Doctors, Patients Criticize Trump's 'Fat Shots' Label as 11% of U.S. Adults Now Use GLP-1s
Updated
Updated · HuffPost · Aug 1
Doctors, Patients Criticize Trump's 'Fat Shots' Label as 11% of U.S. Adults Now Use GLP-1s
3 articles · Updated · HuffPost · Aug 1
Summary
11% of U.S. adults now report taking GLP-1 drugs, and doctors and patients say Trump's repeated "fat shots" and "fat drugs" nicknames stigmatize users of medicines they describe as life-changing.
Physicians said the label miscasts GLP-1s as vanity weight-loss drugs even though they are prescribed for Type 2 diabetes, obesity, sleep apnea and heart-risk reduction.
Several respondents said Trump's language was less important than access, arguing Medicaid still often does not cover the medications and urging the administration and Congress to expand coverage.
Users offered mixed reactions—some called the remarks fatphobic and shame-inducing, while others said the drugs' benefits outweighed the rhetoric, citing major weight loss, pain relief and better blood-sugar control.
The backlash highlights a wider fight over obesity stigma as GLP-1 use has surged from 3% of American adults in 2024 to 11% now.