Some women taking popular weight loss drugs are hiding their prescriptions from the people closest to them. Caroline, a 34-year-old in Montreal, restarted Wegovy six months ago at a maintenance dose without telling her boyfriend or family. She had told them the first time.
"Now that we're talking about kids, he's seen all the impacts" of weight fluctuations, she told Self magazine, which profiled women who conceal their use of GLP-1 medications. Caroline asked the magazine to use only her first name to protect her privacy.
Her first round on Wegovy lasted six months. She dropped 30 pounds, going from 130 to 100. Her loved ones worried she was losing too much. "I had tried every way under the sun to lose weight," she said. "I was really tired of trying."
At five feet four inches and 130 pounds, Caroline did not qualify as obese. She doubted her primary doctor would write a prescription, so she found an online physician who prescribed the drug over the phone without knowing her actual weight.
She stopped after six months. Within a month, she had gained back 10 pounds. "I realized, I can't stop," she said. She resumed the medication, this time in secret.
The GLP-1 class includes Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound. Originally developed for diabetes, these drugs have become a cultural phenomenon, with millions of Americans seeking prescriptions for weight loss. Demand has strained supply and spawned a gray market of compounded versions.
Shame cuts both ways for users. Some face pressure to lose weight. Others face scrutiny when they do. One woman told Self that revealing her prescription would trigger "a series of lectures" from her husband.
The secrecy carries risks. Patients who hide their medication use may not get proper monitoring from doctors who lack a full picture of their health. They also lose the support of partners who might help track side effects like nausea, fatigue and muscle loss.
Caroline's case highlights another gap: telehealth prescribers who issue prescriptions without verifying a patient's weight or medical history. She got Wegovy from a doctor who never saw her in person and did not know how much she weighed.
Weight loss drugs are not cheap. Wegovy lists for roughly $1,300 a month without insurance. Hiding a prescription means hiding the expense too, a logistical problem that adds to the strain of secrecy.
Caroline said she plans to stay on the maintenance dose. She has not told her boyfriend. She does not plan to.
