A recent study suggests\u00a0GLP-1-related weight loss\u00a0may improve some women\u2019s relationships and employment status.<\/p>\n
Rebecca Diamond, professor of economics at Harvard University in Boston,\u00a0independently published research\u00a0that found an association between weight-loss medications and a change in women\u2019s social and economic outcomes.<\/p>\n
Diamond used the Understanding America Study, a panel survey from the University of Southern California, to compare women who started GLP-1s for weight loss to those who wanted to start but had not yet done so.<\/p>\n
The comparison considered body mass, health, income, employment, partnership status and\u00a0well-being\u00a0before treatment.<\/p>\n
The study\u00a0focused on women\u00a0because they are more likely to use GLP-1s than men<\/a>. It excluded people taking GLP-1 drugs for diabetes, as their use is driven by a medical condition rather than weight loss demand.<\/p>\n Women who successfully lost weight with GLP-1 medications experienced changes across several life outcomes, including employment,\u00a0marriage\u00a0and cohabitation, according to the study.<\/p>\n Marriage and cohabitation rose 29% for single women after about 18 months.<\/p>\n A new Harvard study suggests GLP-1 weight loss drugs may boost women\u2019s relationships and job prospects. Kateryna \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n Among women who were not employed at the start of the study, job prospects increased by 27% after the same amount of time. Those who were already employed did not display any clear upward progress in their careers, however.<\/p>\n Diamond argues that these findings suggest part of the \u201cfemale obesity penalty\u201d comes from how people are judged when being matched up, either in a new relationship or a new job.<\/p>\n Dr. Peter Balazs, a hormone and\u00a0weight loss\u00a0specialist from New York and New Jersey, commented on these findings.<\/p>\n Single women saw marriage and cohabitation rates rise 29% after about 18 months, according to the study. peopleimages.com \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n \u201cThe effects showed up during \u2018new match\u2019 situations, such as job interviews or dating and not within existing jobs or relationships,\u201d Balazs, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. \u201cThis says more about societal bias than it does about the medication itself.\u201d<\/p>\n Balazs said his patients often report feeling more confident and \u201cvisible\u201d after weight loss<\/a>, which could translate into better interview performance and networking.<\/p>\n