Everyone taking the ‘skinny shot’ was losing weight, but my scales didn’t change. My inner dialogue became toxic
I’m 46 years old and I have been on a diet since I was 11.
For as long as I can remember, eating has given me comfort. As a kid, I lied to my friends’ parents so I could eat a second dinner at their house. I’ve never wanted just one cookie – I’d eat 12 and only stop when I felt physically ill, and sometimes not even then. In nearly every photo of me as a teenager I’m wincing, sucking in my stomach, trying to pose.
I never really enjoyed the taste of these foods, nor was I happy with myself after eating them. They came with a side of guilt: you don’t deserve this. This relentless food noise trapped me in a cycle of wanting to eat, then shaming myself for doing it. I spent inordinate energy hating my too tall, too big body. I always felt simultaneously like not enough and too much.
Now, GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro are being hyped as an easy fix to obesity. Their manufacturers have experienced significant revenue growth credited to the drugs’ popularity; for instance, Eli Lilly recently announced 38% yearly growth, credited in part to sales of Zepbound and Mounjaro. Media headlines tout the changes in weight and appetite for those who take them.
