There\u2019s a new kind of nosy parker on the rise in the United States, a person who thinks it\u2019s fine to blurt out \u201cAre you on Ozempic?\u201d to those they barely know. This is probably a reflection of how many Americans are taking this class of medications known as GLP-1 inhibitors. Twelve percent of adults in the United States have taken them at some point, according to a 2024 KFF Health Tracking Poll, and prescriptions have soared every year in the past decade.<\/p>\n
This class of medications includes tirzepatide (brand names Zepbound and Mounjaro) and semaglutide (Wegovy and Ozempic), and I know numerous friends and colleagues who take one. They have been lifesavers for many people with Type 2 diabetes or who want to lose weight for medical reasons. As with other medications, like Botox, some thorny social dilemmas have followed: Is it rude to ask if someone is taking one? And what do you say if someone asks you that question?<\/p>\n
Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. <\/a><\/p>\n (Full disclosure: I was prescribed a GLP-1 for a cluster of medical conditions: prediabetes, insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease.)<\/p>\n I talked to two physicians who prescribe the meds, two well-known advice columnists and two dozen GLP-1 users for their take on the big etiquette questions on the table. Here\u2019s what I learned.<\/p>\n – – –<\/p>\n Is it okay to ask someone if they\u2019re taking a GLP-1 inhibitor?<\/p>\n Two years ago, I reconnected with a former colleague who\u2019d lost so much weight I barely recognized him. My first thought was, \u201cDid he have cancer\u201d or \u201cWas something wrong?\u201d Lucky me, he beat me to the punch by confiding that he\u2019d been using Ozempic. While some of those on GLP-1 inhibitors say it doesn\u2019t bother them to be asked, Randy Jones, an author and podcast host, who is currently taking one, told me: \u201cI absolutely don\u2019t think people should be empowered to ask someone about their medications without an invitation to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n Lizzie Post, the great-great-granddaughter of etiquette guru Emily Post and co-president of the institute that bears her name, agrees, explaining the medications we take and the procedures we undergo are private. \u201cYou don\u2019t walk up to a friend and ask if they\u2019re on Botox,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Bottom line: Don\u2019t ask, mostly. (And it\u2019s probably a good idea to avoid speculating on social media about celebrities\u2019 mysterious weight loss, too. It\u2019s practically a sport for some people, but that doesn\u2019t make it okay.)<\/p>\n – – –<\/p>\n But I want to show I care. Isn\u2019t that a good reason?<\/p>\n Not really. Context matters, and you may not have all the details to navigate that tricky conversation without being offensive. A friend of mine, a pastor who is in front of a large congregation every Sunday, lost 52 pounds in nine months. She says she\u2019s been asked by just about everybody at one point or another, how she lost weight. While she appreciates the well-wishers who say, \u201cYou look great! Do you feel good?\u201d she also would prefer that people didn\u2019t make that big a deal out of it. For example, some people seem compelled to comment on her body every time they see her. \u201cAre you buying a whole new wardrobe?\u201d \u201cYou\u2019ve gotten so little.\u201d That gets under her skin because \u201cI don\u2019t like having my body size be the most interesting thing about me in their eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n David Wiss, a registered dietitian nutritionist who is based in Los Angeles and counsels patients on issues of weight and mental health, says he recommends avoiding \u201cbody talk\u201d of any kind. \u201cBody sovereignty describes the freedom and autonomy to make choices about your own body and health,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Carolyn Hax, the longtime Washington Post advice columnist, says that if you\u2019re just being nosy, there\u2019s no good way to ask. But if you\u2019ve struggled with weight yourself or know someone well enough to believe you can ask without giving offense, frame your question that way. Otherwise, Hax suggests, \u201cIf people look well, look happy, look great in that color, then by all means say that.