Flashback to when 46-year-old Mama Z nearly broke the internet by running the family 1-mile fun run at 40 weeks pregnant and 3 days overdue. That race reached 5 million views and 50K likes. Watch the short clip and join the conversation on Facebook, or on Instagram.
This reel also brought a lot of backlash from people who thought our message was meant to shame them. It wasn’t. The message was never, “Do what we do.” It was, “Do not let fear, labels, age, trends, or the world’s expectations steal the joy and strength God put in your body.”
This is why the GLP-1 conversation matters so much to us. Your body is not a vanity project. It is stewardship.
The Conversation We Started, and the One We Want to Continue Today
In Why Christians Can’t Lose Weight, we opened with Romans 12 and the conversation most Christians have felt in their bodies but have not heard named clearly from the pulpit.
Because Romans 12 says be transformed, not follow every piece of health advice you read online, and to also question what your doctor recommends so you better understand the risks and benefits of following their advice.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. — Romans 12:1-2
We said weight is not only a willpower issue, even though willpower, discipline, and self-control still matter.
We said the modern Christian body is carrying a full bucket: refined sugar, ultra-processed food, inflammatory inputs, synthetic fragrance, sleep debt, chronic stress, and years of confusion about what stewardship actually means.
We said the Church has been mostly silent while Christian families have been discipled by Big Food, Big Pharma, Big Business, Big Tech, and modern marketing.
And we said this plainly: appetite suppression is not the same thing as Biblical transformation.
That is where today’s GLP-1 conversation begins.
First off the data, because you are sold to…
For obesity treatment alone, GLP-1s are already a massive industry.
Current 2026 estimates put the global anti-obesity drug market around $30 to $34 billion, with analysts projecting roughly $100 to $150 billion annually within the next 5-10 years.
In the U.S., realistic current-use estimates appear to be around 11% of U.S. adults currently using GLP-1 weight-loss medications, with forecasts pointing toward roughly 25 to 30 million U.S. patients by 2030 to 2035.
GLP-1 obesity drugs are not merely a medical trend. They are becoming one of the most lucrative pharmaceutical markets in the world.
And this data doesn’t count “gray market” generic brands that bring up an entirely different concern.
The “official” GLP-1 market is only part of the story. A gray market has exploded around compounded, copycat, and unapproved GLP-1 products, including semaglutide, tirzepatide, and even retatrutide sold online as “research use only” or “not for human consumption.”
It’s estimated that 18% of current users taking compounded or custom-mixed versions and the FDA has since warned that unapproved GLP-1 products cannot be verified for quality, safety, or efficacy.
The FDA has also said some companies are mass-marketing non-FDA-approved compounded GLP-1s as alternatives to approved drugs, and the agency is moving to restrict these practices as supply stabilizes.
In other words, the GLP-1 boom is bigger than the branded-drug market. It now includes a shadow market of cheaper copycats, compounded formulas, online peptide sellers, and “wellness” clinics meeting demand faster than regulators can keep up.
Need a quiet moment with God before you dive in? Start with this short prayer…
GLP-1 is not a bad word.
It is not a pharmaceutical invention. Your body already makes GLP-1, or glucagon-like peptide-1, every time you eat.
It is a hormone released from the gut that helps signal fullness, stimulate glucose-dependent insulin release, slow stomach emptying, and regulate appetite. Naturally secreted GLP-1 is broken down quickly by DPP-4, with a half-life of only minutes.
That is part of the brilliance of God’s design. The signal rises when food comes in.
The body responds. The signal clears.
The next meal brings the next pulse.
The synthetic version changes that timeline.
GLP-1 receptor agonists were designed to mimic or amplify that natural pathway in a longer-lasting way. And there are legitimate medical uses for them, especially in diabetes care and in certain cases of severe metabolic dysfunction.
We are not telling anyone to stop medication. We are not judging anyone who is currently taking it.
And we thank God for wise physicians who use medication carefully, thoughtfully, and with a plan.
But the question Christians need to ask is deeper than, “Can this move the scale?”
The better question is: “What is this actually doing, what is it not doing, and am I being led toward freedom, stewardship, and transformation, or managed into long-term dependence?”
Paul gives us the category:
“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything.” — 1 Corinthians 6:12
That verse belongs at the center of the GLP-1 conversation.
