A lady sat nervously in entrance of me, eyes huge, voice low. “I noticed this video on TikTok,” she mentioned. “Now I’m undecided I need to attempt it.” “It” was semaglutide—some of the transformative medicines we’ve seen for weight reduction and metabolic well being in years. However her concern wasn’t unusual. Like many sufferers I see, she got here in hopeful, however hesitant—torn between her need to get wholesome and the noise of social media, sensational headlines, and judgmental whispers.
What didn’t make it into the video she noticed? The affected person I had simply seen the week earlier than who, after beginning tirzepatide, lowered her A1C from 8.2 to five.9. The person who was lastly capable of cease his blood strain meds for the primary time in a decade. The girl who walked into my workplace crying—grateful not simply because she had misplaced weight, however as a result of she may play along with her grandkids with out knee ache or fatigue.
In my aesthetics and wellness follow, I work on the intersection of confidence and medical care. I see individuals who have tried every thing. They arrive not looking for self-importance however management—over their our bodies, their biology, and the disgrace they’ve carried for a lot too lengthy. And but, I’ve discovered that some of the essential roles I play isn’t prescribing—it’s deprogramming. It’s countering the fear-mongering reels, the out-of-context headlines, and the concept that taking a medicine means you’ve failed.
As a result of right here’s the reality: Each FDA-approved medicine has undergone years of testing and rigorous evaluate. No drug is totally risk-free—semaglutide included. However the identical may very well be mentioned of ibuprofen or oral contraceptives. And but, we don’t disgrace individuals for taking Motrin for a headache. We don’t ask why they didn’t “simply attempt yoga” earlier than beginning blood strain meds.
So why will we deal with weight problems—a persistent, relapsing, and sophisticated metabolic illness—so in a different way?
The reply lies in a long time of stigma, misinformation, and a cultural obsession with willpower. It additionally lies within the silence of the medical neighborhood. We’ve allowed influencers and celebrities to dominate the dialog round GLP-1s, whereas many clinicians stay on the sidelines, both skeptical or unwilling to interact.
The hazard of letting influencers form the narrative round medical therapy goes far past semaglutide. We’ve seen this play out with vaccines, dietary supplements, hormone remedy, and psychological well being medicines—the place anecdote typically outweighs proof, and recognition turns into a proxy for credibility. When laypeople with no scientific coaching turn out to be the loudest voices in well being care conversations, misinformation spreads sooner than info. Worse, it erodes belief in licensed suppliers who’re sure by ethics, information, and a long time of peer-reviewed analysis. Sufferers deserve higher than TikTok science.
However now is just not the time for silence. Now could be the time to teach, to information, and to assist sufferers separate truth from concern.
Drugs like semaglutide and tirzepatide are usually not magic. They require help, follow-up, and life-style change. However they’re additionally not frauds. For a lot of sufferers, they’re the primary device that lastly makes lasting well being really feel achievable.
Once I take into consideration the way forward for medication, I take into consideration belief. We have to earn it again. Meaning exhibiting up—in examination rooms, sure, but additionally in remark sections. It means telling our tales. And it means making house for sufferers to really feel hope with out disgrace.
As a result of within the battle in opposition to weight problems, misinformation will be the most cussed factor we’ve to deal with.
Sarah White is a nurse practitioner, small enterprise proprietor, and premedical scholar based mostly in Virginia. With a background in medical follow and caregiving, she brings a singular perspective to the intersection of drugs, household life, and neighborhood service. She volunteers with the Medical Reserve Corps and is making ready to use to medical college in 2026.
Sarah can be the founding father of two rising ventures: Wrinkle Relaxer, the place she focuses on aesthetic therapies, and Bardot Boutique Aesthetics, an area for curated magnificence and wellness providers.
