GLP-1 weight loss linked to higher marriage and employment for some
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A recent study suggests that GLP-1-induced weight loss may improve the relationships and employment status of some women.
Rebecca Diamond, an economics professor at Harvard University in Boston, independently published research that found an association between weight-loss medications and change in women’s social and economic outcomes.
Using the Understanding America Study, a panel study from the University of Southern California, Diamond compared women who started GLP-1s for weight loss with those who wanted to start but had not yet started.
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The comparison took into account body mass, health, income, employment, partnership status and well-being before treatment.
The study focused on women because they are more likely to use GLP-1 than men. People taking GLP-1 medications for diabetes were excluded because their use was due to a medical condition rather than a desire to lose weight.
According to the findings, women who started GLP-1s for weight loss and were successful in losing weight experienced changes in their relationship and work situations. (iStock)
According to the study, women who successfully lost weight with GLP-1 medications experienced changes in several life outcomes, including employment, marriage and cohabitation.
The rate of marriage and cohabitation among single women increased by 29% after approximately 18 months.
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Among women who were not working at the beginning of the study, job expectations increased by 27% at the end of the same period. Those currently employed did not show clear progress in their careers.
These findings suggest that part of the “obesity penalty in women” stems from how people are evaluated when they’re matched in a new relationship or a new job, Diamond said.
One doctor suggested the findings had “more to do with social prejudice than the drug itself.” (iStock)
Hormone and weight loss expert Dr. from New York and New Jersey. Peter Balazs commented on these findings.
“The effects occurred not in existing jobs or relationships, but in ‘new match’ situations such as job interviews or dating,” Balazs, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. “This says more about societal bias than the drug itself.”
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Balazs said his patients often report feeling more confident and “visible” after losing weight, which can translate to better interview performance and networking.
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“Weight loss (usually) increases confidence, which opens the door to new business and relationship opportunities,” he continued. “Weight loss also has hormonal effects, so the normalization of hormones and the profound metabolic and psychological relief that comes with it may also be a factor.”
“Weight loss (usually) increases confidence, which opens the door to new business and relationship opportunities,” said one expert. (iStock)
Dr., a plastic surgeon at Blechman Plastic Surgery in New York. Many patients seek breast lift or body contouring after significant GLP-1 weight loss and then find themselves “reconnecting with life,” Krishna Vyas told Fox News Digital in a separate interview.
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“This trust effect is real in the exam room,” said the surgeon, who was not involved in the research. “But this study showed no significant improvements in depression, loneliness, or life satisfaction, even though marriage and employment rates increased dramatically.”
“Opportunities have opened up, but women did not report feeling better, suggesting that it is largely the gatekeepers who are changing, not the women.”
Potential limitations
Because this was an observational study rather than a randomized clinical trial, it could only show an association, not cause and effect. The author also acknowledged that the findings were considered preliminary because the article had not yet been peer-reviewed.
“Also, since the study only looked at women, this introduces another layer of potential bias,” Balazs said. “I would like to see whether the findings would be the same if the study included men or compared them directly.”
“Weight loss also has hormonal effects, so the normalization of hormones and the deep metabolic and psychological relief that comes with it may also be a factor,” said one expert. (iStock)
The expert noted that another limitation was that the information received from the individuals examined was self-reported.
The researchers also couldn’t determine whether people who found new jobs made more money.
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“Also, although GLP-1 users appear to have better outcomes on paper, they do not report greater satisfaction with life overall,” Balazs added. “This raises important questions about whether these external changes translate into meaningful improvements in well-being.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the study investigator and multiple human resources organizations requesting comment.
