When I saw the headline that Serena Williams is reportedly taking a GLP-1 medication — with her husband investing in the very company that makes it — I felt a punch in the gut. Serena has long been an icon of unapologetic strength, a woman who resisted the thin ideal in a world that tried to shrink her at every turn. To see her tied to the latest “miracle” weight loss drug felt heartbreaking, not only because of who she is, but because of what it represents in the bigger picture.
The Hype Around GLP-1s
GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro have been positioned as revolutionary. Originally developed for type 2 diabetes, their appetite-suppressing effects quickly became the focus of an exploding weight loss market. The narrative is polished: medicalized, scientific, and full of promises.
The truth, of course, is more complicated. Side effects are real. The costs are enormous. And for many people, the weight returns whether they stay on the medication or not. But you rarely see that part in the marketing.
Why Serena’s Story Stings
Serena Williams has always embodied resistance to narrow standards of femininity and whiteness in sport. She was unapologetically muscular, unapologetically herself, and that was revolutionary.
To now see her associated with an industry that profits from the desperation to be thin feels like complicity in a machine that has been crushing women, especially women in larger bodies, for generations.
The New Face of Celebrity Endorsements
Celebrity endorsements of weight loss aren’t new — Oprah and Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, SlimFast. We’ve seen it all. But there is something particularly insidious about GLP-1s. They carry the authority of medicine, cloaked in scientific legitimacy, yet they are marketed with the same old diet culture promises.
When celebrities are seen using them, it normalizes the idea that everyone should want them. It makes them aspirational. And it reinforces the harmful message that even the most powerful women in the world need to shrink to belong.
Capitalizing on Pain and Shame
This is where the harm cuts deepest. Pharmaceutical companies, and now the celebrities who align with them, are capitalizing not only on people’s pain but also on their shame.
The pain is real: years spent dieting, losing and regaining weight, feeling exhausted and defeated. But shame is the hook. Shame whispers that you lack willpower, that you are lazy, broken, not enough. And then along comes the promise of a fix: “Take this and you will finally be acceptable.”
This is the cycle diet culture has perfected. First it teaches us to hate our bodies. Then it sells us the cure for the very shame it created. And when it’s someone like Serena Williams, who has symbolized strength and defiance, the shame cuts even deeper. If she needs to shrink, what does that say about the rest of us?
What’s Really Being Sold
Let’s be clear: this isn’t about health. These drugs are sold under the banner of health, but what is really being marketed is thinness, conformity, and the illusion of belonging.
The costs are high — not just financial, but also physical, emotional, and spiritual. Self-trust erodes. Confidence wanes. Side effects take their toll. And still, the money flows into the hands of corporations, investors, and celebrities.
Diet Culture, Always Shapeshifting
Diet culture has always been a shapeshifter. When one strategy stops making money, it reinvents itself: low-fat, low-carb, keto, cleanses, wellness trends, and now GLP-1s. The packaging changes, but the business model remains the same: shrinking women and profiting from their insecurity.
Even Serena Williams, with all her influence, is not immune. That reality speaks volumes about how deeply ingrained these pressures are.
Reclaiming Our Power
So what do we do with this grief and frustration? We see these stories clearly, recognizing that celebrity choices are not neutral when profit is involved. We remind ourselves that worth is not conditional on body size. We choose trust over control, respect over manipulation. And we give ourselves permission to grieve when even our heroes are swept up in diet culture’s tide.
At the end of the day, our bodies are not for sale. They are not commodities or investment opportunities. They are vessels for our lives, our joy, and our love. And when we refuse to buy into shame, we reclaim our power.
Want to go deeper into this work? Explore my courses and coaching at Wayza Health, where I help women reclaim body trust, reject diet culture, and live fully beyond the scale.
