I am one of the Milk Guys customers and have been since 2014 (not regularly though, maybe like a couple times a quarter cause it's so expensive). I actually think the piece sucks. The writer was extremely lazy and went for the easy target clients. This guy drives all around the city, two days a week, delivering raw milk to all sorts of people. Many of us are vaccinated, believe in science, not MAHA, aren't rich, live with roommates, etc etc etc. Some of us are also totally fine with pasteurized dairy (me, I make my own kefir with either the FARMLAND milk or Hudson Valley Fresh you can find everywhere in this city). Some are making cheese with it.
This all said - have at us, for we are indeed playing a type of Russian Roulette. IDGAF, I like the taste! It's fair game to make fun of me. What is most interesting is "The Milk Guy" himself. The dude is awesome and has a really interesting background. Also the business model is interesting and niche! I think there was a way more interesting story here and either the writer or the editor was lazy and went for the MAHA-clickbait. I am sure there was some stuff the service did not want to get into as well, so there's that. Either way, it's lazy clickbait.
Not to get so salty, but I was actually kind of excited to see someone dive into this finally - have always thought it would be a fun story! Instead, it is just snarky.
“The brain space freed up for women that has historically been occupied by those 10-15 pounds you can’t shake. I rarely think about my weight anymore. I feel like this is part of the feminist movement is the freedom to forget about the shape of our bodies. Hot take”
“Forgetting the shape of our bodies because they are all the pre-approved size” is not what the feminist movement fought for, plz, words have MEANING
It’s not me but I could have written the first two sentences. I’ve been in ED and body dysmorphia therapy both; I know the talk tracks. I worked on body neutrality for years. It’s hard to feel neutral about your body in a world that is simply not neutral about bodies. If you’ve ever spent years of your life imprisoned—and exhausted—by chronic dieting and food obsession, you know.
Accidentally sent before finishing. Anyway, for me it wouldn’t be about hitting a certain weight or size, it would be about getting back my brain space and mental capacity that has been wasted, for years, on food and diet fixation. I can’t even imagine what else I could accomplish with all that time back. Not to mention being rid of the associated guilt and shame around such obsession! That is freedom to me. That, of the original comment, resonated.
The brain space thing is real!! Absolutely! It's just the suggestion that the feminist solution to freeing said brain space is "drugs that make you skinny" that I take umbrage with. Not everything that is "net-good for a group of women in modern society" is also "feminist" and that is okay.
No shame to those who use GLP1s - but clearly there are way too many of you trusting these shady gray market compounds. I wrote about why that should scare you below. Please make sure you know what you are injecting into your bodies!!
Ugh this was so good Emily. Would you say overall men surveyed both on and off the drug had more positive comments about it? I find women more judgmental about GLP1 which I think is definitely tied up in a sort of scarcity mindset, as well as the sort of religious reverence people deep in wellness have where they believe being skinny is their reward for all their “sacrifice and pain” of their routines and don’t like other people getting those same results easier. The data and quotes you pulled are so fascinating! Also people don’t seem to get that GLP1 and drugs like ozempic are vastly different from each other
Anecdotally, men were surveyed were... less emotional in their responses. Generally shorter, generally positive.
Maybe I'll be able to do a part two with more quotes because these people were really interesting to me, and I wish I could ask them more questions about their thoughts on other topics to see if they felt that way about all things or just....GLP-1s.
1 in 3 feels high and I wonder if people who use a GLP-1 were more likely to take the survey in the first place (skewing the results higher)....feels like the number is probably close to 10-15% of readers (but that's just me guessing, based on nothing)
It's also funny that the responses in this comment section range from "This feels high" to "this feels totally accurate" lol shows how differently we all think of these drugs
My surveys are usually a pretty broad range of readers -- I think if you like taking Feed Me surveys, you like taking user surveys. That being said, if I run a survey about plastic surgery, or weight loss drugs, or finances, or fashion, I'd assume if you're taking it, you know something about those topics.
Hah I think it feels high because I don't know a single person in my life who uses a GLP-1 so anecdotally I'm thrown (but hey, based on the survey there may be quite a bit of people who use and are embarrassed by it)
Fascinating research, and would love to see the gender breakdown for each age bracket. All the men taking the drug are older, and I'm curious why? 45 is a great age to be kinda fat unless you're gay or really into the Joe Rogan/Zuck lifestyle (gay but in a different way).
