On Monday, actress Melissa McCarthy posted a photo on Instagram of herself wearing a seafoam green tiered dress at a gala she attended with director Adam Shankman. While the photo itself didn't cause much of an uproar, one comment (which happened to be from entertainer Barbra Streisand) did. It read, in part, “Did you take Ozempic?”
Screenshots of the comments began circulating shortly after, with many viewers criticizing Streisand for publicly questioning whether another celebrity was taking weight loss drugs. (Others wondered if Ms. Streisand was aware that the comment was posted where others could see it.) The comment has since been deleted.
On Tuesday afternoon, Streisand addressed the backlash. She posted on her Instagram and X account that she was on Instagram to see photos of flowers she received for her birthday. “Underneath was a photo of my friend Melissa McCarthy, with whom I sang on the 'Encore' album,” Streisand wrote. “She was amazing! I just wanted to give her her compliments. She forgot the world was reading!”
Ozempic is part of a relatively new class of drugs used to treat diabetes and obesity that has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. Although approved only for diabetes by the Food and Drug Administration, more and more people are using Ozempic off-label to lose weight. Researchers are investigating whether these drugs can treat a variety of other conditions, including sleep apnea, alcohol use disorder, and chronic kidney disease.
As the drug's popularity grows, so do the stresses of social etiquette and whether it's appropriate to ask a friend who looks thin if they're using drugs. For celebrities, the question is even more complicated. There are also stars who have created events by revealing that they are taking medication. There is probably no one more famous than Oprah Winfrey. Oprah Winfrey is taking weight loss pills and is “no longer embarrassed,” she announced in People magazine. She then hosted a prime-time special featuring her prejudice against her weight and new treatments. Elon Musk was one of her earliest supporters, and she tweeted in 2022 after being asked how she got “fit, ripped, and healthy” enough to take another drug, Wegoby. I wrote this:
Some experts worry that fixating on who is and isn't taking drugs can send harmful messages about bodies and weight. “It's not something people necessarily have to hide,” said Dr. Melanie Jay, director of the New York University Langone Obesity Comprehensive Program. “But it's also none of anyone's business.”
The exchange became popular because it “may be because it violates the evolving etiquette around eating, weight loss, and eating,” says Cornell University lecturer in American studies and author of “Food and Civilization.” said Dr. Adrian Bitter, author of “Illness.'' “Given the stigma against taking drugs to lose weight, publicly questioning whether a person would take Ozempic may seem like some kind of insult,” she added. Ta.
Kate Mann, associate professor of philosophy at Cornell University and author of the book “Unshrinking: How to Face Fatphobia,” said Streisand's comments were probably harmless. But even so, she says it represents a form of “surveillance” over McCarthy's body.
“She probably meant nothing wrong,” Dr. Manet said. “But that doesn't mean it's not harmful.”
McCarthy doesn't seem particularly troubled. Asked by TMZ on Tuesday if the comment crossed a line, McCarthy waved off the reporter, saying, “I think Barbra is a treasure to her and she loves her.” .
