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%.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has dismissed media reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow ear...
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for greater economic cooperation among Muslim countries, saying their combined economic weight remai...
Indonesia deployed thousands of security personnel around parliament and other major cities on Thursday as students returned to the streets, one ye...
Rescuers in Nepal used helicopters on Thursday to scour for hundreds still missing after a wall of mud and rock collapsed into a river on the Himalayan border with China's Tibet, sending catastrophic floods through towns and valleys, killing 162 people.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allied foreign ministers Washington will focus on sanctions and other pressure on Iran “for the time being”, Axios reports. Meanwhile, Iran and Oman have resumed talks on a temporary shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for greater economic cooperation among Muslim countries, saying their combined economic weight remains disproportionately small compared with their population, strategic location and resources.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has dismissed media reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow earlier this week to warn Russia against attacking NATO, dismissing them as "scare stories," which had nothing to do with reality.
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 10 prisoners of war each in Belarus, Moscow's Human Rights Commissioner, Yana Lantratova, has said.
Country music legend Dolly Parton, whose songs, unmistakable style and warmth made her one of America’s most enduring entertainers, has died aged 80, her family said on Tuesday.
Kanye West’s first solo concert in Central Asia delivered an estimated five billion tenge ($11 million) tourism boost to Almaty, drawing 31,000 spectators from more than 50 countries.
American actress Hayden Panettiere, known for her roles in TV shows such as Nashville and Heroes, has died at the age of 36, ABC News reported on Sunday, citing her representative.
Four artworks by 15th-century painter Antonello da Messina have been stolen overnight from the Museo Regionale di Messina, Italy's culture minister said on Sunday, expressing confidence in the police inquiry.
Cristiano Ronaldo has given one of his clearest indications yet that his playing career is nearing its end, saying the 2026-27 season will “probably” be his last in professional football.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment