Weight loss drug GLP-1: Tennis star Serena Williams' use of the drug sparks debate after weight loss

 Weight loss drug GLP-1: Tennis star Serena Williams' use of the drug sparks debate after weight loss

 

Tennis star Serena Williams is one of the most successful athletes in history. She recently admitted that she used weight-loss drugs. Will her admission help reduce the stigma associated with weight-loss drugs?

This raises further questions: will her openness about it give more confidence to those who are using drugs to lose weight? And will her honesty silence the critics?

The 43-year-old tennis star, who won a record 23 Grand Slam titles in her career, was considered a living example of fitness and sportsmanship. But after the birth of her children, she, like many others, became overweight and admitted to the difficulties she faced in losing it.

However, Williams recently told US TV's 'Today Show' that she began to view her excess weight as a 'competitor'.

Even though she was “exercising five hours a day” including “running, jogging, cycling, climbing stairs,” she still couldn’t beat her new opponent the way she used to beat her rivals on the tennis court. So in the end, she said, she had no choice but to “try something new.”

Many of her friends and colleagues were taking GLP-1s. This is a group of drugs that help with weight loss. And then she decided to try it too.

Lost 14 kg in eight months

Williams emphasizes the weight loss with the help of the drug, but she does not say which brand she is using. She said it was not easy at all, and there was no shortcut to her losing 14 kg (31 pounds) in the past eight months.

The timing of her recent confession is also being questioned because she has just become a representative for a company called ‘Roe’, which sells GLP-1 group weight loss programs like Wigovi and Zipbound (known as Monjaro in the UK).

On the other hand, her husband is also an investor in the company.

Despite this association with the company and the possible side effects of the drug, her frankness will impress many. She says she is speaking out so that women don't feel ashamed about using weight loss drugs.

Caleb Luna, an assistant professor of feminist studies at the University of California, Berkeley, says that someone like Serena Williams speaking out is a "big step forward."

He says it silences critics who say that "this is the easy way out" and that people are avoiding the hard work.

"It also breaks the perception that these drugs are only for lazy, incompetent, fat people. In that sense, maybe that's a good thing."

'A bit disappointing'

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But Caleb also says Williams' decision to take GLP-1 is "scary" and a little "depressing." He worries that it's putting pressure on her to look and feel a certain way, at the expense of hard work and dedication.

"She's achieved achievements that few people in our time and history have achieved. But now it seems like all of those achievements are being reduced to just her physical appearance and weight."

"The fear is that the weight loss is taking over her record-breaking achievements."

Williams' weight and appearance have always been scrutinized. The pressure to live up to society's expectations has not diminished despite her sporting achievements.

And while she's perhaps the most high-profile sports star to openly admit to using weight-loss drugs, many other celebrities have spoken out.

Oprah Winfrey says she uses GLP-1 as a tool, along with exercise and healthy eating, to help her avoid the cycle of weight gain and loss.

Postpartum weight loss can be difficult

Dr Claire Madgin, research associate in behavioural medicine at the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University, says elite athletes can find it difficult to lose weight.

“They’re used to eating more calories, and when they stop playing it becomes difficult for them and then you need to change their behaviour.”

Dr Madgin says it’s good that Williams admitted that her weight loss wasn’t just due to medication and that “she had to pay attention to her diet and physical activity as well.”      

She added: “It’s good that she’s mentioning how difficult it is to lose weight after having a baby.”

But she thinks Williams’ message may be lost on some and may even discourage some women.

"These drugs are quite expensive and the average person might think that when an elite athlete, who has a gym, has time, a nutritionist... and still has to use GLP-1," he said.

Dr. Madgin also expressed concern that the drugs have potential side effects, including gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhea, and in some rare cases, gallbladder and kidney problems. And these issues were not discussed much in the publicity surrounding Williams' announcement.

Williams says she has not experienced any side effects, and she told Women's Health magazine that she is finally seeing the fruits of her hard work in the gym.

"My joints are so much better now," she says. I just had a check-up and the doctor said everything, even my blood sugar levels, is perfect.

And although she is no longer making history on the tennis court, she says she is still breaking her own records with the help of weight loss pills. She is currently training for a half marathon.

She says proudly: “I am running more than ever.”