By Paola Abril Campos Rivera, David Contreras Loya y Miguel Angel Torres Cruzaley
At some point, everyone compares themselves to others or models their behavior on what “most people” seem to be doing.
This is normal—and not necessarily harmful. It reflects how descriptive social norms work: they influence behavior by signaling what is typical or expected in a given context.
It’s difficult to separate any area of our lives from these norms, and health is no exception. They shape how we define wellness, how we live day to day, and how we make decisions about caring for our bodies.
It’s also nothing new for commercial interests to push specific ideas about how bodies “should” look, or to influence what is considered a public health issue, how it should be addressed, and who is responsible.
Obesity is a public health issue and a matter of recognizing body and weight diversity. However, there is a persistent tendency to frame it as a purely medical problem and a personal responsibility. Unfortunately, this reductionist view presents a lucrative opportunity for the pharmaceutical industry.
This incomplete understanding of obesity drives people toward “quick fixes” that are often costly, ineffective, and focused solely on the individual, overlooking the broader social and structural factors behind the issue.
While this phenomenon is not new—and has appeared in various media—the rise of social platforms like TikTok has created new channels through which actors can reinforce, reshape, or accelerate social norms and behaviors that directly affect users’ lives.
One example is the promotion of semaglutide as a treatment for obesity.
Although semaglutide typically requires a prescription, TikTok videos often present it as something easy to access and risk-free.
This was revealed in the analysis “Quality of information and social norms in Spanish-speaking TikTok videos as levers of commercial practices: The case of semaglutide,” which reviewed 218 Spanish-language videos to understand what type of content appears when searching for information about using semaglutide to treat obesity.
What Is Semaglutide and How It’s Portrayed on TikTok
Semaglutide is a drug originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Today, it is also prescribed for weight management, as it helps reduce appetite and food intake.
Although its popularity on TikTok has soared as a weight-loss solution, semaglutide should only be used under medical supervision. It is not suitable for everyone and can pose risks when taken without professional guidance.
The analysis revealed that 155 videos (71%) failed to mention any potential risks associated with semaglutide, and only 11.9% referenced one or more serious side effects.
In 85% of the videos, obesity was portrayed as an individual problem. About half normalized the use of semaglutide, and 79% promoted the medicalization of obesity by highlighting weight loss as a benefit, without discussing the need for broader lifestyle changes.
To evaluate the videos, researchers adapted criteria from DISCERN, a validated tool with mixed methods to assess the quality of written health treatment information. This method emphasizes the importance of accurate, science-based information that supports informed decision-making.
Keywords searched included “Ozempic México,” “Rybelsus México,” “Semaglutida México,” and “Wegovy México.”
The findings reveal that TikTok facilitates misinformation and reinforces potentially harmful social norms.
Of the videos reviewed, 56% were created by health professionals, 28% by individuals without medical training, 10% by retail workers, 4% by self-identified coaches with no medical background, and 3% by media personalities. Across the board, the majority endorsed the use of semaglutide, often claiming that “everyone is doing it”—and in some cases, consuming the drug on camera to show it’s “safe.”
Yet 71% of the videos failed to clarify whether the medication is effective for all patients or to warn about potential risks. While 83% claimed it aids in weight control, few mentioned that it was originally developed to treat diabetes. Moreover, 85% did not address the underlying causes of obesity or suggest alternative approaches, and none acknowledged that many individuals naturally have larger body types.
Obesity continues to be framed as a personal failure, which contributes to stigma and appearance-based discrimination. The use of drugs like semaglutide is normalized and promoted as an everyday solution.
Far from offering real answers, this narrative benefits private economic interests that exploit weight-related anxieties while ignoring the structural causes of the problem.
References
- Gilmore, A.B., Fabbri, A., Baum, F., Bertscher, A., Bondy, K., Chang, H.-J., Demaio, S., Erzse, A., Freudenberg, N., Friel, S., Hofman, K.J., Johns, P., Abdool Karim, S., Lacy-Nichols, J., de Carvalho, C.M.P., Marten, R., McKee, M., Petticrew, M., Robertson, L., et al., 2023. Defining and conceptualising the commercial determinants of health. Lancet 401 (10383), 1194–1213.
- Phelps et. al., 2024; Worldwide trends in underweight and obesity from 1990 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 3663 population-representative studies with 222 million children, adolescents, and adults. WHO, 2024.
- Campos-Rivera, P. A., Alfaro-Ponce, B., Ramírez-Pérez, M., Bernal-Serrano, D., Contreras-Loya, D., & Wirtz, V. J. (2025). Quality of information and social norms in Spanish-speaking TikTok videos as levers of commercial practices: The case of semaglutide. Social Science & Medicine, 366, 117646.
Author
Paola Abril Campos Rivera. Research professor at the Institute for Obesity Research (Public Policy Unit) at Tecnológico de Monterrey. She is also Director of Evidence and Action for Health Equity at the Center for Research and Impact at the School of Government and Public Transformation. She holds a Doctorate in Public Health from Harvard University.
David Contreras Loya. Research professor at the Institute for Obesity Research (Public Policy Unit) at Tecnológico de Monterrey. His research areas include development economics, health economics, and applied microeconomics. He is a member of Mexico’s National System of Researchers.
Miguel A. Torres Cruzaley. Independent consultant. He has coordinated projects focused on building economic and productive alternatives. He currently participates in and supports initiatives to influence public policy and communication strategies to address the climate crisis and transform food and public health systems.
