the shrinking world: notes on appetite, control, and the illusion of choice
Monday, January 5th 2026
good morning dear reader!
it is monday. the beginning of the week that often feels like a defeat. but don’t worry. i have a little rant to wake up through critically thinking synapse and give you something to ponder on as you pound away at your work week. today’s tea is chai. so brew yourself a cup and get to reading.
a brief trigger warning for any of our more sensitive readers: this particular newsletter will be discussing weight loss, unhealthy relationships with food, war crimes, and the rise of diet culture in a post capitalist society. if any of these subjects are triggering to you, this news letter may be worth skipping for today. make sure that if you decide to ignore this trigger warning that you are in a space where you are emotionally prepared for discussion around these topics.
if this is your first time reading one of my monday rants, or hearing a rant in general it is fair to say that what you are about to witness is pure unbridled fury. i only rant about topics that i find truly disgusting and hurtful and this is simply one of them. for context: my phone is my biggest stalker and i listened in on a private medical conversation about diabetes and the usage of glp-1s. i get really thirsty, they tested me for diabetes and were considering the usage of a glp-1 for treatment. i do not have diabetes, my blood sugar and glucose were perfect. what i do have is stress–which apparently can make you really fucking thirsty. since this occurred my for you page has been inundated with video after video pushing glp-1s for weight loss as both ads and influencer stories.
glp-1 medications (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) are prescription drugs originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes by mimicking a naturally occurring hormone that helps regulate blood sugar. they work by increasing insulin release, slowing gastric emptying, and signaling fullness to the brain, which often leads to reduced appetite and weight loss. in recent years, newer formulations have been approved for chronic weight management in people who meet specific medical criteria. while effective for some patients under clinical supervision, glp-1s can cause side effects including nausea, vomiting, muscle loss, fatigue, and nutrient deficiencies, and they require long-term use to maintain results—meaning discontinuation often leads to weight regain.
during my scrolling i stumbled upon a video discussing the different effects of injecting these medications into different places on the body. the host of the conversation was saying that when she injects her arm she has extreme appetite suppression, and when she injects her stomach she has less appetite suppression.
which on its own is fine, yes please discuss these side effects so that other people can kn0ow what t expect. but, the conversation didn’t stop there. the op continued on to say that she purposefully switches around her injection sites to give her self more or less appetite suppression depending on how much she wants to eat that day.
if you have ever struggled with an eating disorder–i’m sure that logic sounded familiar.
this video on its one is just a drop in the ocean, but when i explored the comments they reminded me of the ed forums i used to avidly scroll when i was a teenager. swapping tips and tricks on how to use this medication to lose 10-15 pounds a week. not all comments where like this–many where giving advice on how to prevent muscle loss or nausea. there were however many more of these comments bragging about the weight loss through less than healthy means.
on its own this is one small issue– one that may mean something to me but is not so much a conversation that i would feel like sharing. so, you may be wondering why i am telling you about this, dear reader. well– its because this is just the beginning.
it would not surprise me if, within the next year, we see our first deaths tied to glp-1s being misused for weight loss. this is not an attack on their fda-approved medical applications. it is a critique of the rhetoric surrounding them—a rhetoric branded as “health” and “wellness” but functionally indistinguishable from the most addictive corners of eating-disorder culture.
that language is addictive. it offers dopamine. it creates the illusion of control.
and right now, control and dopamine are scarce resources.
that scarcity is not accidental.
i know this may feel like a sudden pivot, but stay with me: this is political.
we are living in a moment where authoritarianism feeds on exhaustion, malnourishment, and distraction. a population that is hungry, sick, and fixated on shrinking itself is a population that cannot resist.
making dangerous thinness culturally normal serves a purpose. when everyday americans begin skipping meals because inflation makes food inaccessible, we won’t see it as a crisis. we’ll say, oh, they’re probably on ozempic. lucky them.
but dear reader, we are smarter than that.
we love to critically think here at the morning hues. so, don’t just take my word for it, do your own research. ask yourself why did the us president lower the price of weight loss drugs to make them more accessible but not the price of produce? research the defunding of the fda and its conjunction with the approval of glp-1s for weight loss. notice how the celebrities are all getting thinner, and how athletes are promoting these weight loss drugs. listen (and critique) the conversations everyday glp-1 influencers are having with their audiences.
glp-1s are not a quick fix, they are a band-aid on an amputation.
it is like they are literally laughing in our faces saying: “don’t worry that you can’t buy an apple– you can still be mcdonald’s. worried about your weight? glp-1’s with every meal.” its as if they want to give us any reason to not fuel our minds and not move of bodies. two necessary means of resistance. you cant resist if you’re hungry and sick.
which is what i find so infuriating about this whole thing. the pieces fit too neatly together and it creates this self-propelling menace of a system that preys upon people when they need it the most. i wish i had an answer for it, on what to do besides to be careful about the way you are treating your body. or to encourage therapy, or to remind anyone who is willing to listen that right now losing a little weight is the least of your concerns. that if there isn’t a medical reason to take a medication maybe don’t use it. i understand wanting to change but this seems like it takes the idea of in order to bring in your new life you must kill your old one too far.
but, dear reader, let me know in the comments. how do you feel about glp-1s? if you are taking one– is it helpful? how do you feel? how do you feel about the community and the rhetoric.
the one thing i know?
that i would rather you be alive with meat on your bones, then dead and skinny.
until next time,
hues