"When a powerful appetite-suppressing drug becomes widely accessible in a culture that already equates thinness with worth, the cultural context matters. GLP-1 medications were developed for specific medical indications, but as access expands, more people are seeking them out primarily for weight loss—not to treat a diagnosed condition, but to move closer to a culturally sanctioned body ideal."
"When the body experiences deprivation, it responds in predictable, protective ways by increasing hunger and slowing metabolism. What is often labeled 'failure' is simply biology doing its job. GLP-1 use often leads to loss of lean muscle mass along with fat. When the medication is discontinued, weight regain is common, and it tends to favor fat mass over muscle."
"This creates a destabilizing pattern: lose weight, regain weight, feel shame, try again. Weight cycling has been associated with both physical and psychological strain. Appetite suppression may mask or reactivate eating disorders, and weight regain after stopping GLP-1s can intensify body dissatisfaction."
GLP-1 medications, originally developed for specific medical conditions, are increasingly used primarily for weight loss to achieve culturally sanctioned body ideals. Practices like microdosing and cycling on and off the medication resemble technologically assisted dieting, which carries inherent risks. The body responds to deprivation through predictable biological mechanisms including increased hunger and slowed metabolism. GLP-1 use often results in lean muscle mass loss alongside fat loss. Upon discontinuation, weight regain typically favors fat mass over muscle, creating a destabilizing cycle of weight loss, regain, shame, and repeated attempts. Weight cycling associates with both physical and psychological strain, particularly concerning in a cultural context that equates thinness with personal worth.
Read at Psychology Today
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