Secrecy, shame, and stigma once surrounded GLP-1 medications, but that is starting to change. In fact, many celebrities have gone public about their experience taking them. Called GLP-1 (or glucagon-like peptide 1) drugs, the buzzy weight loss and diabetes drugs include semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy) and the dual GLP-1/GIP dual agonist tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound).
“There’s definitely a shift happening, and that shame is beginning to go away,” says Angela Fitch, MD, current president of the Obesity Medicine Association and chief medical officer of Knownwell.
The rise of GLP-1 drugs has helped the public become more aware of the real causes of obesity and being overweight — it’s not simply a lack of willpower.
“Instead of thinking of obesity as a choice, people are beginning to realize it’s a chronic disease that contributes to a host of other chronic conditions,” says Dr. Fitch. And though GLP-1s aren’t perfect (they come with side effects), they can also help with those conditions related to obesity, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
“The more people who talk about using these drugs, the more the conversation is normalized, and it makes other people with similar struggles feel they are not alone,” says says Tina Marinaccio, RDN, a Denville, New Jersey–based registered dietitian who is certified in weight management from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Here are 13 famous faces who have spoken out about GLP-1 drugs.