Gracie McGraw is sharing her experience with Ozempic.
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The 29-year-old actress and daughter of country music legends Tim McGraw and Faith Hill took to Instagram on Monday to talk about how the GLP-1 didn't help her struggles with her body image. She says taking them actually made them worse.
Gracie McGraw Thought Taking Ozempic Was "The Best Decision She Ever Made"
Gracie shared that she began taking Ozempic three years after she was diagnosed with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS). The condition was formerly known as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
According to the Mayo Clinic, PMOS is a common hormonal and metabolic health issue among women. Small cysts carrying immature eggs grow along the ovary, and they are unable to be released regularly.
One way to manage its symptoms is by maintaining a healthy weight by eating balanced foods and staying active. In Gracie's case, she started taking Ozempic.
"At that time I thought it was the best decision I ever made," she wrote.
She wrote that she "finally lost weight and got skinny."
"As soon as I started shedding a few pounds, I noticed how people looked at me differently on the streets, in my friend groups and family, and in my own job. I got more opportunities when I lost weight than I ever have had in my life."
Gracie Still Struggled
Despite all the attention, Gracie said she still struggled with her body image.
"I've been called fat and ugly my entire life, whether that had been from magazines or the internet, constantly saying I must have different genes than my sisters and parents because I was the 'fat' one and didn't have the looks that my family has," she explained.
While Ozempic made Gracie's PCOS symptoms easier to manage, it also bolstered the negative views she had of her body.
"All of a sudden skinny culture is back, and I realized holy crap I have been feeding into my eating disorder this whole time under the guise of this miracle shot. I think it was probably one of the worst things I've ever done for myself, looking back," she said.
"Because now, as everyone is getting smaller and smaller, I am gaining my weight back and seeing how much losing all of that weight actually affected me and my views of myself," she added.
Gracie shared that she is doing well, even though she has "slip-ups from time to time." She added that it's ok to be concerned about someone's health. Gracie believes that "telling people to not speak on this is incredibly wrong and damaging."
"If you know someone who is struggling or if you are, please never feel embarrassed to reach out to anyone," she added. "We are here for each other."
