Lizzo has expressed her concern regarding the cultural ramifications that the drug Ozempic is having on plus-size women, as its usage increases.
The 37-year-old musician shared insights into her own weight loss experience, admitting she faced mental health challenges at the beginning and declaring herself as still a ‘proud big girl’.
Although Ozempic is not officially approved as a weight loss medication, it is prescribed for managing type 2 diabetes due to its ability to help regulate blood sugar levels.
A side effect of Ozempic is its potential to suppress appetite, which, when paired with diet and exercise, can aid in weight loss. The demand for private prescriptions has surged recently.
In recent reports, it was revealed that approximately one in eight American adults have taken a GLP-1 drug like Ozempic.
Lizzo voiced her concern that the rising use of Ozempic might be negatively affecting the body positivity movement.
Her reflections were shared in an essay published on her Substack on November 23, titled ‘Why is everybody losing weight and what do we do? Sincerely, a person who’s lost weight’.
“So here we are halfway through the decade, where extended sizes are being magically erased from websites,” she stated. “Plus-sized models are no longer getting booked for modeling gigs.”
Lizzo also highlighted that even models labeled as ‘plus size’ often aren’t in reality, writing: “And all of our big girls are not-so-big anymore.”
Reflecting on cultural portrayals, Lizzo mentioned how Bridget Jones was seen as ‘comically overweight’ in Bridget Jones’ Diary, despite not being overweight by most standards.
“We have a lot of work to do, to undo the effects of the Ozempic boom,” Lizzo noted.
She discussed her own journey with weight loss, previously addressing rumors about her use of Ozempic.
“People could not see my talent as a musician because they were too busy accusing me of making ‘being fat’ my whole personality,” the artist wrote. “I had to actively work against ‘mammy’ tropes by being hypersexual and vulgar because being a mammy by definition is being desexualized.”
She continued: “And that’s the reality that nobody wants to talk about. We’re in an era where the bigger girls are getting smaller because they’re tired of being judged.”
Lizzo also voiced her concerns about the body positive movement, criticizing its excessive commercialization.
“I want us to allow the body positive movement to expand and grow far away from the commercial slop it’s become,” she commented. “Because movements move.”
UNILAD has reached out to Novo Nordisk, the company behind Ozempic, for their input.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, support is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 to connect with a 24-hour crisis center or visit 988lifeline.org for a webchat. Alternatively, you can text MHA to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line.