\u201d But don\u2019t comment on their bodies.<\/p>\n Bottom line: As I\u2019ve often said, if it\u2019s curiosity that\u2019s driving you, curb it.<\/p>\n – – –<\/p>\n How should I respond if someone asks me this question?<\/p>\n Matt Hughes, a town commissioner in Hillsborough, North Carolina, told me he\u2019s hesitant to make the disclosure about using a GLP-1 because \u201cit\u2019s almost as if someone worked less hard to lose the weight,\u201d he said. Even if that\u2019s not your intention, asking people if they are taking a GLP-1 might be mistaken for \u201cOzempic shaming,\u201d which is when people are criticized or judged for taking a drug to lose weight rather than relying on diet and exercise, even though lifestyle changes don\u2019t work for the vast majority of people.<\/p>\n \u201cWeight stigma is deeply ingrained and almost unconscious,\u201d said Caroline Apovian, co-director of the Center for Weight Management and Wellness at Brigham and Women\u2019s Hospital. She reminded me that GLP-1s are treatments for medical conditions – just like those for high blood pressure, cancer or anything else – which can empower those to reply to intrusive queries by being direct, humorous or just deflecting the question.<\/p>\n Some snappy responses I\u2019ve heard include:<\/p>\n – \u201cIt\u2019s none of your business.\u201d<\/p>\n – \u201cI like to keep a little mystery.\u201d<\/p>\n – \u201cWho wants to know?\u201d<\/p>\n – And my personal favorite: \u201cMy weight is really not that interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n Bottom line: It\u2019s no one\u2019s business but your own, and you don\u2019t need to discuss your prescriptions with anyone but your doctor.<\/p>\n – – –<\/p>\n Are there new rules for dinner parties or sharing a restaurant tab?<\/p>\n People who start taking GLP-1s often experience major changes in appetite or have side effects like nausea, which can limit how much they want to eat. Some people find they are less interested in drinking alcohol as well.<\/p>\n That means in social situations, you may not be able to eat or drink like you have in the past. If you\u2019re dining at a friend\u2019s house and can\u2019t eat as much as you used to, a simple \u201cno, thank you\u201d should suffice – and a considerate host won\u2019t press the issue.<\/p>\n When dining out, there\u2019s the age-old dilemma about splitting the check: \u201cI only had a salad. You had a steak.\u201d Or, \u201cI don\u2019t drink alcohol, and you had three cocktails.\u201d When someone is having smaller portions or fewer courses, splitting a check can be even more difficult. Hax reminds people \u201cto be mindful of fairness and not hide behind expediency to get the \u2018sober dieting vegans\u2019 to cover their champagne and lobster.\u201d She also suggests \u201creading the room,\u201d which means sometimes you can get separate checks, or take half of your meal home, and sometimes you just overpay, for the pleasure of everyone\u2019s company.<\/p>\n Post also has some specific strategies, like telling friends you dine with regularly: \u201cHey guys, I\u2019m eating a lot less these days. Is it okay if I get my own check?\u201d Or offer to use check-sharing apps like Billr or Divvy so that all diners pay what they owe.<\/p>\n When I host, I\u2019ve started asking guests not only if they have any food allergies or preferences, but also: \u201cIs there anything else I need to know in preparing dinner?\u201d That allows room for someone to let me know either that they\u2019re on a GLP-1, or simply that they\u2019re only able to eat certain amounts or types of food these days. For that reason, I\u2019m also inclined to serve buffet style, letting everyone decide how much they want on their plate.<\/p>\n Bottom line: Be prepared to communicate your needs ahead of time and don\u2019t pry for details if a friend\u2019s eating habits change. I\u2019ve faced many well-meaning but intrusive questions myself, which is why I smiled when Hax told me: \u201cToo bad there isn\u2019t a GLP-1 for ignorance.\u201d<\/p>\n Related Content<\/p>\n Ukraine scrambles to roll back Russian eastern advance as summit takes place<\/a><\/p>\n Her dogs kept dying, and she got cancer. Then they tested her water.<\/a><\/p>\n