And the Award Goes to … Ozempic

The Golden Globes commercials were kinda bonkers. Plus: Extreme fitness trends, thin is (back?) in, misleading headlines, and more wellness news.

Updates:

I shared some thoughts with The Guardian on new extreme fitness trends—and how they exemplify what we refuse to admit: that the body positivity movement had limited success. (Eh, did you catch the red carpet?)

“It’s like how people are shocked that skinny is back in—they’re like: ‘but we have all these Dove commercials!’ But people are still people...”

The Guardian: Yet another extreme exercise fad for women

Also, if you’re in LA, come to Book Soup on January 14th! I’ll be talking with Adam Chandler, author of the new book 99% Perspiration.

And the Award Goes to … Ozempic!

One detail I remember about Oprah's interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was how the British were astounded by … the number of drug commercials.

In 2021, UK viewers mocked the dizzying amount of side effects rattled off in ads, and debated whether it was ethical to promote pharmaceuticals during leisure activities (such as seeing a royal blow up his family relationships). Some found the ads “dystopian.” As one Brit put it, “I can’t understand why American TV ads are like ‘ask your doctor for…’ or ‘tell your doctor…’ Why the fuck would you be the one to tell a DOCTOR what medicine to give you? Maybe I'm too European to get it, but WTF.”

I was reminded of this moment during last night’s 2025 Golden Globes, in which commercial breaks were stuffed with pharmaceuticals, specifically those aimed at weight loss. Multiple ads aired for Mounjaro, Ozempic, and HERS compounded semaglutide offering. Weight Watchers promoted its new clinical program and GLP-1 prescriptions set to Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical” (with lyrics changed to “let’s get clinical.”)

Meanwhile, Lilly—maker of Mounjaro and Zepbound—sponsored the show.

I wasn’t the only one who felt this onslaught of ads. As one viewer noted on X, “What really shocked me were the MANY ozempic/mounjaro/etc diabetes injections to lose weight! like WTF! In Europe they’re like almost forbidden!”

I guess it shouldn’t be surprising: the U.S. healthcare industry spends billions on advertising. (And nearly half of the population took a prescription drug last month.) But what filled out the other ad segments made it all the more noticeable: wellness.

Dueling “better for you sodas” Olipop and Poppi both had commercials and so did sleep tracker Oura.

Oh, and “whole body deodorant” also made their pitch to U.S. audiences.

Basically, if you watched the Globes, you also watched a shit ton of health advertising tackling everything from the metabolism to underboob sweat. Lots of it was laughable. (Did you catch the pharma ad with all the crazy anus side effects?) But it did confirm what many of us predict: health will only get bigger and bolder in 2025. And GLP-1s will continue to be at the top of those conversations.
—Rina Raphael, author of The Gospel of Wellness

News & Trends:

The outdoor market keeps growing: Marriott acquired Postcard Cabins (formerly Getaway) and partnered with adventure lodging brand Trailborn as active camping households jumped 68% in the last decade. (Fitt)

No, exercise is not better than antidepressants or therapy, according to new study: “It is crucial to communicate science honestly.” (Link)

More travelers seeking silence? Luxury outfitter Black Tomato has seen a “sharp increase” in travelers seeking far-flung destinations that promise peace and quiet. Meanwhile, Pinterest searches for “quiet places” and “calm places” increased by 50% and 42% respectively. (CNTraveler)

What happened to school lunch hour? Everyone’s concerned about nutritious school lunches, but they don’t give the same thought to whether kids actually have time to eat them. (Play Makes Us Human)

Wellness sector eyes #Sleepmaxxing mania: The sleep hacking TikTok trend means more companies are gearing up to sell their (often non-evidence-based) products. (Link)

AI health assistant for Women’s wellness: PatientsLikeMe launches Ella, offering advice from sources like the CDC and WHO along with their own patient-reported data. I imagine many more of these AI assistants will be rolled out for subcategories like parenting, pregnancy, menopause, etc. (Femtech Insider)

Sun-seeking apps? I remember when folks tried to avoid sun exposure. Now, thanks to voices like Huberman, apps like Sun Seek track light exposure “to improve circadian health” (Link)

Previously: The Sun Care Market is Growing (But So is an Anti-SPF Movement)

Jane Fonda gets virtual: The workout icon partnered with Meta-owned VR fitness app Supernatural. (W+G)

Previously: This design-centric fitness platform is Jane Fonda meets Tron

The "first great perimenopause novel": That’s what some are calling Miranda July’s new novel. It’ll be curious to see if perimenopause will take off in the arts/consumer goods space as menopause did. (The Guardian)

Are too many patchwork beauty regulations a nightmare for the industry? “The biggest lie that ‘clean’ beauty influencers tell their audiences is that the beauty industry isn't regulated… The beauty industry is SO regulated that these various state regulations are creating a patchwork of rules that, while well-intended, make regulatory compliance complicated and cumbersome for brands that do business in multiple states.” (BeautyMatter via Link)

Unilever is cleaning up on Cleanipedia: The conglomerate is using TikTok’s #CleanTok to drive Gen-Z purchasing. (CGT)

Dove Partners with Crumbl for “sweet” deodorant: The food collabs are getting out of control. (Link)

Deeper Dives:

Cutting Through the Noise on Drinking
What kind of data supports the Surgeon General’s recommendation that all alcohol come with a warning label? Emily Oster digs into studies to temper fear-mongering headlines:

“There is so much data in these graphs. But the thing is: it’s all from studies that individually have problems. One is sometimes given the sense that if you combine many studies, that somehow fixes these issues, but it doesn’t. Adding more studies increases the statistical precision of your estimates; it doesn’t fix the bias. If all the individual studies are biased, their average will be biased too. This point cannot be overstated.” (ParentData)

The Rise of Single Adults
“In the past decade, the share of ‘kinless’ (18-55) adults—those who are never married & have no children in the home—exceeded the share of Americans who are married with children for the 1st time in our nation’s history.” (Deseret)

What happens when Stanford and the media overstate research findings?
An interview with Dr. Michael Snyder, a prominent Stanford geneticist and the senior author of a blockbuster-esque study that the Stanford press team and big media outlets said, incorrectly, showed that all people age more rapidly around ages 44 and 60. (Aging with Strength)

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