‘You Look Great! Are You Taking Ozempic?’

So, armed with what seemed like a reasonable amount of research, I took the plunge and agreed to join what Gallup and the Kaiser Family Foundation both say are the estimated 6 million American adults currently taking a weight-loss drug. Then I went home and cleared out the kitchen pantry of chips, pasta, rice, bread, processed foods and anything with refined sugar. My home is now filled with lean proteins and lots of vegetables and fruit.

About the only thing I didn’t prepare for was the great swath of judgmental people who would view my decision to use a weight-loss drug as a “crutch for the weak who lack willpower.” The first time someone actually said that to my face, I was stunned and speechless. Now, my standard response is this: “I am neither weak nor lacking willpower. But I am overweight and making changes to improve my health.”

As for getting an assist from medication, well, that really isn’t anyone’s business, now is it? After all, isn’t improving our health the very reason we take medication in the first place?

The ideas that obesity is a result of a “lack of willpower” and that those who need medication to lose weight are “weak” are ideas riddled with morality. And like most other things, please just keep your nose out of my morality and we can all get along fine.

The truth is, many people have, perhaps inadvertently, touched a nerve with their comments about those of us taking these drugs. Maybe what we need are some new etiquette guidelines — let’s call them “Ozemp-iquette” — to avoid awkward situations. For example, when I invite guests over for dinner, I have always asked them about food allergies and preferences. Now I just ask, “So what are you enjoying eating these days?”

When you see a friend who has dropped a few sizes, just tell them how great they look and leave it there. If they want to tell you the details of their journey, they will. They don’t owe you an explanation or a recitation of their medical conditions.

I take to heart the fine print on the menu that says “tell your server if you have dietary concerns,” and have yet to find a server unwilling to substitute a salad for the fries. I’m actually finding most servers eager to help me have a satisfying restaurant experience; one allowed me to order off the kids’ menu for better portion control, and another served me my sushi wrapped in shaved celery instead of rice.

But without question, the road of “what to say” to users of weight-loss drugs is filled with potholes. Even superstar Barbra Streisand fell into one in 2023, when she posted a comment on a flattering photo Melissa McCarthy had shared on Instagram. Streisand wrote, “did you take Ozempic?” She later explained she meant it as a compliment, like “you look fabulous,” and deleted her comment posthaste — though not before it touched off a social media firestorm. It garnered about 600 comments on Reddit, with the overwhelming number of them calling Streisand out for her question. As one commenter put it, “... even if Barb thought it was a private message, it’s rude to ask. [It’s] like saying, ‘You’re looking happier. Are you taking antidepressants?’”

Rude, indeed. Where’s Emily Post when we need her?

AARP essays share a point of view in the author’s voice, drawn from expertise or experience, and do not necessarily reflect the views of AARP.