about the impact of negative attitudes toward GLP-1 use.

"If someone is keeping it private and also hearing the people closest to them mock others for using these drugs, it's not a stretch to think they start to internalize it," she said. "That the way they've chosen to treat a disease is somehow wrong, or something to be ashamed of."

Lazenby said she hopes the research encourages more nuanced discussions about GLP-1 use, rather than judgment and oversimplification.

Lazenby, B., Guidry, A., Price, S., Shuvo, M.S.M., Alikhanova, T., Morrison, C., Davis, N. and Lenard, M. (2026). "They Call Us Cheaters": Exploring Stigma Management Communication Strategies During GLP-1 Medication Use. Health Communication, pp. 1—11. doi:10.1080/10410236.2026.2734167.