Some women taking popular weight loss drugs like Wegovy are hiding their prescriptions from their husbands and families, according to a report in Self magazine. The secrecy stems from fears of judgment, lectures, and unwanted opinions about their bodies.
Caroline, a 34-year-old in Montreal who asked to be identified only by her first name, first told her boyfriend, mother, and close friends she was on Wegovy. Over six months, she lost 30 pounds, dropping from 130 to 100 pounds. Her loved ones grew worried she was losing too much.
"I had tried every way under the sun to lose weight," Caroline told Self. "I was really tired of trying."
At five feet four inches, Caroline did not consider herself obese and doubted her primary doctor would write a prescription. She found a doctor online who prescribed the drug over the phone without knowing her actual weight, she said.
The weight came off fast. After six months, she stopped. Within a month, she gained 10 pounds back. "I realized, I can't stop," she said.
Now she takes Wegovy again at a maintenance dose. This time, her boyfriend and family do not know. She said her partner has seen the effects of her weight loss, and with the couple discussing children, she fears his reaction.
"If my husband found out, it would just be a series of lectures," another woman told Self, describing why she keeps her prescription private.
The accounts point to a broader tension around GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic, which have surged in use across the United States since 2021. Many patients see the medications as a medical treatment for a chronic condition. Others, including some partners and family members, view them as a shortcut or worry about side effects and rapid weight loss.
That gap in perception is pushing some women to manage their treatment alone, skipping the support that doctors say helps patients stay on the drugs safely. Weight typically returns after patients stop taking GLP-1 medications, according to clinical trials, which is why many doctors recommend ongoing use.
Caroline said she does not plan to tell her boyfriend unless she has to. "I can't stop," she said, "so I have to keep it to myself."
