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Weight-loss Drugs: Tiina Salonen Feels Ashamed for "Losing Weight Incorrectly"
🇫🇮 Finland /Health & Science

Weight-loss Drugs: Tiina Salonen Feels Ashamed for "Losing Weight Incorrectly"

From Helsingin Sanomat · () Finnish

Translated from Finnish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • Tiina Salonen hesitates to use weight-loss medication like Ozempic due to fear of judgment for "losing weight incorrectly."
  • Three individuals who have lost weight using such medications share their experiences with the difficulty of discussing them.
  • Salonen felt like a failure when she started medication a year ago, despite her rational decision to do so for her 120kg weight.

Tiina Salonen, 55, feels a deep sense of shame and apprehension about using weight-loss medication, fearing accusations of "losing weight incorrectly." This sentiment surfaced during a recent occupational health visit where her weight of 120 kilograms was identified as a concern.

She doesn’t deserve help, does she?

— Tiina SalonenExpressing her fear of judgment and societal perception regarding weight-loss medication.

Salonen expressed her desire to try weight-loss medication but admitted her hesitation stems from a fear of being perceived as taking resources away from those she believes are "really sick." This internal conflict highlights the societal stigma surrounding medical interventions for weight management.

I don’t want to use Ozempic because I’m afraid of accusations of taking the medicine away from ‘really sick’ people.

— Tiina SalonenArticulating her specific fear about the social implications of using weight-loss drugs.

Her experience is shared by three other individuals who have successfully lost weight using similar medications. They too find it difficult to speak openly about their use of drugs like Ozempic, underscoring a broader societal discomfort and judgment associated with these treatments. Salonen's journey, which began about a year ago, was initially met with feelings of failure, even though she rationally understood it was the right decision given her weight.

Tiina Salonen felt like a failure when she started using weight-loss medication about a year ago.

— Article textDescribing Salonen's initial emotional response to starting medication.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Helsingin Sanomat in Finnish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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