Scientific reportsApr 21, 2026

Using Anti-Obesity Medication Leads to Effort-Related Punishments and Social Penalties

GLP-1 Therapies Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗OA ↗

Updated Jun 27, 2026

Abstract

Essence

People using GLP-1 anti-obesity medications were judged more harshly, apparently because their weight loss was seen as requiring less effort.

Evidence

Four pre-registered within-subject studies in Belgium, the US, and the UK with 1,205 participants tested perceptions of GLP-1 medication users, including morality, competence, deservingness, and candidate moderators.

Caveat

The studies measured social perceptions in experimental survey settings, not real-world behavior toward patients or long-term stigma outcomes.

Simplified

Obesity is one of the most widespread public health risks, with more than 1 billion affected individuals worldwide. While treatment with 'anti-obesity' medication (GLP-1 agonists) shows promising results, patients face public backlash for 'cutting corners'. Across four pre-registered within-subject studies in three countries (N = 1.205, Belgium, US, UK), we found that users of GLP-1 medication are perceived as less moral, presumably because they are thought to have exerted less effort in their weight-loss endeavor. Further, we observed effects on broader consequences (e.g., competence or deservingness perceptions) and tested candidate moderators (e.g., attitudes, experience, personality). Our findings highlight the adverse consequences of effort-based biases experienced by patients using and underscore the need for public education and stigma reduction.

Key numbers

1,205

Participants

Total number of participants across four studies.

86.79%

Female Participants

Percentage of female participants in Study 1.

17–80

Age Range

Age range of participants across studies.

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Funding

Competing interests

0%of authors

0 of 2

authors report competing interests

2 report none

PubMed

Using Anti-Obesity Medication Leads to Effort-Related Punishments and Social Penalties

Abstract

Key numbers

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Competing interests

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Abstract

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Full Text

Funding

Competing interests

Related papers

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

What Lands in Your Inbox Each Week:

Recent issues from the glp-1 therapies brief