"There Are Healthier Ways": Perspectives of Emerging Adults on Weight Loss Medications

Weight loss medication use has grown in popularity for adolescents and young adults, raising concerns about the implications of increased medicalization of weight reinforcing stigma toward those in larger bodies. Weight stigma is particularly salient for young people given their heightened risk of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. Despite this concern, the relationship between weight loss medication use and stigma remains unexplored.

The present study used a hybrid qualitative analysis to explore awareness and opinions of weight loss medications in a sample of 47 emerging adults.

Nearly half the sample ( n = 23) endorsed awareness of medications for weight loss. Among those aware, opinions toward their use were generally negative, particularly for use by adolescents. Preference was expressed for traditional weight loss methods (i.e., diet and exercise) and concerns about long-term risks of medication raised. Individuals with personal knowledge of others taking weight loss medications were more likely to have ambivalent or positive opinions on their use, suggesting that personal exposure may affect perception and stigma. It is possible that medicalization of weight status increases stigma by reinforcing beliefs that an individual's weight is a result of behavior and personal responsibility.