Wegovy and Weight Loss Drugs: A Clinical Psychologist’s Perspective on Health, Harm, and the Culture We Live In
With Wegovy - a high-dose weight loss version of semaglutide - now available in New Zealand pharmacies, many people are wondering: Is this a new solution to an old problem? Or another chapter in our culture’s relentless pursuit of thinness?
As a clinical psychologist specialising in eating disorders and body image, I want to offer a perspective that is both clinically informed and compassionate. Because this issue isn’t black and white. It lives in the grey - in the real, messy lives of people trying to feel safe, accepted, and well in a culture that too often tells them they’re not enough.
Why Are People Turning to Weight Loss Drugs?
Let’s be honest - if you live in a larger body in Aotearoa (or anywhere, really), you’ve probably experienced stigma, discrimination, or even abuse because of your size. Whether it’s a doctor who dismisses your symptoms, a stranger who comments on your lunch, or a shop assistant who pretends you’re invisible - the message is often the same: You need to change.
So when a medication like Wegovy promises dramatic weight loss, it makes complete sense that people are interested - even hopeful.
Sometimes it’s about health. Sometimes it’s about fitting into a world that wasn’t designed for your body. Sometimes it’s about wanting to avoid shame, abuse, or exclusion - and that’s valid.
Choosing a medication like Wegovy doesn’t mean someone is vain or weak. It often means they’ve run out of options, or simply want to move through the world with a little less pain.
I will never shame or judge anyone for making that choice.
But Here’s What Concerns Me
While weight loss drugs may seem like a new tool for improving health, they often reinforces the same old story: that the solution lies in changing you, not the culture.
From a clinical perspective, there are risks - especially for those vulnerable to eating disorders, body image distress, or compulsive exercise. Medications that suppress appetite or cause rapid weight loss can mimic or trigger disordered eating behaviours, particularly in people with a history of dieting or food anxiety.
And what happens when the medication stops working, or you stop taking it? Research shows that most people regain the weight - not because they’ve failed, but because the body fights back against weight loss. And that cycle of loss and regain is not only emotionally exhausting - it can be physically and psychologically harmful.
This Isn’t Just About Individual Choice - It’s About Systemic Failure
We’re living in a society where:
Fast food outlets outnumber fresh food grocers in low-income suburbs
Nutritious food is increasingly unaffordable
Medical appointments are rushed, weight-focused, and often dismissive of complex needs
Mental health care is difficult to access unless you’re in crisis
And instead of regulating food advertising, addressing the cost of living, or investing in compassionate healthcare, we’re offered another pharmaceutical solution - one that shifts the responsibility back onto individuals to make themselves “acceptable.”
This is not a failure of willpower.
This is a failure of policy, of public health leadership, and of collective care.
My Message to You
If you’re taking Wegovy or considering it, I see you. You’re doing your best in a system that often sets you up to struggle. Your reasons are valid, and you deserve healthcare that treats you with respect, not suspicion.
But I also want to raise awareness of the potential risks, especially for those with a history of disordered eating or body image concerns. Weight loss may seem like the solution, but it rarely addresses the root issue: a culture that tells you your worth is tied to your size.
You don’t need to change your body to deserve respect, health, or happiness.
And if you’ve struggled with food or body image and want support, you’re not alone - and help is available.