Midlife crises, negative health impact of being overweight (prediabetes or high blood pressure kicking in), declining metabolism, general male vanity all kicking in post 40...also most guys can get it from the same guy they get their TRT from
Great survey information. I'm not surprised at all. With people I know, taking a GLP is not at all a big deal. Like Botox, as you or someone wrote. I think it's a good development and I agree that it is in the direction of bodily autonomy. The only potential negative I've heard is loss of bone density and strength. It makes sense. If you lose too much weight and you don't add muscle.
Love these insights and they seem pretty spot on for a NY'er who lives in Miami.
Unsurprising but a bit disappointing to still see so much judgement and shaming around a medication...never forget that most of these perceptions and biases were shaped by economic factors (whether it's the fitness industry, the packaged foods industry or the pharmaceutical industry).
It would be interesting to see what would happen if the costs were adjusted. In other countries, a monthly dose is $150-$200 at retail (and can be free with a prescription); if cost weren't such a barrier in the US, I wouldn't be surprised to see adoption go even higher - and I think judgement would go down as well.
Also on a side note I have heard from people in the CPG industry that they are seeing significant hits to growth/revenue as a result of GLP-1 adoption...
The pendulum swings back to the thrift store in honestly every category. People have too much stuff and the thrill of the hunt for something unique (and maybe a deal?) are all the drugs I need. No shade to anyone using the GLP-1s, I think we’ll all be on them eventually.
I asked several people in my life about what they thought of these results and the thing i kept hearing was: "I think we’ll all be on them eventually."
That is a terribly depressing thought! And maybe a regional and or age related POV? I'm 40, super active living in the PNW and have not heard anyone comment anything along those lines.
Do you have friends who use GLP-1s? I think it's a common sentiment among people who use the drugs. I hadn't heard it before speaking to them about it. Jealous you live in the PNW
I have two friends (that I know of) who use them. One has PCOS, the other hates exercise. The one with PCOS has a lot of feelings about it and would rather not be on it. I haven’t talked about it much with the friend who hates exercise. I find it a hard conversation to have as someone who loves/thrives on physical activity.
What I meant to say is that GLP-1s could be the Millennial Lipator. Nearly everyone I know over 60 including people who look healthy use it to maintain low cholesterol and reduce heart attacks etc. These drugs could end up being that and it’s not just about being thin. Although that’s a key side effect for many.
Who doesn’t want to live a long healthy life?! Once they can make them cheaper, a pill and show more long term benefits I definitely think we will all be here and the fashion and food industry will be forever changed.
I would be super interested in discourse regarding talking with friends/family using GLP1s. For example, you’re at a friend’s place and you stumble upon a sharps container next to the trash can in the bathroom…
Or what it’s like seeing a friend after months and they look drastically different, almost unrecognizable. How do we not talk about bodies but remain empathic, all while knowing the body is at top of mind? (Especially during summer swim suit season). As someone who loves to talk about how we talk about bodies, I would find this conversation really fascinating.
Wow! This really makes me feel like I live in a bubble. The only people I've heard talking about these since the initial buzz died down are my in laws on Long Island. They sound cool but I grew up in the rural midwest at the height of oxycontin over-prescription so I need like a decade before I trust a new drug (would definitely feel differently about that if I were in a health situation where losing weight was critical)
GLP-1s as a form of feminism is an... interesting take...
I am one of the Milk Guys customers and have been since 2014 (not regularly though, maybe like a couple times a quarter cause it's so expensive). I actually think the piece sucks. The writer was extremely lazy and went for the easy target clients. This guy drives all around the city, two days a week, delivering raw milk to all sorts of people. Many of us are vaccinated, believe in science, not MAHA, aren't rich, live with roommates, etc etc etc. Some of us are also totally fine with pasteurized dairy (me, I make my own kefir with either the FARMLAND milk or Hudson Valley Fresh you can find everywhere in this city). Some are making cheese with it.
