“I wish that my mother could have taken GLP-1s. Her entire world would have changed, and she would probably still be alive today. Remember, skeptics, obesity can be deadly.”

As a Viral Resident Writer at BuzzFeed, I cover politics, trending news, and pop culture through a lifestyle lens.

"So I went off the Ozempic, and the weight is still slowly coming off, but my A1C is slowly climbing back up again, too. According to my doctor, I am the third person she knows of who gained weight on these types of medications. It’s really rare, but yeah, it can happen."

"I experienced no muscle loss at all, but did strength training during the entire process while monitoring my body composition on my smart watch to maintain a consistent percentage. That's the most essential thing: do strength training so you're losing fat, not muscle. I wish I had known that some people get extreme fatigue at first, but I still wouldn't have done anything differently. I'm still surprised sometimes when I look in the mirror and see the size two me instead of the size 20 woman I had become, but that has gotten better with each passing year. It's definitely NOT a shortcut or taking the easy way out!"—Anonymous, 48, F, MN

"My insurance doesn’t cover most of what I take for perimenopause, and it sure doesn’t cover GLP-1s. But I’ll pay vanity prices for the rest of my life to stay on and maintain a normal weight. I had a consultation with a pain specialist for my nerve issue, and he also prescribes GLP-1s for these conditions. Being thinner helped lower my blood pressure, and, in general, I feel like myself for the first time in years. I still need some additional treatment for the nerve thing, but if I don’t get it, that’s still ok. These drugs should be affordable and more widely available. I have fewer side effects than people who take blood pressure medications. I wish someone had warned me that this would give me my old life back. I would have asked to take them way sooner."

"Yes, there were some negative side effects, but I hardly deal with them, and the overall benefits for my health outweigh the minor inconveniences. I’m very thankful for GLP-1 medication and what it’s done for my overall health. Hopefully, someday, insurance companies will realize that taking this medication may help keep me from having a heart attack or stroke, and they'll begin to cover the cost!"—Anonymous, 51, M, Kansas City, MO