Medical Treatments for Aesthetic Purposes

The topic I want to explore for my final research project is how medical treatments, like GLP-1s, Botox, and rhinoplasty, are being used for aesthetic purposes, like weight loss and appearance, due to society’s need to fit beauty standards. The reason I chose this topic was because of a video I came across a few months ago on TikTok. The video was about a girl who was describing how she had limited to no diabetic medicine supply for her diabetes because so many people were buying them for aesthetic purposes. She also explained how she couldn’t change to a different brand of diabetic medicine because her insurance couldn’t cover it, and they are ridiculously expensive to pay out of pocket. Due to society’s need to fit beauty standards, this girl couldn’t get the medical treatment she needed to better her health. This video opened my eyes because it showcased how much we, as a society, have failed in the purpose of medicine use. 

As society progresses and evolves, its social norms and standards change over time. In recent years, medications and treatments for diabetes have been more commonly used as weight-loss treatment rather than their initial medical function. The article, “Body Image and Interest in GLP-1 Weight Loss Medications” by Markey et al. (2025), analyzes the relationship between the perceptions of body image and interest in GLP-1s, a diabetes medication, for weight loss. Other diabetes medications, like Ozempic, have become popular over social media for their weight loss effects. Due to the increased attention to diabetes medications for weight loss, the authors decided to conduct a study that looked at the psychological aspects, such as body image and dissatisfaction, and their impact on diabetes medication interest. This study researched the concern of body image and weight perception and their consequence on people’s desire to take medications for weight loss.  

The authors reflect on the sociocultural theory of the body and the cultural norms of what body shape/type is considered attractive or skinny for individuals. Society’s norms and expectations, as well as social media influence, are contributing factors to an individual’s perception of body image and pressure to fit the beauty standards. Because of societal and external factors to look a certain way, many turn to alternative strategies to change their bodies. In today’s society, diabetes medications and GLP-1s are the most popular forms of weight loss. Markey et al. (2025) also examine the objectification theory, where individuals, in particular women, see themselves and their bodies as objects, therefore the constant need to improve and “look better.” The negative thoughts of body image and the desire to use medications for weight loss are explained by the theoretical perspectives presented in the article (Markey et al., 2025). 

The methodology for this study was a quantitative survey where participants were asked to complete a questionnaire that measures body satisfaction, body image concerns, motivation for weight loss, and GLP-1 interest. Alongside the questionnaire, participants were asked to provide demographic information to see if there was any difference in interest levels of GLP-1s for certain groups. With this methodology, the authors were able to find a relationship between body image variables and the likelihood of taking GLP-1s for weight loss, and predict any psychological predictors for taking pharmaceutical measures (Markey et al., 2025). The main research question that the authors address is how greater body image dissatisfaction contributes to the intense desire to take GLP-1s. The authors also explore how motivators for weight loss and distress about appearance impact the want of taking diabetes medications. Especially with the popular influence of social media promoting these medications for weight loss, it is important to understand these research questions to comprehend the psychological and sociological consequences (Markey et al., 2025). 

Based on the research questions asked, the authors found the expected results of body image playing an important role in the interest of taking GLP-1s. Individuals who reported high levels of body dissatisfaction and a strong desire to lose weight and/or change their appearance were more likely to show interest in GLP-1s (Markey et al., 2025). Even though the article has limitations on being a cross-sectional study and having bias from the self-reported questionnaires, there are many more opportunities to expand the research. To further expand on this research, researchers can examine the role of social media and its shaping of interest in taking GLP-1s. Influencer and advertising culture have become a growing sociological factor in many beauty interests and standards. Perceptions of weight loss and body image are influenced by the things we see on social media. With further research, we can see how much influence on social media has on not only body dissatisfaction, but the push to take medical and pharmaceutical measure to achieve the beauty standard. 

This article relates to my final project because it examines how sociological and psychological factors contribute to body image dissatisfaction and health-related behaviors. This study looks into body dissatisfaction and how it shapes people's mindset of taking medically induced weight loss, specifically taking GLP-1s, to look a certain way. The authors explain the connection between the fixation on weight loss medications for psychological and social reasons rather than medical ones. The article provides a broader understanding of how individuals’ choices about their health can be heavily influenced by body image.

Research question(s): Why do some individuals reject the idea of using weight-loss medication despite the popularity and pressure to do so?

Participants: A qualitative group of adults who were offered to take weight-loss medication but declined. 

Methods: This was a qualitative study that included interviews and narrative analysis that collected data on biomedicalization and who was the consumer demographic.

