Archive · 6 Aug 2026
Serena Williams Defends GLP-1 Weight-Loss Drug Use; Doctors Urge Caution
Serena Williams is one of the greatest tennis players ever.
She recently told the world that she used a special medicine called Zepbound to get healthier and lose weight.
The medicine helped her lose 34 pounds so she could play professional tennis again.
She said she did it for her health after having a baby, not just to look different.
Zepbound is a type of GLP-1 medicine that doctors use to help people with serious weight problems.
Doctors say this medicine is not a magic trick or a quick fix.
It works best when people also eat healthy food and get regular exercise.
It must be given by a doctor because it can cause side effects like feeling sick.
Doctors also say that being very overweight is a health problem, not something to be ashamed of.
They hope Serena's openness will help people talk about obesity in a kinder, more scientific way.
Serena Williams revealed she used Zepbound (tirzepatide) to lose 34 pounds after stepping away from professional tennis for four years.
Williams said her decision was driven by a desire to improve her health after pregnancy, not for cosmetic reasons.
Doctors say GLP-1 medications are prescription therapies, not shortcuts, and work best alongside diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes.
Experts recommend GLP-1 drugs mainly for people with a BMI of 30 or higher, or a BMI of 27 or higher with obesity-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, or obstructive sleep apnoea.
Doctors emphasize that obesity is a chronic metabolic disorder, not a lack of willpower, and medications should only be used under medical supervision due to side effects.
- Who
- Serena Williams, 23-time Grand Slam tennis champion, with expert commentary from Dr. Sanjay Verma of Fortis Hospital, Okhla, and Dr. Nishant Raizada of Amrita Hospital, Faridabad.
- What
- Williams openly defended her use of the GLP-1 weight-loss medication Zepbound (tirzepatide), which helped her lose 34 pounds, reigniting discussion about obesity treatment and the stigma around anti-obesity drugs.
- When
- Not specified in the article, beyond her recent return to professional tennis after a four-year absence.
- Where
- Not specified; expert commentary came from doctors at hospitals in India (Fortis Hospital, Okhla, and Amrita Hospital, Faridabad).
- Why
- To improve her health after pregnancy and regain the fitness needed to compete at the highest level, rather than for cosmetic reasons.
Medical & Scientific View
Stigma & Skepticism View
GLP-1 drugs: treatment or shortcut?
Medical & Scientific View
Doctors say GLP-1 medications are legitimate prescription therapies for obesity that can be highly effective for eligible patients and should be judged on evidence.
Stigma & Skepticism View
Some people view anti-obesity drugs as an easy shortcut or cosmetic quick fix, and experts warn that people wanting weight loss for cosmetic reasons alone should not self-medicate.
Obesity: disease or lack of willpower?
Medical & Scientific View
Experts say obesity is a chronic metabolic disorder that needs treatment, not judgement, and that believing it reflects poor self-control is incorrect.
Stigma & Skepticism View
One of the biggest misconceptions highlighted in the article is that obesity reflects a lack of willpower, a view that fuels stigma around anti-obesity drugs.
Will GLP-1 drugs replace bariatric surgery?
Medical & Scientific View
Some people wonder whether GLP-1 drugs will make bariatric surgery unnecessary.
Stigma & Skepticism View
Bariatric surgeons say medication and surgery are complementary, not competing options, with surgery remaining the most effective long-term treatment for severe obesity.
- Athlete
- Serena Williams, 23-time Grand Slam champion
- Medication
- Zepbound (tirzepatide), a GLP-1 receptor agonist
- Weight lost
- 34 pounds
- Stated reason
- Health improvement after pregnancy, not cosmetic
- Time away from tennis
- Four years
- Prescription criteria
- BMI of 30 or higher, or BMI of 27 or higher with obesity-related conditions
- Common side effects
- Nausea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal discomfort
- Medical view of obesity
- A chronic metabolic disorder, not a lack of willpower