To think Serena Williams being on a GLP-1 isn’t that big a deal?

[SaltAirAndTheRust]

I know a lot of people have issues with her advertising it, but that is just the American drug market. They advertise everything single drug going.

I personally think it’s quite nice to see someone so athletic be open with her struggles, and show that even with the most disciplined diet and exercise regime, it’s not always that simple

I tend to agree with this…. But then I am fascinated by stories like the one up thread of how it has changed someone’s life…. I’m seriously in 2 minds about WLIs

I strongly disagree with it, she was obese after her pregnancies, pictures showed she’d gained a lot of fat. She wasn’t taking them at her peak.

I for one am delighted that a woman who is perceived to be strong and healthy is not ashamed to admit taking the drugs when she needed the help. Her story after her pregnancies and why she used them is inspirational.

I also agree with the op, it’s easy to use this and hide behind it to criticise her, simply as someone resent the drugs being available or people taking them. They also have a male basket ball player doing the same publicity as Serena, he also became obese, and like Selena it was fat gain, and I think it’s hugely positive to see these sports personalities post retirement being open about their struggles and getting to a fit and healthy weight. Selena’s bmi is prob still obese but now she’s all muscle. And I for one will applaud. So sick of celebs lying and people resenting the drugs.

Exactly. Come on,let's not pretend it's only obese people who are taking these. There are most definitely people taking it who were never overweight in the first place, but are now skinny.

I've always taken body positivity as being a move away from the "I'll book that holiday of a lifetime when I've dropped two dress sizes" (spoiler: the dress sizes didn't drop) to a "I'll book that holiday, buy a nice wardrobe and enjoy it now because tomorrow I could get run over by a bus" (spoiler: the wardrobe was still rather shit, covered in butterflies and no doubt had cold shoulder tops - seriously - what does the world have this obsession with fat women getting their shoulders out?!)

I think it's shifted more than that - but I still see no issues in the movement in terms of getting women to live their lives in the present rather than in the purgatory of the weight loss industry limbo and never actually hitting that target figure.

I do think the bigger issue is why we STILL as a society think that we have some kind of claim on women's bodies - the talk of how Adele needs to "own up", people thinking that they can tell their friends when to stop losing/or gaining (lots of that on MN) weight etc. If someone wants to be open about the way they've gained (spoiler: cake tastes nice) or lost weight - that's their choice, you don't have some kind of right to demand to know. I'm starting to get it now with people horrified I'm still staying on the jabs - yes, I've lost 5 1/2 stone, yes, my BMI has gone from a horrifying 54 to a still horrifying 46 (or something - my phone's in the other room so I can't check easily), but I'm still a size 20, I'm still obese, yes I'll have a party when I drop into the overweight category - but that's still a helluva long way to go. I probably won't go as low on the scales as the BMI figures say I should - like I mentioned - we've got strange frames in this family as women where we weigh heavier than we look and my mum looked anorexic when she was an ideal BMI as a result. My decision and unless I'm eating or not eating myself into an early grave - no one else's.

The GLP-1 medications IMO should be called MNM or MSM - metabolism normalizing meds, or metabolism stabilization meds. Weight loss is a side effect of the metabolic reset they produce.

Thus, patients are able to reduce calorific intake, eat appropriate macros, do cardio exercise and lift weights/resistance train on a level playing field with those who have normal metabolisms.

They are not a magic wand: the patient must still take control of their food and movement schedules.

For people who have tried “diet and exercise/calories in calories out” and seen no long term success despite diligent efforts, often for decades, they are a life saving game changer

https://pagesix.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/05/serena-williams-praised-showing-postpartum-82494786.jpg?w=641

she would likely have met the criteria with BMI of 27 here. Even if she's more muscular than most women so her body fat % would be lower

I got AI to pull exact quotes from Serena Williams re why she chose to use and endorse GLP-1 meds from a private healthcare provider (Ro)

Serena Williams has openly discussed her use of GLP-1 medications for weight loss, emphasizing her journey to overcome postpartum weight challenges and her desire to destigmatize their use. Below are exact quotes from her, sourced from various interviews and articles, detailing her reasons for using GLP-1 drugs and her experiences:

1. *On her weight loss and the decision to use GLP-1s*:

- “I lost over 31 pounds using my GLP-1, and I was really excited about that weight loss.” - “This all started after I had my (first) kid. As a woman, you go through different cycles in your life... No matter what I did — running, walking, I would walk for hours because they say that's good, I literally was playing a professional sport — and I could never go back to where I needed to be for my health. Then, after my second kid, it just even got harder. So then I was like, OK, I have to try something different.” - “I was doing everything right — working out, eating clean, following the plan. But my body wasn't responding the way it used to. I knew my body was missing something it needed.” - “I never was able to get to the weight I needed to be no matter what I did, no matter how much I trained. It was crazy because I’d never been in a place like that in my life where I worked so hard, ate so healthy and could never get down to where I needed to be at.” - “I just thought, gosh, I don’t know if I would ever be able to get back to where I needed to get to.”

