Social Perceptions of Weight Loss With Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonists in Black and White Women With Obesity.

Intersectionality theory suggests that because stigma arises from the interplay of multiple marginalized identities, Black women with obesity may face stronger negative attitudes than White women when using GLP-1 agonists, a newer class of obesity medications often perceived as an 'easy way out.' This experimental study tested how exposure to different weight loss methods affected stigma toward a Black or White woman with obesity, as well as the influence of participant race on stigma. A sample of 402 Black and White women with overweight or obesity were randomly assigned to read about a Black or White woman named Evette who lost 15% of her total body weight with either diet/exercise or a GLP-1. Participants reported stigmatizing attitudes toward Evette (fat phobia, dislike, desire for social distance, and blame) and beliefs that she took a weight loss shortcut. Stigma was higher when Evette lost weight with a GLP-1 (vs. diet/exercise) and, contrary to hypotheses, when Evette was depicted as White (vs. Black). Moderated mediation analyses demonstrated that GLP-1-assisted weight loss (vs. diet/exercise) led to higher fat phobia, dislike, desire for social distance, and blame via stronger shortcut beliefs and this effect was more pronounced when Evette was portrayed as White. Participant race did not influence how weight loss with a GLP-1 and Evette's race, together, affected stigma through shortcut beliefs. Findings highlight the importance of challenging societal narratives about what constitutes 'acceptable' weight loss strategies for women with obesity to reduce stigma and protect long-term health.