New study examines stigma toward women who lose weight using GLP-1 medications

MedicalXpress | Apr 17, 2026

In a new study exploring stigma associated with the use of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, women who lost weight using GLP-1 medications were judged more harshly than those who lost weight through diet and exercise, with negative reactions driven largely by beliefs that medication-assisted weight loss is a "shortcut." The study also found higher levels of stigma when the women in sample scenarios were portrayed as white rather than Black.