Because the issue is not merely whether a medication is allowed. The issue is whether the medication is being used wisely, with full informed consent, while the deeper work is actually being done.
Here is what that manifesto argued, and what this report now takes further:
GLP-1 drugs may suppress appetite, but they do not remove the refined sugar, ultra-processed foods, fragrance chemicals, sleep debt, chronic cortisol, and spiritual confusion that filled the bucket in the first place.
Clinical trials show meaningful weight loss for many people while they are taking the medication, but withdrawal data also shows significant regain after stopping. In the STEP 1 extension, participants regained about two-thirds of the weight they had lost within one year after stopping semaglutide and lifestyle intervention.
The side-effect conversation is longer than the commercials suggest. The current label carries a boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors based on rodent data, and warnings for acute pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, acute kidney injury related to volume depletion, severe gastrointestinal reactions, diabetic retinopathy complications in patients with type 2 diabetes, and other concerns.
The body-composition question matters too. Some earlier analyses raised concern that a notable portion of weight lost may be lean mass, although newer reporting suggests the muscle-loss story is more nuanced and may include changes in liver size, water, and other lean tissues, not only skeletal muscle. That does not remove the concern. It means Christians need a more careful conversation, especially for women, older adults, and anyone already at risk for frailty.
So today we are not asking, “Are GLP-1s evil?”
That is the wrong question.
We are asking:
“Are Christian families being handed appetite suppression while no one helps them repent, renew, remove, replenish, rest, restore, and revive?”
“Why is the prescription pad moving faster than the lifestyle inventory?”
“If the drug stops fighting the body’s biology the day the drug stops, what is the plan for the kitchen, the pantry, the body care drawer, the sleep schedule, the stress load, and the heart?”
“What does Biblical transformation require that a medication cannot do for you?”
That is the conversation we started in Why Christians Can’t Lose Weight.
Today, we take the next step.
“I’m grateful to be here, receiving encouragement, recipes, and whole-body transformation. Even after trying times, I trust you and Mama Z. The spiritual aspect completes the system: body, soul, and spirit.”
— Ellen D.
Before the Internet Misreads This
Kimberly’s testimony is not an instruction to stop, reduce, replace, or change any prescription medication. Medication can be life-saving, and no one should make medication changes, especially psychiatric medication changes, without working directly with the prescribing physician.
Her story matters for a different reason: it shows what thoughtful medical care should look like. Medication when needed.
Root causes addressed when possible. Wise reevaluation over time.
That is not anti-medicine. That is medicine practiced with wisdom.
Kimberly worked toward her goal under physician guidance while making broader lifestyle changes. And the unsung hero here is her medical doctor, who walked with her through the process instead of simply handing her a lifetime refill and calling that care.
That should be the standard in medicine.
Why?
Because every medication carries tradeoffs. Every one.
In the defense of the medical community, our culture has come to expect and even demand lifelong reliance on pharmaceuticals as a replacement for doing the hard work and lifestyle changes necessary to get well for many preventable health conditions.
Especially when it comes to their weight and the lifelong commitment to being on GLP-1s…
And please note: We are not judging you if you currently take GLP-1s. That decision belongs between you, your doctor, and the Lord, and we pray you have wisdom, peace, and good medical guidance as you care for your health.
But if you have been struggling with your weight and feel convicted not to sign up for a lifelong commitment to GLP-1s, we hope this article gives you reassurance. You are not crazy for asking deeper questions.
You are not behind because you want to pursue root-cause healing first.
And if your plan is to take GLP-1s for a brief season to get through a difficult stretch, we understand. Just be careful.
Ask better questions. Read the fine print.
Think beyond the first 15 pounds. Do not romanticize what you see from loved ones, influencers, commercials, or online testimonials that make everything sound simple.
Because the scale is not the whole story.
“Thank you so much for everything you all do, and especially today for the Scriptures. I really needed those today.”
— Mary G.
Live on The 700 Club for The Essential Oils Apothecary, the book we wrote because every Christian family we sit across from has somebody in the room carrying a chronic disease diagnosis. The obesity chapter and the diabetes chapter are the same conversation underneath today’s article, and that is not an accident.
