Women's body image is shaped by abusing diabetic drugs such as Ozempic

At the glamorous Golden Globe awards in Hollywood earlier this year, a presenter joked about how the event was “Ozempic’s biggest night” — a quip about the diabetes medication that has seen many using it to lose weight. But alarm bells also rang. Just how far would women go to pursue impossible standards of beauty?

- Babar Dharani & Katherine Escreet

One of the world’s most powerful businesswomen, Oprah Winfrey, recently admitted she had taken a GLP-1 medication like Ozempic, because of its appetite-suppressing and weight-loss effects. Winfrey has often spoken about her struggles with weight and self-image.

“One of the things I realised the very first time I took a GLP-1 was that all these years I thought thin people had more willpower,” she said in an interview.

Being thin remains one of the most desirable markers of beauty. Supermodel Kate Moss infamously said, “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.”

Thanks to Ozempic and similar medications, losing weight has become easier for some — although it is expensive and has side effects such as nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and constipation.

But who cares — as long as you look good in a strappy dress, right?

Impossible beauty standards are nothing new. Corsets in the West, foot binding in the East and body modifications across African cultures, such as lip plates or scarification, show that beauty ideals have always been shaped by cultural values. Skin lightening products are still used despite health risks.