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🎧 Listen: Session 426 — Understanding GLP-1s · ▶️ Watch: TBG on YouTube
Few health topics have sparked as much conversation — and as much judgment — as GLP-1 medications. You’ve probably seen the headlines, the before-and-after photos, the opinions flying around your group chat and your timeline. And underneath all the noise, a lot of us are quietly wrestling with deeper questions: questions about our bodies, our health, our worth, and a lifetime of messages telling us that weight is simply a matter of willpower.
In Session 426 of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast, Dr. Joy Harden Bradford welcomes Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford — an obesity medicine physician-scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School — for a refreshingly compassionate conversation about weight, health, and healing. As one of the few Black women leading research in this field, Dr. Stanford brings both rigorous science and a deep understanding of what Black women in particular carry when it comes to our bodies.
Obesity Is a Disease, Not a Moral Failing
Let’s start with the idea that reframes everything else: obesity is a chronic disease, not a personal failing or a lack of discipline. For so long, the cultural script has been that body weight comes down to “calories in, calories out” and sheer willpower — and that if you’re struggling, you simply aren’t trying hard enough. That story has caused enormous shame, and it isn’t accurate.
The body has powerful biological systems that regulate weight, including hormones, genetics, and brain signals that influence hunger and fullness. These systems can work against a person’s conscious efforts, which is part of why weight is so much more complicated than “just eat less and move more.” Understanding this isn’t about giving up on health. It’s about replacing shame with science — and meeting ourselves with honesty instead of harsh judgment.
How GLP-1 Medications Actually Work
GLP-1 medications have become a major part of this conversation, and it helps to understand what they actually do. GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) is a hormone the body naturally produces that plays a role in regulating blood sugar and appetite. These medications work by mimicking that hormone — helping to regulate blood sugar, slow digestion, and reduce appetite by influencing the body’s hunger and fullness signals.
In other words, these medications work with the body’s biology, not by overriding willpower. They were first developed in the context of type 2 diabetes and have since been studied and used for weight management as well. Like any medication, they come with potential benefits and side effects, and they’re not a fit for everyone — which is exactly why decisions about them belong in a conversation with a qualified medical provider who knows your full health picture.
Why It’s Time to Move Beyond BMI
For decades, BMI (body mass index) has been treated as the headline measure of health. But BMI was never designed to capture the full story of an individual’s wellbeing. It doesn’t distinguish muscle from fat, it doesn’t account for where weight is carried, and it doesn’t reflect the many factors — like metabolic health, fitness, and lab markers — that actually shape how healthy a person is.
This matters deeply for Black women, who have too often been reduced to a number on a chart and then dismissed. A more complete picture of health looks at the whole person, not a single ratio. Moving beyond BMI is part of moving toward care that actually sees us.
The Weight We Carry Goes Beyond the Scale
One of the most affirming threads in this episode is the acknowledgment that, for Black women, health is never just biological — it’s also social and emotional. Chronic stress, systemic barriers, and generational experiences can show up in our bodies in ways that traditional medicine has often overlooked or ignored entirely.
That means caring for your body isn’t only about food and movement. It’s also about tending to your nervous system, your stress, your rest, and the weight of simply living in a world that hasn’t always cared for you well. Whatever you decide about medication or any other tool, you deserve healthcare that takes your full lived experience seriously.
Gentle Takeaways as You Navigate This
- Release the shame. Your body size has never been a measure of your character, your discipline, or your worth.
- Get individualized care. GLP-1s aren’t right for everyone. Talk with a trusted, knowledgeable medical provider about your specific health, history, and goals.
- Ask questions. You’re allowed to understand how a medication works, what the benefits and risks are, and what other options exist.
- Tend to the whole you. Stress, sleep, movement, nourishment, and mental health are all part of the picture — not just the number on the scale.
- Choose from a place of care, not punishment. Whatever you decide, let it come from wanting to care for your body, not from wanting to fix or shrink yourself to be acceptable.
Listen to the Full Conversation
This episode is a balm for anyone who’s ever felt judged by the healthcare system or by their own inner critic. Dr. Joy and Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford bring science, nuance, and genuine warmth to a topic that desperately needs all three.
Tune in to Session 426: Understanding GLP-1s wherever you listen to the Therapy for Black Girls podcast. However you choose to care for your body, may you do it from a place of compassion. You deserve nothing less.
This post is for general information and education only and is not medical advice. Please talk with a qualified healthcare provider about decisions related to your health.