Woman’s World featured the book in their weight-loss cover story not long after the segment aired, and the mail we received from Christian families since is the reason this GLP-1 post exists at all.
If you have read this far, your family is part of that mail too…
The Rise of the GLP-1 Influencer
You are being sold something right now. And 1 in 8 American adults have bought into the sales pitch.
Not just a medication. Not just a diabetes drug.
Not just a physician-guided tool for people with serious metabolic disease.
Christians are being sold a new cultural story: that appetite suppression is empowerment, that shrinking the body is freedom, and that a lower number on the scale means a person is finally well.
And celebrities are helping sell it.
The GLP-1 conversation has moved far beyond the doctor’s office. It is now being shaped by celebrity interviews, telehealth campaigns, before-and-after content, TikTok confessionals, influencer dosing tips, “what I eat on GLP-1” videos, and a new class of GLP-1 influencers who are turning weight loss medication into an identity.
That should concern Christians.
Because influencers are not shepherds, celebrities are not consciences, telehealth ads are not discipleship, and the weight-loss industry is not neutral.
Celebrity promotion of these drugs is not merely a health conversation. It is advertising.
It is image-making. It is influence.
While GLP-1 prescriptions are not solely written for weight loss, most ads promote the medication as a weight-loss tool, and that is the part people need to see clearly.
When a celebrity says a medication helped her lose weight, the public does not see the full support system behind the image. They do not see the private training, the coaching, the healthy food access, the meal plans, the schedule, the labs, the medical team, the cosmetic procedures, the pressure, the contracts, or the brand partnerships.
They see the body. They see the result.
Then they start wondering if they need the same drug to become acceptable. Celebrities often have resources most families do not, while the public hears a much simpler message: even admired, strong, athletic bodies should still be losing weight.
And while celebrities and influencers are normalizing these medications, another side of the story is already surfacing.
PEOPLE published a roundup about GLP-1s and the celebrity stories raise some concerns that every doctor should be discussing with their patients considering this intervention.
Bunnie Xo told PEOPLE she experienced suicidal ideation while using a GLP-1 and said people need to talk more about it.
Sharon Osbourne has publicly said she lost more weight than she wanted.
Amy Schumer said her experience made her so sick she could not play with her son.
Ashley Tisdale warned about already-thin people signing up for GLP-1s.
Kate Winslet called the body-image pressure around these drugs devastating, frightening, and terrifying.
And then there is the line that should stop every parent, pastor, and Christian health leader in their tracks: Layla Taylor from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives admitted to being prescribed a GLP-1 medication when she weighed nearly 100 pounds.
Nearly 100 pounds. For what?
This is where the conversation has gone completely off the rails.
What is happening to appetite? What is happening to digestion?
What is happening to mood? What is happening to muscle?
What is happening to identity? What is happening when the drug stops?
What is happening when already-thin women still feel pressure to become smaller?
We are not attacking Christians who are hurting. We are confronting a system that knows people are desperate and is more than willing to sell appetite suppression as freedom.
But Scripture gives us a better question than, “How fast can I lose the weight?” God is inviting His people to ask whether we are being renewed, restored, disciplined, healed, and made whole.
Because a smaller body is not the same thing as a healed life, and Christians should be bold enough to say so.
PEOPLE’s celebrity roundup shows both sides of the GLP-1 conversation: praise, defense, hesitation, regret, and warning. Gabriel Iglesias said GLP-1s worked so well that his appetite was curbed to the point where he wondered, “Do I even need food?”
Then he said that after stopping, he quickly regained 20 pounds.
That is not a throwaway quote. That is the question underneath the whole movement.
What happens when the drug quiets hunger, but the underlying biology, habits, cravings, stress, sleep, food environment, insulin resistance, emotional patterns, and spiritual confusion are never rebuilt?
And the famous STEP 1 trial extension published in 2022 helps answer this question…
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Your Bible Health Swap This Week
#006: Indispensable Tips
This week’s Swap includes Mama Z’s printable Indispensable Tips from her Non-Toxic Kitchen Guide!
One Swap this week. One faithful step. A transformed life.
Learn more about the Bible Health Transformation Journey and start wherever you are.
“It has truly been amazing for me and my family as we find natural and Biblical ways to improve our health and wellbeing in our home.”
— Wendy J.
