Will There Be a “Contagion Effect” of GLP-1s in Families?

Thoughtful reporting by Jackie Snow in the New York Times prompts us to wonder about the possibility of a “contagion effect” from GLP-1s in families. When a parent receives highly effective treatment for obesity, what might the effect be on other family members?

Of course, any answers to this question come from anecdotal observations. They represent nothing more than speculation. But this subject deserves attention and further efforts to explore. Because obesity itself moves through families and friends in ways that suggest social contagion at work.

A Family’s Experience

Snow reports on the experiences of three women and their families as they had successful experiences in obesity treatment with tirzepatide or semaglutide. For instance, Amy Kane told Snow she did not expect when she started taking tirzepatide in 2022 that it would have an effect on her family’s health. But it did. As her eating patterns have changed, it has changed many things in the patterns of her family’s life:

“This has felt more like it’s part of my lifestyle. It doesn’t feel like ‘Oh, I don’t want to eat these things’ or ‘I don’t want to go to this restaurant.’ I just eat less.”

And thus, she reports she has lost 170 pounds and her family has adopted more healthy patterns for eating and become more physically active.

Yelena Kibasova has long been active in the Obesity Action Coalition and began taking semaglutide last year. She spoke with Snow about insights that have come from her own experiences:

“Obesity is a family affair. You either make those changes and your family aligns, or over time, you fall back into old habits.”

Alignment with Earlier Scientific Publications

Genetic risk for obesity runs in families. So do the dynamics of daily life that can reduce a person’s risk or increase it. In the Look AHEAD study, Amy Gorin and colleagues found that:

“The reach of behavioral weight loss treatment can extend to a spouse, suggesting that social networks can be utilized to promote the spread of weight loss, thus creating a ripple effect.”

A similar effect has been documented in metabolic surgery patients and their partners. So, really, we should not be surprised that signs of a “contagion effect” from GLP-1s is showing up in the families of people who are taking them. This is good.

Click here for free access to Snow’s excellent reporting. For further perspective, click here and here.

Harlequin’s Family, painting by Pablo Picasso / WikiArt

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June 13, 2025