JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Despite the documented clinical efficacy of weight loss medications, few large-scale mixed methods studies have captured the experiences of individuals taking these medications.

Objective:

BERTopic Modeling was used to identify latent topics, followed by a qualitative thematic analysis to gain a better understanding of how the public views and interacts with weight loss medications online.

Methods:

We utilized CrowdTangle to collect 2,500 United States-based Facebook posts from January 1, 2022, to May 31, 2024. BERTopic Modeling was used to identify latent topics, followed by a qualitative thematic analysis to gain a better understanding of how the public views and interacts with weight loss medications online.

Results:

An analysis of 2,500 Facebook posts revealed distinct thematic patterns across five unique subcategories: 1) healthy weight management, 2) weight loss medications, 3) discussion specific to Semaglutide, 4) discussion specific to Ozempic, and 5) public figures and media. Thirteen overarching themes emerged through this thematic analysis, with the most common themes including weight management programs (n = 702), neutral content linked to weight loss medication use (n = 466), harms of weight loss medication use (n = 373), benefits of weight loss medication use (n = 329), and access to these medications (n = 188).

Conclusions:

Social media offers critical insights into individual experiences with pharmacotherapy and weight management. Enhanced public education may optimize the safe use of GLP-1 RAs for weight loss.