Results:

Some individuals reject weight-loss medication even if they are medically eligible to take the medication

People refused to take those medications because they are concerned about the medicalization of the treatments, side effects, and effects on identity

The paradox of the “ideal patient-consumer” is the pressure to seek treatment and responsibly make the best healthcare choices. 

“BOTOX® (onabotulinumtoxinA) is a prescription medicine that is injected into muscles and used to prevent headaches in adults with chronic migraine who have 15 or more days each month with headache lasting 4 or more hours each day in people 18 years and older.”

With the rise of weight-loss treatments and medications, many brand-name drugs, like Ozempic and Wegovy, have become popular for their weight loss effects despite their primary intention of being a diabetes medication. The article by Peyyety et al. (2025) examines adolescents’ and young adults’ attitudes toward GLP-1 weight-loss medications, specifically Ozempic and Wegovy, with the increased societal attention. The purpose of this research study is to analyze how youths perceive and evaluate the use of these diabetes medications, with the increasing cultural emphasis on body image. The results found that adolescents and young adults were aware of these weight loss medications, but were skeptical about their use among the youth (Peyyety et al., 2025). 

The primary research questions included youths’ awareness of medication use for weight loss, their attitudes toward its use, and what factors influence their understanding. The authors used a data text-messaging platform called MyVoice to gather responses for these research questions. MyVoice had an open-ended questionnaire involving awareness levels, perceived risks, and attitudes towards weight-loss medications. The researchers retrieved this information by gathering a participant sample of 753 adolescents and young adults aged from 14 to 24. Since this study uses a self-reported questionnaire, it makes it a qualitative research study. The authors specifically used qualitative content analysis to code certain responses into frequent themes. To take demographics into account, they also used chi-square tests to examine the differences. 

The findings of the data indicated that adolescents and young people were very aware of these medications, but not because of their use of diabetes treatment, but for their weight-loss effects. The awareness of these drugs was due to social media exposure to these particular medications. Even though youths are aware of these drugs, they are suspicious because of the newness of the drug. The influence of social media on Ozempic and Wegovy has shaped the awareness and perception of their use in weight loss (Peyyety et al., 2025).

This study supports my research project by demonstrating the relevance of weight-loss medications and public awareness. It examines GLP-1 medications, particularly Ozempic and Wegovy, which are highly popular weight-loss alternatives to modify one’s body. Instead of using Ozempic and Wegovy for their intended purposes, which is for diabetes treatment, they are being used for weight loss. Due to societal beauty standards, these medical treatments are increasingly used for aesthetic purposes. Peyyety et al. (2025) provide important details about the youths’ understanding of GLP-1 medications and how they are viewed as weight-loss medications for aesthetic purposes rather than medical interventions because of cultural influences of body image. Overall, this research study supports my topic because it showcases how medical treatments are becoming an intervention for socially constructed beauty standards. 

While this research study provides a large sample of responses through MyVoice, having this text-messaging platform limits the in-depth perspectives and experiences of these participants. MyVoice oversimplifies the complex questions that the research study is trying to answer. The authors also use chi-square tests to gather demographic data, however, structural factors like socioeconomic status and access to healthcare are not taken into accounts (Peyyety et al., 2025). For future research, the authors could gather more detailed information about the participants’ understanding and reasoning by conducting interviews. With these interviews, the researchers could ask more questions to get the full understanding of the participants awareness and perceptions of GLP-1 medications. 

In conclusion, despite the limitations of methodology and lack of mention of body image, this article continues to support the claim that GLP-1s are becoming highly popular and relevant in today’s society. Not only are they getting recognition, but they are being highlighted for the wrong reasons, which is for aesthetic and weight-loss purposes. Using this medical treatment for diabetes other than its intended use, specifically for body enhancement, shows society’s influence on body image. 

Research question(s): How should clinicians manage the aesthetic consequences, such as volume loss and facial changes, in patients using prescribed weight-loss medications, like GLP-1s?

Participants: A group of panelist medical experts, like plastic surgeons and dermatologists, treating patients who experience weight loss from medical treatments.

Methods: “Patient interviews, market research, and a systematic literature review” were used to gather information. They also used a Delphi study, which is a three-round multidisciplinary method that collected various patient and physician information to then have the panelists vote on statements about medication-driven weight loss (mdWL).

Results:

Aesthetic concerns were linked to rapid weight loss 

Panelists agreed that early assessment and intervention are significantly important 

Non-surgical procedures, like skin tightening and collagen-related treatments, are recommended as a first-line treatment 

“Once reserved for medical uses like achieving a healthier weight, weekly injections (and now daily pills) have gained acceptance as a way to achieve an aspirational weight. Every time I open Instagram, I see an ad from a telehealth provider pushing GLP-1s from this new angle: Lose those last five, 10, 15 pounds! Try an extra-low dose! These companies are saying out loud what some of us have long suspected: Aesthetic weight-loss goals, rather than health needs, are the motivating factor for a number of people interested in taking GLP-1s.”

