Weight Stigma Isn’t Disappearing — It’s Rebranding
When I scroll my Instagram feed, I see:
GLP-1 ads.
Longevity hacks.
“Metabolic optimization.”
Before-and-after photos. And so on.
Things are getting intense out there.
It’s no surprise to me that when our world feels very out of control — I’m not going to name any certain presidents who are systematically destroying our “democracy” — instead, I’m going to name our collective coping strategy: focusing on shrinking fat bodies.
Why?
Because dieting has always been one of the most socially acceptable ways to bypass feeling out of control. Dieting gives us something concrete to focus on. So does trying to “fix” our weight.
A great distraction. A great relief. Sigh.
But underneath all of this — and what Big Pharma knows it needs to leverage — is fatphobia. Fear of fatness. Fear of weight gain. Our culture’s obsession with shrinking bodies.
Look, I’m not here to argue against making health-supportive behavior changes that may or may not result in changes to the size of your body. That’s a different conversation.
For decades, we’ve been told a tidy narrative: fatness is primarily a byproduct of personal choice — “bad choices” — poverty, poor access, stress, or trauma.
But here’s the truth — and yes, this is evidence-based:
Body weight heritability is consistently estimated between 60–80%, with landmark data suggesting as high as 84% in certain twin samples (Stunkard et al., 1990).
Our culture would have us believe body weight is 80% choice and 20% inherited — if that.
Why?
If you’re wondering why the CEOs of Novo Nordisk own multiple homes, yachts, and earn million-dollar bonuses — you’d be correct.
Money. Money. Money.
The system profits by perpetuating the false belief that weight is mostly under individual control. Read that again my friend.
The GLP-1 Era: Follow the Money
If I were receiving thousands of dollars from Big Pharma companies like Novo Nordisk — makers of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs — my hands would be tied.
Yes, these medications are helping some people in meaningful ways. I’m not here to argue that.
And not everyone is being helped.
There are real harms. Severe complications (blindness!). Lawsuits underway. Those conversations are quieter than the marketing campaigns.
Meanwhile, drug companies are making billions. Researchers and clinicians in the “obesity” field are profiting from this new wave of weight-loss “solutions.”
As someone who has worked in eating disorder recovery and intuitive eating for 20 years, I can tell you: no one is cutting me a big check to endorse body liberation.
There is far more money to be made in shrinking bodies than supporting people in accepting them.
You cannot claim to reduce weight stigma while at the same time continue to frame fat bodies as problems to be solved.
Full stop.
That’s rebranding so profits can continue to be made. Money. Money. Money.
Unpopular Opinion
You cannot end weight stigma by telling people their bodies need to be smaller.
The GLP-1 ads are clever. And manipulative.
Here are two false claims embedded in the marketing:
False Claim #1: “Evidence-based.”
The obesity field loves this phrase.
So I’ll ask directly:
Where is the evidence that long-term weight loss is sustainable for most people?
Not 1–2 years. Long-term.
Most weight-loss interventions — including bariatric surgery — show high rates of weight regain over time. Unless someone remains on GLP-1 medications indefinitely, regain is statistically likely.
If durability is low, we need intellectual honesty about that.
False Claim #2: Weight stigma ends when people lose weight.
This is fundamentally flawed.
Yes — when individuals lose weight, they are often treated differently. They receive praise. Approval. Social reinforcement.
That reduction in stigma can feel very real on an individual level.
But zoom out.
If the dominant cultural message is “your body is unacceptable unless it shrinks,” that message does not dismantle stigma.
It reinforces it.
At a structural level, you cannot fight weight stigma by perpetuating the belief that smaller bodies are more worthy.
That’s not stigma reduction.
That’s fatphobia with better marketing.
Newsflash: Weight Stigma Harms Health
It’s estimated that, internalized weight stigma affects 40–50% of U.S. adults.
Weight stigma is associated with:
- Chronic stress activation
- Depression and anxiety
- Healthcare avoidance
- Increased eating disorder risk
Weight stigma predicts worse health outcomes independent of BMI. Yes, you read that right.
Stigma produces shame that gets internalized — and that does not lead to better health.
A Call-In for Dietitians and other Health Professionals
If you work in healthcare, this is our work too.
We were trained in weight-centric systems. BMI charts. Risk categories. Weight loss as intervention. “Good’ foods, ‘Bad’ foods, etc.
We are not immune to internalized fatphobia. We all have varying degrees of unexamined weight bias.
We have to ask ourselves:
- Do I equate weight loss with success? Do I call myself a “weight loss” dietitian? Why?
- Do I regularly weight myself? Count calories to try to control my own size?
- Would I give the same recommendation to a thin client that I would give to a person in a larger body?
- How much of this is unconscious alignment with cultural conditioning (fatphobia)?
- How willing am I to look at the evidence that the majority of weight-loss interventions fail most people long term?
This is not about guilt or shame. This is about healing.
This is about calling your work in with deeper analysis — and that may be uncomfortable.
And this is about getting clear on professional integrity and living in alignment with your core values.
And we must hold nuance. There is a lot of nuance here.
When working with clients on GLP-1 medications, we do not shame their choices. That is not trauma-informed care. We respect bodily autonomy. Always.
People are making decisions inside a stigmatizing and broken system. Many are seeking relief — from medical bias, from physical pain, from years of internalized shame. Of course they want to lose weight. Of course they buy in.
Let’s meet our clients — and ourselves — with an open heart and deep curiosity as we untangle years of internalized fatphobia, both personal and cultural.
Shame will never produce sustainable change.
Our role is to:
- Ensure informed consent
- Screen thoroughly for eating disorders
- Help clients feel safe in their bodies through somatic-based work and nervous system regulation
- Challenge diet mentality: all-or-nothing thinking, perfectionism, urgency, control
- Protect dignity and autonomy
- Meet clients exactly where they are — never shame someone for wanting weight loss
We can critique systems without attacking individuals.
We can challenge industry incentives and motivations while respecting autonomy.
There is a lot of nuance here. And we need community to hold it well.
At the end of the day, we all want the same thing: to live more liberated and healthy lives. And we want that for every BODY.
The Bottom Line
Fatphobia isn’t going away anytime soon.
It’s being rebranded as “health” so drug companies can continue to profit.
It’s being rebranded as “longevity” and “anti-aging.”
It’s a sneaky shape-shifter that keeps placing the onus on the individual rather than interrogating larger systems.
We need to be fiercely honest with ourselves.
- What would happen if we accepted the scientific reality that body size is largely genetically influenced?
- What would happen if we stopped blaming bodies?
- Accepted our rolls and jiggles?
- Threw out the scale?
What would happen if we came back into our bodies and listened with deep reverence to the wisdom within?
This is not about trying harder. Having more willpower or control. It’s about surrender- scary huh? Sit with that.
It’s a fundamental shift toward trusting the mystery and wisdom of our miraculous bodies.
At its core, it is about embracing, accepting, and celebrating body diversity.
All my love to you!
Karen Louise
Your Anti-Diet Dietitian since 2005
p.s. If you are a client and you want 6 steps to feel better in your body without actually having to change your body, get the free guide here: https://www.mindful-nutrition.com/resources/
p.s.s. And, if you are a clinician and want to get support in this area, check out my mentorship options here: https://www.mindful-nutrition.com/professional-supervision-mentoring/
As a Nutrition Therapist and Certified Intuitive Eating Coach with a background in both nutrition science and psychology, I guide people to find their own philosophy of eating which results in freedom and empowerment around food and weight issues. 
