Lifestyle

PSA

What Happens When You Go on Ozempic But You’re Already Thin?

Some people wish to go on GLP-1s to lose a “little bit” of weight. It isn’t as easy as it sounds.

Roosa RahkonenReporter, The Looker

PublishedApr 16, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT

UpdatedApr 16, 2026, 10:35 AM EDT

Updated Apr 16, 2026, 10:35 AM EDTPublished Apr 16, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT

A quick glance at any red carpet during awards season told the same story over and over: famous people, particularly A-list women, are getting smaller. And, whether accurate or not, the perception in 2026 is that everyone—everyone—in Hollywood is on Ozempic. Or Mounjaro. Or Wegovy. Or any of the other myriad medication brands in the GLP-1 agonist drug class.

As celebrities continue to shrink, often far beyond what medical standards consider a “healthy” weight, it’s impossible not to wonder: Are people still taking GLP-1s, even after dropping so many pounds? And what risks would this pose?

The Shrinking Stars of Hollywood

Even as insiders and outside observers alike whisper about the widespread use of GLP-1s, relatively few famous people actually talk about taking them.

There are a few stars openly talk about their experiences on medication: Oprah, Amy Schumer, and Serena Williams, to name a few—and there are very few, and even fewer who aren’t financially affiliated with a company producing GLP-1s.

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As the drugs go mainstream, many people who could be medically categorized as “normal” or “underweight” according to their body mass index and therefore not considered eligible for prescriptions are nevertheless seeking them. (The concept of BMI itself is not without controversy; many experts dispute its value as an accurate measurement of an individual’s health.)

Layla Taylor, a 25-year-old influencer and model on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, initially got on the medication to shed the “stubborn weight” that she had struggled to lose.

A year later, the 5-foot-9 star weighed mere 99 pounds, but continued taking the drug.

“People don’t talk about how addicting this is,” she confessed during season four’s final episode, “and how hard it is to get off.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever be small enough in my head, and I know that it’s affecting me, and like I’m so exhausted all the time because I don’t eat, and my body hurts every night when I go to bed,” Taylor said. “And I know that it’s going too far, and I’m taking it too far, but I, like, can’t stop.”

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“I think that we have noticed that a lot of people are getting smaller,” Dr. Thea Gallagher, a clinical psychologist at NYU Langone Health, told me.

After a decade of many different body types getting public representation, Hollywood is moving towards the “heroin chic” body ideal of the ‘90s. “It has an impact on people, on what they think is beautiful and what they want to look like themselves,” Gallagher said.

“Thinness has historically been idealized in the entertainment and fashion industries,” said Dr. Priya Jaisinghani, a triple board-certified physician, endocrinologist, and obesity medicine expert, and a clinical assistant professor at NYU Langone Health.

Jaisinghani continued, “What has changed is that we now have highly effective pharmacologic tools that can lead to significant weight reduction.”

The shift from body acceptance to all bodies representing sample size aligns conveniently with the rise of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, known as GLP-1s. These drugs, sold under brand names like Ozempic and Mounjaro, suppress appetite and manage blood sugar by mimicking a hormone the body naturally produces.

The Risks of Taking Serious Medicine (Without Taking Them Seriously)

“Incretin therapies are indicated for living with overweight and a weight-related comorbidity or obesity,” Jaisinghani told The Looker. (Incretin treatments, which decrease blood glucose levels, include GLP-1 drugs.) Yet people who do not fit this candidate description are still getting the prescription.

“Unfortunately, some patients using online telehealth forums may be able to obtain medications or compounded formulations without seeing a provider or comprehensive medical evaluation,” she explained, calling the development “concerning.”

“GLP-1s are powerful metabolic medications—not cosmetic supplements,” Jaisinghani said. “When used outside clinical guidance, we lose the ability to appropriately screen for contraindications and monitor safety.”

What Happens When a Thin Person Goes on a GLP-1

The use of the drug solely for cosmetic purposes can have significant consequences.

“In an underweight individual, this can potentially further weight reduction, nutritional deficiencies, and even sequelae of living with underweight and malnutrition,” Jaisinghani warned.

These risks can include hormonal disruption, such as menstrual irregularities, decreased bone density, and loss of muscle mass.

Gallagher said that this can also have social implications, as individuals who have a history of an eating disorder or body dysmorphia “might feel good about something that actually is not good for them.”

“For some people that I’ve worked with, they have felt like wanting to be less social, because they don’t like necessarily eating in groups as much anymore, or they can’t eat as much anymore,” Gallagher said. “So going out to dinner might not be as fun or exciting, or might actually cause some stressors.”

Online, people talk about “microdosing” the drug—taking it in smaller doses or less regularly—and position it as a safer option for individuals who do not have a medical need for weight loss. But this self-guided form of administering medication is not advisable.

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“‘Microdosing’ does not equal ‘safe’ or ‘risk-free,’” Jaisinghani said. “If someone is considering microdosing, they should always speak to a physician first about their goals and what’s the best and safest way to achieve them.“

Gallagher reminded patients to connect with mental health professionals when they are struggling with difficulties related to weight, body image, or disordered eating.

“Taking this medication might bring up a lot for you,” she said. “Any people, especially women, have a challenging relationship with body image, shape, and weight, relationship to food, relationship to self-confidence. And these are all very layered and complex.”

“If you’re looking at celebrities and you’re feeling maybe triggered by seeing celebrities look really thin,” she suggested, “I think that’s also important to explore your values—what’s important to you and the relationship that you want to have with your body, and shape, and weight, and food.”

If you or a loved one is struggling with disordered eating, please reach out to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) at nationaleatingdisorders.org.

Roosa RahkonenReporter, The Looker

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