🤖 AI Summary
Overview
This episode revisits the story of a married couple, Jean and Javier, whose relationship was profoundly impacted by Jean's use of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Ozempic. The discussion explores how these medications not only transformed Jean's physical health but also reshaped her identity, self-perception, and marriage dynamics, leading to unexpected challenges and growth.
Notable Quotes
- If you are able to eat just five french fries, it gives you grounding in the idea that you can control things in your life that you didn’t think you could control.
- Lisa Miller, on the psychological impact of GLP-1 drugs.
- I haven’t said this to him... I just didn’t say no before.
- Jean, reflecting on how the drugs empowered her to set boundaries in her marriage.
- I need a roadmap. I don’t recognize you.
- Javier, on the disorientation caused by the changes in their relationship.
🍔 The Weight-Loss Revolution and GLP-1 Drugs
- GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are transforming lives by reducing hunger and enabling rapid, sustained weight loss.
- Lisa Miller highlighted the widespread adoption of these drugs, with one in eight Americans having tried them.
- Beyond physical changes, these medications often lead to shifts in self-perception, confidence, and how others treat individuals.
💔 Marriage Dynamics and Identity Shifts
- Jean’s weight loss led to significant changes in her personality and lifestyle, including a newfound introversion and a preference for staying home rather than socializing.
- Javier struggled with these changes, missing the shared activities and the physical intimacy they once enjoyed.
- Jean’s transformation also unearthed deeper issues in their relationship, including her realization that she had previously prioritized others’ desires over her own.
🍷 Lifestyle Changes and Emotional Disconnect
- Jean’s reduced appetite extended to alcohol, disrupting the couple’s shared rituals like wine nights and social outings.
- These lifestyle changes created tension, with Javier feeling like he had lost his “drinking buddy” and the partner he once knew.
- Their fights became more frequent and intense, with both feeling disconnected and unsure of how to navigate their evolving relationship.
🔥 Intimacy and Rediscovery
- The couple’s physical intimacy suffered, with Jean losing interest in sex and Javier mourning the loss of the physical connection they once shared.
- Jean attributed her lack of desire to a combination of factors, including menopause, antidepressants, and her newfound ability to set boundaries.
- A year later, after undergoing a “mommy makeover” surgery, Jean began to feel more comfortable in her body, leading to a rekindling of their sexual relationship.
🌱 Empowerment and Self-Discovery
- Jean’s weight loss journey empowered her to assert her preferences and explore her identity beyond societal expectations.
- She expressed gratitude for the changes the drugs brought, despite the challenges they introduced to her marriage.
- The couple’s journey underscores the broader implications of physical transformation on personal and relational dynamics, forcing them to confront deeper questions about identity, love, and partnership.
AI-generated content may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon as a sole source of truth.
📋 Episode Description
This week, The Daily is revisiting some of our favorite episodes of the year and checking in on what has happened in the time since.
In the past few years, GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound have been radically reshaping the people’s lives, changing appetites and health.
But the drugs also have the power to affect other parts of consumers’ lives, including their romantic relationships.
Lisa Miller, who writes about health for The New York Times, tells the story of how these drugs upended one couple’s marriage.
Guest: Lisa Miller, a domestic correspondent for the Well section who writes about personal and cultural approaches to physical and mental health.
Background reading:
- Listen to the original version of the episode here.
- Weight-loss drugs have lesser-known side effects on relationships.
Photo: Katherine Wolkoff for The New York Times
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
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