This all said - have at us, for we are indeed playing a type of Russian Roulette. IDGAF, I like the taste! It's fair game to make fun of me. What is most interesting is "The Milk Guy" himself. The dude is awesome and has a really interesting background. Also the business model is interesting and niche! I think there was a way more interesting story here and either the writer or the editor was lazy and went for the MAHA-clickbait. I am sure there was some stuff the service did not want to get into as well, so there's that. Either way, it's lazy clickbait.
Not to get so salty, but I was actually kind of excited to see someone dive into this finally - have always thought it would be a fun story! Instead, it is just snarky.
Okay somehow this is the comment of the day so far.
New York Magazine publishing lazy, biased journalism? Shocking.
“The brain space freed up for women that has historically been occupied by those 10-15 pounds you can’t shake. I rarely think about my weight anymore. I feel like this is part of the feminist movement is the freedom to forget about the shape of our bodies. Hot take”
“Forgetting the shape of our bodies because they are all the pre-approved size” is not what the feminist movement fought for, plz, words have MEANING
If you were this survey respondent, we won't judge you -- we just want to talk!
It’s not me but I could have written the first two sentences. I’ve been in ED and body dysmorphia therapy both; I know the talk tracks. I worked on body neutrality for years. It’s hard to feel neutral about your body in a world that is simply not neutral about bodies. If you’ve ever spent years of your life imprisoned—and exhausted—by chronic dieting and food obsession, you know.
Accidentally sent before finishing. Anyway, for me it wouldn’t be about hitting a certain weight or size, it would be about getting back my brain space and mental capacity that has been wasted, for years, on food and diet fixation. I can’t even imagine what else I could accomplish with all that time back. Not to mention being rid of the associated guilt and shame around such obsession! That is freedom to me. That, of the original comment, resonated.
I do think there’s something to the brain space freed when you’re not constantly thinking about food
They’re 100 percent right about the brain space, I’m about to drop it and I’m dreading actually thinking about food
The brain space thing is real!! Absolutely! It's just the suggestion that the feminist solution to freeing said brain space is "drugs that make you skinny" that I take umbrage with. Not everything that is "net-good for a group of women in modern society" is also "feminist" and that is okay.
No shame to those who use GLP1s - but clearly there are way too many of you trusting these shady gray market compounds. I wrote about why that should scare you below. Please make sure you know what you are injecting into your bodies!!
https://drugstorecowboy.com/p/from-the-fda-to-instagram-how-ozempic-got-hijacked-by-compounders-daccee09c6ad3d9d
The gray market (or sharing with your friends, or self-dosing) are all so scary to me!!
Immediately thought of your newsletter when I read these stats. Terrifying!
Ugh this was so good Emily. Would you say overall men surveyed both on and off the drug had more positive comments about it? I find women more judgmental about GLP1 which I think is definitely tied up in a sort of scarcity mindset, as well as the sort of religious reverence people deep in wellness have where they believe being skinny is their reward for all their “sacrifice and pain” of their routines and don’t like other people getting those same results easier. The data and quotes you pulled are so fascinating! Also people don’t seem to get that GLP1 and drugs like ozempic are vastly different from each other
Anecdotally, men were surveyed were... less emotional in their responses. Generally shorter, generally positive.
Maybe I'll be able to do a part two with more quotes because these people were really interesting to me, and I wish I could ask them more questions about their thoughts on other topics to see if they felt that way about all things or just....GLP-1s.
1 in 3 feels high and I wonder if people who use a GLP-1 were more likely to take the survey in the first place (skewing the results higher)....feels like the number is probably close to 10-15% of readers (but that's just me guessing, based on nothing)
It's also funny that the responses in this comment section range from "This feels high" to "this feels totally accurate" lol shows how differently we all think of these drugs
My surveys are usually a pretty broad range of readers -- I think if you like taking Feed Me surveys, you like taking user surveys. That being said, if I run a survey about plastic surgery, or weight loss drugs, or finances, or fashion, I'd assume if you're taking it, you know something about those topics.
Hah I think it feels high because I don't know a single person in my life who uses a GLP-1 so anecdotally I'm thrown (but hey, based on the survey there may be quite a bit of people who use and are embarrassed by it)
You might be surprised! I’ve had friends/family talk shit about glp-1’s in front of me because it never occurred to them I’m on one
Fantastic insight illustrations!
