Tennis star Serena Williams is at the heart of a controversy surrounding women’s bodies, body positivity, and the use of GLP 1 products for weight loss.
The athlete who retired from Tennis in 2022 came under fire after her recent commercial in conjunction with Telehealth company Ro aired on Thursday.
She revealed for the first time that after struggling to lose post-baby weight, the GLP-1 treatments helped her lose 31 pounds (14 kg)
In the commercial, Williams said “they say GLP 1 is for weight loss, it's not” adding that “after kids this is the medicine my body needed”.
She had earlier shared her struggle with losing weight with People Magazine saying "I never was able to get to the weight I needed to be no matter what I did, no matter how much I trained."
Body positive groups have accused her of undoing years of work aimed at women, telling them that it was ok to take time to get back in shape after childbirth.
A comment on the star’s IG page says “The messaging here is so wrong coming from an athlete like her and very dangerous for society”.
Another user attributed Serena’s involvement with the company to her husband’s ties with the same telehealth organization.
Ro said Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of social media site Reddit, is an investor in the company and serves on its board.
A spokesperson for the company told Reuters that "Serena knows people may be surprised to learn that she would use a GLP-1, and that’s exactly why we think she is the perfect person to share her story,"
The company also posted a photo of Williams on its Instagram page captioned “Spotted 📸 @serenawilliams takes to the streets: she’s on Ro and proud of it”.
GLP-1 drugs promote weight loss by reducing appetite and causing the stomach to empty more slowly. Novo Nordisk's NOVOb.CO Wegovy and Eli Lilly's LLY.N Zepbound have been shown to reduce weight by around 20%.
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