Stevee Williams, a restaurant manager in Houston, was full of nerves as she prepared for her sister’s wedding, particularly about her bridesmaid dress. Diagnosed with anorexia at 17, her battle with eating disorders has lingered over the years.
Now, at 27, she turned to a GLP-1 drug—a new trend in weight loss. On a website that offered easy prescriptions, she falsely claimed to weigh 150 pounds (she didn’t) and said she felt too unwell to move around (that, too, wasn’t true). She then entered her credit card information.
“Honestly, I just wanted to be smaller,” she admitted after receiving a bottle of Wegovy for $149.
These kinds of stories are concerning medical professionals and patients in recovery. Both doctors and psychologists express alarm as they encounter more individuals like Williams taking GLP-1 medications, some relapsing into eating disorders or developing them for the first time due to the drugs.
Rampant promotion, easy access, and an absence of warning labels contribute to the attraction for those fixated on weight loss.
Medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound have changed the weight-loss landscape by effectively suppressing appetite. However, alongside known side effects like gastrointestinal issues, there’s a more insidious risk.
Even some teenagers are reportedly getting prescriptions—despite strict age requirements from telehealth services—by lying about their age and weight online or obtaining them through parents’ consent to treat obesity.
Rebecka Peebles, a vice president of adolescent medicine at a national treatment provider, shared that the number of patients using these drugs is rising.
“We see at least three new cases daily where individuals are using GLP-1s, not for diabetes, but simply for weight loss,” she noted.
A piece in the New England Journal of Medicine suggested that long-term use could lead to over 420,000 individuals developing eating disorders—this is about 1 percent of the 33 million Americans reported to be using these medications.
Interestingly, the drugs’ labels do not mention eating disorders as a potential side effect.
In treating patients with eating disorders, acknowledging natural hunger cues is essential. The problem is that GLP-1s suppress those cues, which can hinder treatment effectiveness.
“These medications mimic the effects of anorexia,” pointed out Wendy Oliver Pyatt, co-founder of a remote treatment platform.
Heavy marketing reinforces societal pressures to value thinness, making it even harder for those struggling with body issues.
Rebecca Boswell shared a disconcerting experience: while discussing body image with eighth-graders, they began to sing an Ozempic jingle. “It was quite unsettling,” she recalled.
While advertising mentions gastrointestinal distress, it typically fails to address the dangers associated with suppressing hunger signals.
“These drugs are being marketed as harmless when, in fact, they have serious implications,” cautioned Elizabeth Wassenaar, a regional medical director for Eating Recovery Center.
A study from Tulsa looked into GLP-1 effects on various patients. Notably, recommended caloric intakes are 1,600 for women and 2,000 for men. Yet several patients reported drastically cutting their intake, with one limiting herself to just water and Diet Coke for 13 days, dropping 21 pounds rapidly.
“The patient experienced such a profound absence of hunger that she considered fasting for six days and eating just once a week,” the study noted.
Last year, medical societies recommended routine screenings for eating disorders when these drugs are prescribed, but in reality, those screenings are often missed.
For instance, the American Academy of Family Physicians hasn’t adopted such screenings, asserting the importance of personalized treatment approaches without broad recommendations based on singular concerns.
Regarding the potential misuse of their medications, Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, didn’t provide a direct answer but acknowledged the seriousness of eating disorders, urging health professionals to evaluate individual patient risks adequately.
Eli Lilly, which produces Zepbound, emphasized that treatment decisions should be made collaboratively between doctors and patients.
They confirmed to be closely monitoring safety topics related to obesity medications, with a new experimental GLP-1 that showed a shocking average of 28 percent weight loss in trials announced recently.
When asked if it has concerns regarding the drugs’ effects on people with eating disorders, the FDA did not directly respond, stating it monitors post-market drug safety.
Shirley D. and Her Struggles
Shirley D., 62, a Navy veteran from Nevada, has battled binge eating disorder. Out of the shame often tied to her condition, she restricted her diet for years to sidestep societal stigma attached to being overweight.
She has gone through phases of eating almost nothing but Subway sandwiches or just pistachios until she began treatment and learned to accept her body.
However, with the introduction of GLP-1s, she found herself slipping back into old patterns.
“I feel guilty about reverting to my previous habits,” she confessed.
She started on Zepbound, which helped her manage diabetes, but her doctors are worried as she has begun limiting her food intake again.
Her daily meals now consist of Greek yogurt, half a bagel, and some nuts. She’s aware that this is not enough nutrition, worrying about long-term consequences for her health.
“So far, nothing significant has affected me, except socially,” she mentioned. “When friends want to go out for meals, I hesitate because I’m not comfortable eating.”
Yet, she lost about 30 pounds recently, reaching 189, which is a relief after weighing as much as 240 pounds. She feels better about her appearance after dealing with societal judgment.
“There are conflicting thoughts battling inside me, and the GLP-1 is winning,” she said.
A Jarring Experience
AJ Jasper, 40, has struggled with anorexia for roughly three decades. He relapsed three years ago, purchasing GLP-1s through various apps without any medical consultation, shedding 50 pounds in just a few months from using multiple drugs.
“The ease of access is terrifying. It feels like anorexic heroin, distorting my brain chemistry,” said the Chicago social worker.
This past winter, he faced triple organ failure, affecting his kidneys, liver, and heart, leaving him so weak that even simple movements were daunting. Hospitalized, he required a feeding tube while dealing with the complications of having GLP-1s in his system.
Now in outpatient care, he’s returned to a healthier weight.
“Anyone dealing with an eating disorder should steer clear of these medications,” he cautioned. “The past three years have taken a toll on my life and well-being; I wouldn’t want that for anyone else.”
As for Stevee Williams, she developed anorexia after being put on steroids for a cheerleading injury in high school. At one point, she weighed only 60 pounds.
After experimenting with various trends and eventually ordering Wegovy, she noticed the familiar sense of control returning, although the weight loss wasn’t substantial.
When her daughter struggled to find a fitting birthday dress, it hit her hard. Williams didn’t want her child to grow up harboring the same negative body image issues she had faced.
So, she decided to stop the medication, opting for healthier methods to lose weight.
“I was afraid of diving deeper into this cycle,” Williams remarked. “It felt addictive.”
Years earlier, she had launched a Facebook group for eating disorder recovery, which has grown to nearly 200 members. The topic of GLP-1s frequently arises, but she actively removes any posts promoting the drugs.
“They might help you shed some pounds,” she pointed out, “but they won’t foster a better love for your body.”
