Culture Craze
Serena Williams Faces Backlash Over Weight Loss Drug Endorsement
A champion’s new role, a divided reaction
Serena Williams has spent her career redefining what strength and resilience look like on the tennis court. Now, the 23-time Grand Slam champion has stepped into a far more contentious arena: weight loss advertising.
In a new campaign for Ro, a US-based healthcare company, Williams demonstrates how she uses GLP-1 medication, an injectable treatment better known by brand names such as Ozempic and Mounjaro. The company is not unfamiliar to her family: her husband, Alexis Ohanian, Reddit co-founder, is both an investor and board member.
Williams, speaking in the ad and later to People magazine, admitted she was nervous about using the treatment. She described researching its benefits and risks extensively before starting. Eventually, she said she lost more than 31 pounds after beginning the injections.
The GLP-1 boom
GLP-1 drugs were originally designed to treat type 2 diabetes but have become a cultural flashpoint as celebrities and the wealthy turn to them for weight loss. They work by affecting the brain’s satiety signals, reducing appetite.
Williams’ participation has amplified existing debates. For many, she is not just another celebrity but a global icon of athleticism and empowerment. Seeing her promote a medication so closely tied to aesthetic weight loss has struck a nerve.
Social media speaks out
Reaction online has been swift and polarised. Some questioned whether a figure as seemingly healthy as Williams should even qualify for the treatment when many patients struggle to access it. Others expressed disappointment, saying it undermines what she has represented throughout her career.
One user wrote, “Seeing THE Serena Williams being used to sell weight loss products feels like an insult to everything Serena Williams stands for, even if she doesn’t see it that way.”
Another pointed out, “Promoting GLP-1 as a ‘health’ choice feels misleading. This is about appearance, not medical necessity.”
Others voiced more personal frustration, with one comment reading, “Seeing Serena Williams, a whole Olympic gold medallist, talk about finally losing weight just broke something in me.”
Beyond the court: a changing legacy
For supporters, Williams’ openness about her body after childbirth is refreshingly honest. For critics, it risks shifting her legacy from an athlete who shattered boundaries to a spokesperson for a contested pharmaceutical trend.
The ad has also raised questions about celebrity influence in healthcare marketing. Should sports heroes with massive cultural reach promote treatments that many people cannot easily access? Or is Williams simply sharing her own personal health journey in a transparent way?
The controversy is unlikely to end soon. What is clear is that Serena Williams, once again, has placed herself at the centre of a conversation much bigger than sport.
Also read: Ronaldo’s Rumoured Prenup with Georgina Rodriguez: What We Know, What We Don’t
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Source: IOL
Featured Image: NewsBreak
