Stigma Remains Part of the Weight Loss Experience, Survey Suggests

“If you’re living in a larger body, it’s something that’s visible, and we’re in a society that people feel free to comment on that” and make assumptions, says Tirissa Reid, MD, an endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia University’s Metabolic and Weight Control Center in New York City.

Dr. Reid says that her patients often discuss feeling uncomfortable at grocery stores, gyms, and doctors’ offices, and among family, friends, and coworkers because of their size. Those feelings sometimes don’t go away after they lose weight, especially if they’ve taken a GLP-1, which many people believe is not losing weight “the right way,” she says. “It’s a no-win situation.”

Here’s what the survey found about the impact of weight and GLP-1 use stigma.

In the survey, 62 percent of respondents said they often felt embarrassed or self-conscious about their bodies. These feelings affected them in several ways:

• 57 percent felt discouraged about losing weight.
• 50 percent were treated differently by others and felt judged.
• 42 percent avoided social situations.
• 32 percent felt unsupported by others.

“These numbers mirror what I hear from my patients,” says Ivania Rizo, MD, an endocrinologist, the director of obesity medicine at Boston Medical Center, and a spokesperson for the Obesity Society. “Feeling judged and embarrassed about our bodies isn’t rare or unusual. It’s one of the most common experiences among people living with excess weight.”

People with obesity are often “unfairly perceived as lazy or unmotivated, or lacking willpower, when in fact obesity is a complex, chronic disease influenced by many factors, including biology, genetics, environment, medications, sleep, and stress,” says Reema Dbouk, MD, an assistant professor at Emory University in Atlanta and a spokesperson for the Obesity Society.

In the survey, about 70 percent of people had experienced stigma or negative reactions related to their GLP-1 use. Many reported feeling judged or that they needed to justify their choice to take a GLP-1, and some had avoided telling others.

About 20 percent of GLP-1 users thought that others believed they had taken the easy way out by taking the medications.

“Taking a GLP-1 is not the easy way out,” Dbouk says, adding that GLP-1s are a necessary medication for many people.

“We do not typically criticize someone for taking medication for hypertension, diabetes, or asthma,” she says. “Obesity should be viewed the same way, as a chronic, relapsing disease that may require long-term treatment.”

Younger generations face a heavier stigma burden, according to the survey. Nearly 40 percent of Gen Z respondents worried that their weight loss wasn’t viewed as an accomplishment, compared with just 5 percent of baby boomers.

More than half of baby boomers reported no stigma at all.

Gen Z, millennial, and Gen X respondents were significantly more likely than baby boomers to say that they often felt judged, avoided social situations, or felt unsupported by others. And millennial and Gen X respondents were significantly more likely than baby boomers to report feeling embarrassed or self-conscious about their bodies.

Women across age groups were more likely than men to experience these sentiments. And pre- and perimenopausal women were more likely to report frequent stigma than postmenopausal women.

Anxiety was reported as a comorbidity to obesity by 37 percent of survey respondents. Anxiety and mood changes dropped with age, with 42 percent of Gen Z respondents experiencing it, compared to 10 percent of baby boomers.

Any time you’re experiencing internalized weight bias, meaning you’re starting to believe negative messages about your body or self-esteem, Reid says to see a mental health professional. A therapist can help you deal with weight stigma-related shame, anxiety, depression, disordered eating behaviors, social withdrawal, or avoiding healthcare, Dbouk says.

“Weight stigma can have significant psychological and physical health consequences,” Dbouk says. “Behavioral therapy can provide support and give them tools to navigate stigma while working toward their health goals.”

Sources: Everyday Health Obesity/Weight Loss GLP-1 Patient Survey, N= 858, Aug. 5-15, 2026.