Alex is the BEST, everyone should work with her.
i do love these illustrations!
Fascinating research, and would love to see the gender breakdown for each age bracket. All the men taking the drug are older, and I'm curious why? 45 is a great age to be kinda fat unless you're gay or really into the Joe Rogan/Zuck lifestyle (gay but in a different way).
Midlife crises, negative health impact of being overweight (prediabetes or high blood pressure kicking in), declining metabolism, general male vanity all kicking in post 40...also most guys can get it from the same guy they get their TRT from
Great survey information. I'm not surprised at all. With people I know, taking a GLP is not at all a big deal. Like Botox, as you or someone wrote. I think it's a good development and I agree that it is in the direction of bodily autonomy. The only potential negative I've heard is loss of bone density and strength. It makes sense. If you lose too much weight and you don't add muscle.
Love these insights and they seem pretty spot on for a NY'er who lives in Miami.
Unsurprising but a bit disappointing to still see so much judgement and shaming around a medication...never forget that most of these perceptions and biases were shaped by economic factors (whether it's the fitness industry, the packaged foods industry or the pharmaceutical industry).
It would be interesting to see what would happen if the costs were adjusted. In other countries, a monthly dose is $150-$200 at retail (and can be free with a prescription); if cost weren't such a barrier in the US, I wouldn't be surprised to see adoption go even higher - and I think judgement would go down as well.
Also on a side note I have heard from people in the CPG industry that they are seeing significant hits to growth/revenue as a result of GLP-1 adoption...
Jesus!
every day that goes by, I'm less and less surprised by these results
If/when a majority of Feed Me subscribers get on glp1s I think you’ll need to rename this newsletter…could call it Starve Me
The pendulum swings back to the thrift store in honestly every category. People have too much stuff and the thrill of the hunt for something unique (and maybe a deal?) are all the drugs I need. No shade to anyone using the GLP-1s, I think we’ll all be on them eventually.
I asked several people in my life about what they thought of these results and the thing i kept hearing was: "I think we’ll all be on them eventually."
That is a terribly depressing thought! And maybe a regional and or age related POV? I'm 40, super active living in the PNW and have not heard anyone comment anything along those lines.
Do you have friends who use GLP-1s? I think it's a common sentiment among people who use the drugs. I hadn't heard it before speaking to them about it. Jealous you live in the PNW
I have two friends (that I know of) who use them. One has PCOS, the other hates exercise. The one with PCOS has a lot of feelings about it and would rather not be on it. I haven’t talked about it much with the friend who hates exercise. I find it a hard conversation to have as someone who loves/thrives on physical activity.
What I meant to say is that GLP-1s could be the Millennial Lipator. Nearly everyone I know over 60 including people who look healthy use it to maintain low cholesterol and reduce heart attacks etc. These drugs could end up being that and it’s not just about being thin. Although that’s a key side effect for many.
Who doesn’t want to live a long healthy life?! Once they can make them cheaper, a pill and show more long term benefits I definitely think we will all be here and the fashion and food industry will be forever changed.
Healthy, sure. But I think people also want to live an enjoyable life.
I would be super interested in discourse regarding talking with friends/family using GLP1s. For example, you’re at a friend’s place and you stumble upon a sharps container next to the trash can in the bathroom…
Or what it’s like seeing a friend after months and they look drastically different, almost unrecognizable. How do we not talk about bodies but remain empathic, all while knowing the body is at top of mind? (Especially during summer swim suit season). As someone who loves to talk about how we talk about bodies, I would find this conversation really fascinating.
Run this survey again this time next year. I think we're all about to have our minds completely blown when the pills come out.
nytimes.com/2025/06/21/well/new-weight-loss-drugs.html
Let's do it together in 6 months
hell yeah let's collab
Wow! This really makes me feel like I live in a bubble. The only people I've heard talking about these since the initial buzz died down are my in laws on Long Island. They sound cool but I grew up in the rural midwest at the height of oxycontin over-prescription so I need like a decade before I trust a new drug (would definitely feel differently about that if I were in a health situation where losing weight was critical)
Where do you live now?
Chicago
You should text this to your friends and see if they're shocked.....
Also in Chicago, it’s starting to get more common. Started with 1 friend and now up 4