2024 saw the popularity of Ozempic reach a fever pitch, mainly due to becoming the go-to solution for celebrities looking for a quick fix for weight loss, with many using their platforms to gush about the “miraculous” properties of the compound.
Far from slowing down, 2025 is set to usher in a new generation of even more potent weight-loss drugs, such as Eli Lilly’s Retatrutide, promising results that could double what Hollywood’s favorite injection delivered.
For Lindsay Kite, Ph.D., co-author of More Than a Body: Your Body Is an Instrument, Not an Ornament, and co-director of the Beauty Redefined Foundation, the current situation is a “minefield” for women and teenagers, whose self-esteem is constantly under attack.
In an exclusive interview with Bored Panda, Kite delved into the responsibility celebrities have in pushing the “monstrous myth that looking good equals feeling good.”
A body image expert warned against the rising popularity of weight-loss drugs, and shared tips for women to protect their self-esteem
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There’s currently over 100 drug candidates in trials, with the pharmaceutical industry in fierce competition to grab a piece of the lucrative obesity treatment market. According to Goldman Sachs, the area is projected to skyrocket to a massive $100 billion by 2030.
But for Kite, the monetary success of these drugs comes at a much higher cost: the self-esteem and body image of women and girls across the globe.
“The idea that looking good equals feeling good is a monstrous myth we have to stop perpetuating,” she said, pointing out that thinness is often mistakenly associated with happiness and health.
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The rise of weight-loss drugs, according to Kite, is just another facet of the ongoing pressure society places on women to meet unrealistic body ideals.
“We’ve all been conditioned to believe that achieving a certain appearance will solve our problems, but weight loss doesn’t stop you from feeling defined by or obsessed with your body,” she emphasized.
Even when people lose weight, the obsession with monitoring their appearance doesn’t vanish, she added.
According to the expert, the success of Ozempic goes hand-in-hand with celebrities praising its use in the media
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For the author, Ozempic’s success has been due in part to the role celebrities and Hollywood play in shaping the public’s perception of beauty.
“Celebrities and influencers play a major role in pushing impossible beauty standards and turning up the weight loss pressure on everyone,” she explained. “They normalize and glamorize very specific body ideals.”
Oprah, Amy Schumer, Sharon Osbourne, Whoopi Goldberg, and Elon Musk are just some of the famous people who have confessed to having used the injection for weight loss purposes.
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Celebrity culture, Kite explains, is built on people idolizing famous figures, looking for guidance on what’s desirable and, more importantly, deserving of love.
“When women are valued primarily for how they look, then the rest of society looks to celebrities and influencers for cues on how to look the best they can—and therefore improve their value, confidence, happiness, ability to be loved.”
Kite takes issue with the lack of transparency many celebrities show when discussing their transformations. The real damage, she points out, comes when these public figures attribute their appearance to easily accessible methods, obscuring the real interventions behind the scenes.
“It’s not the flat tummy tea or their skincare routine,” she pointed out. “It’s often invasive procedures, weight-loss medications, or both.”
The author called for celebrities to be more transparent and aware of the damage the trend is causing to women around the world
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Holding nothing back, the expert called for celebrities to be held accountable for not being honest about the surgeries, injections, drugs, fat transplants, implants, and other procedures used to achieve their look.
“The socially responsible thing to do is to be honest about what really goes on behind the scenes to create the final image,” Kite said.
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“What are the real costs, the side effects both mentally and physically, and do you really absolutely love your body more because of it?” Kite challenged them to reflect.
“Are you truly at peace and full of confidence, or are you promoting an unrealistic and faulty shortcut to body positivity and empowerment?”
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“Celebrities have the choice to either be honest about the medical interventions that helped them achieve their look or to continue pushing an image that leaves out the struggles they still face with body image, even after reaching their so-called ‘body goals.’”
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While Kite hopes that Hollywood will eventually recognize the harmful impact they have on impressionable girls and young women, she emphasizes that waiting for the media industry to change isn’t enough.
Instead, she urges individuals—especially parents and caregivers—to be proactive in protecting their daughters’ self-esteem and body image.
Kite shared with Bored Panda her recommendations for parents to help encourage a more positive self-image in their children
Image credits: beauty_redefined
In her interview, the expert shared some of her key strategies for helping young people navigate the pressure to conform to societal beauty standards.
According to the doctor, parents should first guide their daughters toward understanding what she refers to as the “beauty myths” perpetuated by society.
The first of said myths is the idea that reaching certain beauty ideals will lead to more confidence, love, health, and happiness.
“Who are the real-life examples of people who don’t fit all the ideals and have good lives, happy relationships, confidence, success, good health?” she asked, pointing out that the reverse is also true.
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The second myth is that industries—such as fashion, diet, and pharmaceuticals—have people’s best interests at heart.
“Major industries thrive on us believing our looks are our main source of value and happiness. They’re not,” she said, explaining that they ultimately benefit from making people feel inadequate.
Finally, she stressed the importance of creating an environment where “appearance is way down the list of what is important,” encouraging parents to focus on teaching good hygiene and self-care without making appearance the central focus.
“Adolescents and teens are especially vulnerable to the harmful aspects of beauty and weight-loss messages because they’re still trying to figure out what makes them valuable as individuals.
“Help them find their own value outside of those rigid ideals.”
Readers interested in following Dr. Lindsay and Dr. Lexie Kite’s work can do so at their website: More Than A Body.
“Wild.” Netizens took to social media to express their concern about the rise of weight-loss injections
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