1. *On destigmatizing GLP-1 use and addressing misconceptions*:

- “A misconception is that it's a shortcut. As an athlete and as someone who has done everything, I just couldn't get my weight to where I needed to be at a healthy place — and believe me, I don’t take shortcuts.” - “I feel like a lot of people have this stigma on GLP-1s and say things like, ‘Oh, lazy people do it,’ or ‘If you’re working hard enough, you don’t need that.’ I know for a fact from my experience that it’s simply not true.” - “A lot of people are actually on GLP-1s but don't really want to talk about it, don't want to say it. That's why I feel like my story is so important — because I'm so active.” - “If you're on GLP-1s too, don't let anybody tell you it's the 'easy way out.' You're not taking a shortcut, you're taking care of yourself, and that takes courage.” - “For me, it was really just about taking away that stigma of, 'Is it a lazy way? Is it a shortcut? Why would you do that?'”

1. *On her initial hesitation and eventual acceptance*:

- “So for me, eventually when GLP-1s came out, I was like, 'No way, no how. That’s not for me. Don’t sign me up.' But then I looked at it as a sport, as an opponent. OK, I can’t beat this opponent no matter what I do.” - “I definitely had struggles because, I mean, I believed it too. But with Ro, I could easily just ask all the questions, and ... I didn't have to worry about it, and not have to feel like someone was looking at me sideways.” - “I really wanted to dive into it before I just did it.”

1. *On the health benefits she experienced*:

- “I just can do more. I’m more active. My joints don’t hurt as much. I just feel like something as simple as just getting down is a lot easier for me. And I do it a lot faster. I feel like I have a lot of energy and it’s great. I just feel pretty good about it.” - “I feel great. I feel really good and healthy. I feel light physically and light mentally.” - “I feel like I have a lot of energy and it’s great. I just feel pretty good about it.” - “Since starting the medication, she says she's already seen and felt her health improve. At a recent doctor's visit, she was told her blood sugar levels have normalized, and she says her joints feel ‘lighter, like they're not taking as much of a load.’” - “I had a lot of knee issues ... especially after I had my kid (and) was never able to get to my normal levels of weight. And that, quite frankly, definitely had an effect on maybe some wins that I could have had in my career.”

1. *On her long-term commitment to GLP-1s*:

- “I was on and off (the medication) and now completely on. It was a really good decision I had to make for my life, you know, I tried everything.” - “I feel like, after having my kids, my body was missing something. I don’t know if it’s something that the GLP-1 has, but I just feel normal again.”

1. *On self-image and body positivity*:

- “Weight loss should never really change your self image. Women often experience judgment about their bodies at any size, and I’m no stranger to that. So I feel like you should love yourself at any size and any look.” - “I’ve never felt that pressure to maintain a certain appearance. I always felt comfortable at any size, whether I was a lot heavier or not. I do feel like my body didn’t like me at that weight. I had pain in my joints and pain in different areas just because of the extra weight that I’m not used to carrying since I had children. But the size I was before, there was nothing wrong with it. It’s just not what I wanted to have. I just knew that I wanted to be where I personally felt comfortable.”

1. *On her role as a mother and transparency*:

- “I’m the mom of two girls, and I wanted to be very honest about what I’m doing so they can always be the same with me and we can have an open relationship.” - “A lot of people are on it, and don’t talk about it. So I’m like, why are we questioning? We should be totally open about it... I love how I’m feeling now.”

1. *On her partnership with Ro and enhancing her efforts*:

- “GLP-1 helped me enhance everything that I was already doing — eating healthy and working out, whether it was as a professional athlete at the top level of tennis or just going to the gym every day. So I think that it’s important for everyone to hear my story. And I feel like there’s a lot of people that can relate.” - “I was putting in the work. I actually think it’s a problem a lot of other women can relate to, that you are in the gym and eating healthy, but just can’t get to the level you want or need to. I feel lighter mentally, I feel sexier, I feel more confident.”

Williams began using GLP-1 medications, specifically Zepbound through Ro, a telehealth company, after struggling with weight loss following the births of her daughters, Olympia (2017) and Adira (2023). She highlighted that despite her rigorous training as a professional athlete, healthy eating, and trying various diets (vegan, vegetarian, high-protein) and exercises (running, walking, hitting 20,000 steps daily), she couldn’t reach her desired weight, which impacted her health, including joint pain and potential career wins. She started the injections about six months after Adira’s birth, initially hesitating but eventually embracing the treatment after thorough research. Williams reported losing 31 pounds, improved blood sugar levels, reduced joint pain, and increased energy, with no side effects. As a paid spokesperson for Ro, she aims to normalize GLP-1 use, emphasizing it’s not a shortcut but a tool to enhance existing efforts, particularly for those facing similar postpartum or health challenges. She also underscores the importance of self-love and transparency, especially as a mother and advocate for Black women’s health, given the higher risk of diabetes in her community.

You do realise that AI is often inaccurate?

Why?

Why did two people in a row quote that pointlessly long AI post?

Why does anyone post pointlessly long AI rubbish in the first place. Everyone who posts on here obviously have access to AI to search for it themselves if they want to

I posted what Serena Williams actually said, so people could read her actual words. I considered it relevant to know her stated reasons for using GLP1 meds.

Rather than spend 45 mins laboriously linking each interview and pulling relevant quotes, I got AI to do it.

I made that clear, it’s flagged in the first sentence.

the post is long because she gave multiple interviews and these are all direct quotes (accurate, I have actually read all the interviews)

At no point does she say it’s about being thin and she makes it clear it was a well-researched decision for health reasons.

feel free to scroll on if reading her words is not something you wish to do in a thread discussing her reasons for doing something.

Well: I’ll shut up then!