Harvard Researchers Discovered This Surprising Link For Women Who Went on a GLP-1

5 min readNew research found that women were more likely to get a job and get married after going on a GLP-1.Researchers noticed a big change within 1.5 years of starting the medication.Experts say the reality of the findings is complicated.An arsenal of research released over the past few years has made it clear that going on a GLP-1 medication like Ozempic or Zepbound can do dramatic things for your health. While the meds are popularly associated with weight loss for those who are obese or overweight, emerging research suggests they may also have unintended benefits linked to everything from fertility to skin conditions. But while data clearly show that people can lose a significant amount of weight on these medications, the real-world implications of that—and how it impacts a person’s day-to-day life—tend to get lost in the shuffle.Now, a new paper from Harvard University is breaking down the potential impact of going on a GLP-1 on a woman’s romantic life and career opportunities, with some interesting findings. The paper suggests that women are associated with greater odds of getting married and getting a job after going on one of these medications.It’s easy to decide you’re ready to give up on society after that nugget of information, and the researcher says your automatic assumption of what could be behind that link is likely accurate. But doctors who treat patients who take these medications say the reality is more complicated. Here’s why.Meet the experts: Richard Siegel, MD, co-director of the Diabetes and Lipid Center at Tufts Medical Center and endocrinologist at Tufts Medicine Weight & Wellness Center–Stoneham; Thea Gallagher, PsyD, clinical associate professor of psychology at NYU Langone Health; and Mir Ali, MD, medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California.What did the study find?The research is actually a working paper published by Harvard economist Rebecca Diamond in the National Bureau of Economic Research. (A working paper breaks down preliminary research, but isn’t peer-reviewed or published yet.)For her work, Diamond analyzed data from the Understanding America Study, which collects quarterly information from people on their GLP-1 use, job status, marriage status, and a bunch of mental and physical health metrics. Diamond specifically focused on women because there wasn’t a huge sample size of men on GLP-1s.After crunching the data, Diamond found that single women had a 28.6 percent increase in odds of marrying or moving in with a partner after 1.5 years on a GLP-1. Those who were unemployed saw their odds of getting a job increase by 26.9 percentage points after 1.5 years of taking the medication. Women who were already married or had jobs before they started GLP-1s didn’t report any significant changes to their relationship or employment status.What’s behind this link?There could be a few things going on here. Diamond did a deep-dive into the participants’ responses about depression, loneliness, and life satisfaction before and after starting these medications and found that women didn’t report much of a change in these areas. As a result, she didn’t think that could explain changes in relationships or job status.She also pointed out that the increased odds of landing a job didn’t seem to sync up with mood or productivity, since women who already had jobs before taking these medications didn’t report more hours at work or promotions.“You might expect if you're just more motivated and more excited about taking on new things, you might have seen some increase in those metrics. But we don't see that,” Diamond said in a statement. Instead, she said that change may be due to a “first impression.” Meaning, employers and would-be partners are really being that superficial.However, doctors who treat patients on GLP-1s say there may be more to the story than the data explores. “We see patients who have an improvement in their overall quality of life,” says Mir Ali, MD, medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California.He points out that many of his patients with obesity find that they feel better and are able to do more once they lose weight on a GLP-1. “They’re able to expand what they were able to do before,” he says. “We see a change in quality of life and improvement in overall health.”Richard Siegel, MD, co-director of the Diabetes and Lipid Center at Tufts Medical Center and endocrinologist at Tufts Medicine Weight & Wellness Center–Stoneham, also says there may be a downstream effect from taking these medications. He points out that many of his patients on GLP-1s have more confidence and energy. “As weight comes down, wardrobes may be updated, which may also improve individual body image and confidence,” he says. “I find that these lifestyle adjuvants—medication, surgery, support from providers or a program—may help people to adhere to the best nutrition and activity.”Most of Dr. Siegel’s patients are women, too. “The majority of my patients feel well and happy with the entire program, especially when they see improvements in hard health outcomes,” he says.With that said, it may be that something about this research doesn’t capture all of the perks of going on a GLP-1. Meaning, people may end up feeling healthier and better overall in a way this data didn’t capture—which could make them more attractive and confident, whether it’s on the job search or in relationships. It’s just hard to know for sure.There is some helpful takeaway here.One big thing to keep in mind is that healthcare providers don’t want you to go on a GLP-1 in hopes of changing your relationship or employment status. “I’d caution against interpreting this as evidence that thinness causes happiness or relationship success,” says Thea Gallagher, PsyD, clinical associate professor of psychology at NYU Langone Health.But Gallagher admits that the reality of this can be complicated. “If someone loses weight and feels more confident, they may carry themselves differently, make more eye contact, or be more willing to put themselves out there,” she says. “At the same time, we can’t ignore the uncomfortable reality that people living in larger bodies often face documented bias in hiring and dating. Those two things can both be true.”Experts stress that people should only go on a GLP-1 when prescribed for approved indications. “The goal is to help patients achieve a healthy weight, so they can avoid all of the medical issues associated with being overweight, not so they can get a job or move forward in a relationship, ” Dr. Ali says.Carina Hsieh, MPH, is the deputy features editor of Women’s Health. She has more than a decade’s worth of experience working in media and has covered everything from beauty, fashion, travel, lifestyle, pets, to health. She began her career as an intern in the fashion closet at Cosmopolitan where she worked her way up to Senior Sex & Relationships Editor. While covering women’s health there, she discovered her passion for health service journalism and took a break to get her Masters in Public Health. Post-grad school, she worked as a freelance writer and as The Daily Beast’s first Beauty, Health, and Wellness Reporter. Carina is an alum of the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Yale School of Public Health. She and her French Bulldog, Bao Bao, split their time between Brooklyn and Connecticut. She enjoys reformer Pilates, (slow) running, and smelling the fancy toiletries in boutique fitness class locker rooms.