I had never heard of Ozempic before Jimmy Kimmel made a joke about it at the Oscars. Apparently, celebrities have been “accused” of using it to get the perfect figure, and they’ve defended themselves from those accusations, saying they don’t use any “diet drugs” but just eat healthy and work out every day.
Oh, how America shows its judgy Puritan roots. Yes, those doing the accusing might fool themselves into believing that they’re calling out celebrities because there’s a shortage of Ozempic, which is medically necessary for people with diabetes. But actually, that shortage is mostly over, and what those accusations and defenses really do is reveal prejudice. In this case, it’s the prejudice against an “easy” fix for extra weight. Everyone from journalists to doctors spouts the falsehood that a “healthy weight” can be obtained simply by exercising a lot and engaging willpower. Anyone can do it, the thinking goes, if they’re willing to put in the work.
I always want to ask those people why, then, do more than two-thirds of Americans carry around extra weight, and one-third deal with obesity? Are all those people lazy, undisciplined, and lacking in willpower? If you truly believe that, then you must have a very low opinion of other people. I really enjoyed this podcast episode, in which the neurobiologist Stephen Guyenet argues that “weight gain is less about willpower than it is the product of an evolutionary mismatch between our brains, our genetics and our environments.”
I truly admire those people who can remain thin, and I don’t discount the work some of them put into it. But for those of us who are fat, the “joking” about Ozempic is just another variation on the good old fat joke. And you know what’s not funny about being fat? Overweight women face so much bias in the workplace that they are paid 6% less, on average, than other women. Doctors, including doctors who treat obesity, frequently have a strong weight bias. Fat can cause real health problems, as I’m here to tell you: my blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure have been “borderline problems” for years. One of the symptoms of my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is joint pain, especially in my feet; there are people with serious arthritis in their knees and ankles, which inhibits mobility. I know that less weight on my joints could mean less pain, or even just fewer mobility problems in the future. And as I’ve said in previous posts, weight stigma is associated with poor health outcomes across the board, not just for weight-related health issues.
So how’s my Ozempic journey going? Well, I think I’m down 3-4 pounds, though I’ve avoided weighing myself at home for so many years that I distrust that number—isn’t there a fairly large natural weight fluctuation? In any case, I haven’t gained anything, and I’ve been eating less. I’m just more satisfied with smaller quantities, and, with both cookies and apples in the house, have happily chosen an apple as a snack. That’s new for me! I have felt hungry again in the past few days, which I think means I’m getting used to the .25 dose and ready for the .5, which starts this coming Wednesday.
I’m also getting used to the idea that I’m trying to lose weight, despite being an advocate for the beauty and worthiness of all bodies. I’ve felt at times like a traitor to the cause of body acceptance, especially when I admit to myself that I’m looking forward to fitting more comfortably into airplane seats and being able to find clothes in my size and style at thrift stores. The truth is, how we feel about our bodies is a complex and ever-changing experience for most of us, and we should no more feel shame for that than for our own particular size and shape.