There’s a lot of noise right now around GLP-1 medications—conflicting advice, emotional stories, and a cultural shift that feels hard to name.
In today’s episode, I’m joined by the one and only Virgie Tovar—author, activist, and leading voice on weight stigma—to slow things down and ask a deeper question: what is actually happening here?
Before we hit record, I reached out to my Substack paid subscriber community and asked what questions were coming up for them around this topic. The feeling that kept showing up was confusion. Feeling confused by the messaging, confused by people in their lives who are on these medications and have a lot to say, confused by former anti-diet voices who are now singing a very different tune. Confused by what to say, how to feel, and whether their instincts are right.
So, with all that in mind, Virgie and I really dug in.
We talk about how GLP-1s work, how they’re being marketed, the co-opting of body liberation, what ethics have to do with this, and why so many people are feeling overwhelmed and even destabilized—especially those with a history of dieting or eating disorders.
As you listen, please remember:
This episode zooms out and looks at the big picture and the culture around these medications, not the individual choice to take them. Body autonomy is important and so is a critical examination of the socially sanctified pursuit of weight loss at all costs. Because the costs are real.
Tune in for more on:
What GLP-1s are—and how they drive appetite suppression and restriction
Is this really “new”? (dieting, weight loss, and long-term outcomes)
The marketing machine: confusion and co-opting body positivity
The concept of “food noise”
Virgie’s brilliant perspective on the big picture and why this feels so intense right now
Weight stigma vs. the promise of empowerment
Hunger explained: objective vs. subjective
Is there true “peace with food” through this medication?
The cultural shift: weight loss as expectation, not choice
The business behind it all: profit, scalability, and the GLP-1 “gold rush”
The core ethical question: is intentional starvation, at an industry and cultural level, ever justified?
Staying grounded: navigating conversations, protecting recovery, and finding support
This episode is available for free for everyone.
Virgie doesn't talk around things. She brings in history, business, the science of hunger—and she gives you something solid to hold onto when it feels like the ground is moving under your feet. Including, I'd argue, the most important question about GLP-1s that the mainstream conversation keeps skipping entirely.
After you listen, I’d love to hear from you.
What's the hardest part of this conversation to sit with? The ethics, the marketing, the personal relationships affected—tell me where you're landing.
And please remember to like and share this with people in your life if you enjoyed it. It helps with all the algorithm nonsense!
Virgie Tovar is a plus-size Latina author, lecturer, and leading expert on weight-based discrimination and body image with over a decade of experience. She is the founder of Body Image Reset, an AI app for people struggling with GLP-1 ad overwhelm. Tovar is a contributor for Forbes.com where she covers the plus-size market and how to end weight discrimination at work, and she’s the host of GLP-1 Truth Serum, a podcast dedicated to asking critical health questions about the current explosion in injectable weight-loss medications.
Resources mentioned:
Follow Virgie Tovar on Substack
Abbie’s episode on the Minnesota Starvation Study
The Body Positive Journal by Virgie Tovar
You Have the Right to Remain Fat by Virgie Tovar
