Rose Stokes, a 38-year-old women’s health journalist and self-described fat-positive advocate, has faced accusations of hypocrisy after revealing she is taking Mounjaro, a GLP-1 weight-loss drug. In response, she says she is only a hypocrite if one equates thinness with beauty, a notion she rejects.
Decades of dieting and self-doubt
Stokes’s struggle with weight began at age 11, when she calculated calories in school dinners at lunchtime. She recalls declining birthday cake because she had no calories left. Over the years, she cycled through Weight Watchers, Slimming World, SlimFast, Herbalife, Atkins, and the 5:2 diet. This constant cycle, she says, undermined her self-worth and made her question her value as a human being.
It wasn’t until she met her husband in her late 20s that she began to let go of the belief that she was unlovable because of her size. Since then, she has spoken openly about body acceptance and fatphobia, making her decision to take Mounjaro surprising to some.
Why she chose Mounjaro
Stokes, a mother of two, says her decision is about health, not thinness. She first tried GLP-1 drugs after her second baby was born in 2024, but experienced significant mental health issues due to hormonal reactions. She describes that first attempt as “a real car crash.” In May 2026, she tried again with better nutrition advice and a clear goal of returning to her pre-pregnancy weight. This time, while she has physical side effects like headaches, nausea, heartburn, and constipation, her mental health is better.
Stokes says the drug has helped her forgive herself, noting that a dose of a modified human hormone can cause weight loss, which raises questions about how much of her weight gain was her responsibility.
Criticism of GLP-1 marketing
Despite her personal use, Stokes is critical of how GLP-1s are marketed as an easy fix, ignoring side effects and emotional consequences. She highlights the cost, saying that lack of financial access creates “an economic hierarchy to who is allowed to be thin.” She calls the inequality “insane,” referencing the £200-a-month cost as a penalty for bodies that behave differently.
Stokes co-hosts a new podcast, A Matter of Fat, with obesity scientist Professor Giles Yeo MBE. The podcast explores the complex relationship between weight, health, science, and society, aiming to be science-based yet human-centered, avoiding judgmental assumptions about fat people.
Reconciling body positivity and weight loss
Stokes argues that taking GLP-1s does not mean abandoning body positivity. She believes self-love and proactive health changes can coexist. “I don’t understand why you can’t love yourself and also be proactively trying to change your body if you have your own health reasons for that,” she says. She adds that accepting and loving yourself also means supporting yourself, and for her, that currently means losing some weight.