Alongside GLP-1s, other aesthetic treatments, like cosmetic surgery, are common in altering one’s appearance when struggling with body image. The article by Al-Bashaireh et al. (2025) explores how female college students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) perceive body image and how these perceptions influence their attitudes toward cosmetic surgery. The authors conduct their research in the context of people who undergo cosmetic procedures, increasing societal pressures to meet the beauty standards (Al-Bashaireh et al., 2025). Women are constantly comparing themselves to the desired beauty standard, internally objectifying themselves. In turn, this creates a self-perception of body image, which can influence the type of methods to achieve those looks. 

The main research questions examined by the authors are how much knowledge and motivation female college students have regarding cosmetic surgery, how prevalent it is among them, and how body image influences their attitude towards cosmetic surgery (Al-Bashaireh et al., 2025). The population sample of female college students was intentional because this population is more prone to body image perceptions, which can lead to cosmetic procedures. This cross-sectional study conducted different surveys on a sample population of 783 Emirati female college students. The measures they used to collect information on the relationship between body image and attitudes towards cosmetic procedures included demographic and cosmetic-related questionnaires, the Body Appreciation Scale (BAS), and the Attitude Toward Cosmetic Surgery Scale (ACSS) (Al-Bashaireh et al., 2025).

With the information collected from their methodology, the authors found that nearly half, or 47.6% of the participants considered cosmetic procedures/surgeries as necessary, and their main motivator was to improve their appearance. They found that filler and Botox treatments were more common among cosmetic procedures. However, there was no correlation between body image and the perspectives towards cosmetic surgery. Overall, body image was high among this population, but those who underwent a cosmetic procedure reported having a lower body image and a higher acceptance of cosmetic surgery (Al-Bashaireh et al., 2025).

This article relates to and enhances my topic of how medical treatments, like Botox and rhinoplasty, are used for aesthetic purposes to alter physical appearance due to beauty standards set by society. Cosmetic procedures are becoming more normalized, regardless of whether the individual has a low body image. This shows that the increase in medical treatments used for aesthetic purposes is not only driven by low self-esteem and body image, but also by the social expectations to look a certain way and accepting these alterations as a way to change one’s appearance. This article specifically examines how Botox, fillers, and rhinoplasty, which are [potential] medical treatments, have been shifted to tools that construct the ideal beauty standard in society. The lack of relationship between body image and the perspectives on cosmetic surgery also suggests that people pursue these aesthetic treatments even when they feel secure in their body because of the societal pressures to fit the beauty standard and the normalization of using medical treatments for non-medical purposes. 

The focus of female college students as the population sample for this study reduces the generalizability of these findings to society as a whole. The research methodology also creates limitations. A cross-sectional study limits the causal relationship between the variables, and the self-reported data creates possible biases. The main inconsistency I noticed in this study is that research shows that both high and low body image see cosmetic procedures as acceptable. Another inconsistency I noticed was that there was no correlation between body image and attitudes toward cosmetic surgery, however, those who did undergo cosmetic surgery had low body image and high acceptance of surgery. Alongside the inconsistencies, a gap in this research study is the lack of consideration of social media as an influence on body image and beauty standards. 

In conclusion, the article by Al-Bashaireh et al. (2025) shows a valuable insight into the progressive acceptance of cosmetic procedures for aesthetic purposes and the normalization of these enhancements in young adult females. These findings show how medical treatments being used for aesthetic purposes are relevant in understanding society’s pressures to shape the ideal appearance. For future research opportunities, looking into social media’s role and influence on medical treatments being normalized for cosmetic purposes can greatly enhance the understanding of medical sociology. Overall, the use of medical treatments for non-medical issues is ongoing in society, even in non-Western societies.

Research question(s): How is body image affected by cosmetic medical treatment decisions, including body dissatisfaction and disorders? What are the psychological outcomes of those who have those procedures?

Participants: Since it was a literature review, there were no sample participants. The studies consisted of patients who underwent cosmetic surgery.

Methods: The study was a literature review where the authors analyzed empirical research about body image before and after surgery, the types of cosmetic procedures, and the psychological outcomes. 

Results:

Body dissatisfaction is a motivator for wanting cosmetic treatment

Individuals who have great body dissatisfaction usually have it involved one specific body part rather than their overall body/appearance

There was some body image improvement in individuals who had realistic cosmetic procedures

Individuals with psychological and eating disorders, like body dysmorphic disorder, had higher rates of desiring cosmetic procedures