Even with diet and exercise, Ozempic use reduces perceived effort and praiseworthiness of resulting weight loss

Abstract

The injectable medication Ozempic (semaglutide) has demonstrated unprecedented effectiveness in promoting significant weight loss. However, its use has sparked moral debates, with critics dismissing it as a mere "shortcut" compared to traditional methods like diet and exercise. This study investigates how weight loss method—Ozempic, diet/exercise, or a combination of both—impacts perceptions of effort, praiseworthiness, and identity/value change. We used a contrastive vignette technique in two experiments (combined N = 1041, demographically representative for age, sex, and ethnicity) to study the attitudes of US participants toward a fictional character who lost 50 pounds through one of the three described methods. Weight loss through diet/ exercise alone was deemed most effortful and most praiseworthy, whereas Ozempic use, even when combined with diet/exercise, was rated as both less effortful and less praiseworthy than diet/exercise alone. Ozempic use with no mention of diet/exercise was rated as least effortful and least praiseworthy. Compared to diet and exercise alone, Ozempic use also decreased perceptions that the individual had really changed as a person, or experienced a change in their underlying values. We discuss potential implications, address study limitations, and provide suggestions for further work.