Serena Williams loses 31 lbs, becomes face of blockbuster weight loss drugs: How do they impact women and what caveats do they need to follow?

Tennis Grand Slam champion Serena Williams has not only admitted that a GLP-1 medication helped her shed 31 pounds (14 kg) after the birth of her child, she has also become a spokesperson for a healthcare company, professing that the drug helped her when nothing else did. “As an athlete and as someone that has done everything, I just couldn’t get my weight to where I needed to be at a healthy place — and believe me, I don’t take shortcuts,” she says in the promotional video, while taking an injectable.

Williams, a mother of two daughters, said she has been on a GLP-1 medication after the birth of her second child. “As a woman, you go through different cycles in your life… No matter what I did — running, walking, I would walk for hours because they say that’s good, I literally was playing a professional sport…Then, after my second kid, it just even got harder. So then I was like, OK, I have to try something different,” she was quoted as saying.

Of course, the fact that her husband is one of the investors in the healthcare company sparked conversations online about whether it was a sales spiel and whether an athlete, used to regular workouts, really needed a weight loss drug. “Athletes often gain weight after they stop playing sports because they typically continue to eat a high-calorie diet but their significantly lower physical activity and reduced exercise regimen lead to a calorie imbalance and increased fat storage. That transition takes time. Besides, post-pregnancy, women are more prone to weight gain. Some even have genetic history,” says Dr Richa Chaturvedi, endocrinologist at Apollo Hospital, Delhi.

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What is GLP-1 medication?

This class of weight loss drug works by mimicking a hormone that the body produces after eating, leading to reduced appetite and feeling full more quickly. “The medications are also prescribed for diabetes because they trigger the release of insulin by the pancreas. Semaglutide has demonstrated an average weight loss of about 12 per cent in clinical trials. Tirzepatide, which is a combination of GLP1 and the fat-regulating GIP mimic, has shown the highest average weight loss, 18 per cent and more,” says Dr Chaturvedi. Williams had said sometime ago that she was taking Zepbound, which is made of tirzepatide, an injectable prescription drug.

Isn’t a celebrity endorsing GLP1 medication through an advertisement normalising random use? Is this safe?

“Many celebrities have spoken of using weight loss medication. There is available literature on the subject. As long as the user goes into a regime with full knowledge of side effects and follows the guidance of their doctor, using such medication is safe,” says Dr Chaturvedi. However, she warns that results are entirely individual and may vary from person to person, the medication is not a magic pill and needs intensive diet, exercise and sleep regime to support the weight loss. “Medication is the first push to shed weight, sustaining is your effort without which weight regain is a reality,” she adds.

Do women respond better to weight loss drugs?

Yes, they do. A study found that women with heart failure lost more weight on semaglutide than men. “Why it happens is still under study but many experts believe women may have more subcutaneous fat compared to visceral fat, and GLP-1s could be more effective on one type of fat than the other. Some say higher levels of estrogen in women may play a role in enhanced weight loss,” says Dr Chaturvedi.

GLP-1 medication has shown positive effects on menstrual regularity and improvements in hormonal balance in women by enhancing insulin sensitivity and reducing androgen levels.

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Can women with thyroid issues take GLP 1 medication?

Dr Chaturvedi says it is safe for those with common conditions like hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism as the drug doesn’t directly affect thyroid hormone production. “However, those with a family history of thyroid cancer should not take it at all. If thyroid hormone levels are not well-managed, adjust your daily medication to do so before going on weight loss drugs,” she says.

Any other guardrails?

Watch out for muscle loss. “Most studies have varied the range of muscle loss from 15% to 40%. So have lean proteins in your diet and support the drug regime with strength training exercises,” says Dr Chaturvedi.

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