Elea Zucchiatti, a 27-year-old from Sydney, has shared her experience with Wegovy, a GLP-1 prescription medication, detailing not only the physical transformation but also a confronting emotional side effect: a perceived sense of invisibility prior to her weight loss and a drastic shift in how people treated her afterward.
Zucchiatti lost 17 kilograms (approximately 37 pounds) in four months, dropping from a size 18 to a size 10. While she had long struggled with her weight and attempted various diets since adolescence, she noted that her confidence as a teenager was not solely tied to her body image but also to her social and intellectual engagement. However, she experienced subtle forms of social exclusion, noting that she received less attention than her thinner friends and felt sidelined in social settings.
Her medical experiences also frequently attributed symptoms to her weight without further investigation. She recalled a specific instance in her early twenties where knee pain and mobility issues, despite stable weight, were primarily addressed by a doctor commenting on her body mass rather than exploring other potential causes.
Medical Journey and Medication Use
After experiencing weight gain in 2022, Zucchiatti initially focused on dietary changes, losing 15 kilograms in 2023. However, persistent issues like irregular periods and symptoms associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which she had experienced since her teens, remained. It took approximately eight years before medical professionals thoroughly investigated the links between her hormones, insulin levels, and weight. She was diagnosed with PCOS and elevated insulin levels in 2024, a turning point where her weight was finally discussed in relation to underlying health issues.
In March 2025, advised to lose weight again, Zucchiatti found little progress with healthy habits alone. Her general practitioner then offered a GLP-1 medication, which mimics a hormone that regulates appetite, making individuals feel fuller and eat less. Zucchiatti, aware of these drugs from media coverage, saw it as a potential solution for her long-standing weight management challenges, despite concerns about the cost, which was approximately $1,200 for four months.
The medication, taken weekly under medical supervision, led to rapid weight loss. Zucchiatti noted a significant decrease in appetite, sometimes consuming as little as 800 calories a day. This intense appetite suppression, while effective for weight loss, also brought challenges. She experienced fatigue, disruption to her menstrual cycle, and a reduction in strength and energy, making exercise difficult. She also grappled with the complexity of appetite suppression, given her history of binge eating disorder.
Social and Emotional Repercussions
Upon reaching a size 10, Zucchiatti observed a dramatic shift in social interactions. She described feeling like she had become visible after years of feeling overlooked. People became warmer, offered more compliments, and provided her with increased attention. This change, while seemingly positive, also induced anxiety about regaining weight and losing this newfound social acceptance.
She felt that her thinner body finally gave her the confidence to engage in fitness activities, lamenting that she felt she needed to be thin to belong. This experience led her to believe that societal perception heavily influences how individuals are treated, and that a smaller body can unlock a level of acceptance previously denied.
Life After Medication
Zucchiatti stopped the medication after four months. Eight months later, she was gradually reintroducing fuller meals, though her portions remained smaller than before. She has regained approximately 5 kilograms since stopping the injections and resuming a more regular diet, a process that has triggered some of her old anxieties. She is now working with a personal trainer to rebuild strength and focuses on a balanced lifestyle that includes varied physical activities.
While acknowledging the physical benefits and temporary relief from 'food noise' the medication provided, Zucchiatti emphasizes that it did not address the underlying emotional aspects of her relationship with food or the societal judgments she experienced. She continues to manage her recovery from binge eating disorder and her current health goals include improving insulin and iron levels, balancing hormones, and restoring a regular menstrual cycle.
Her primary focus is self-care irrespective of size, and she hopes others considering similar medications understand the potential emotional complexities of rapid weight loss. She advocates for self-compassion and emphasizes that true self-love and well-being extend beyond physical appearance.