Woman with history of anorexia was prescribed weight-loss jab — and told: ‘You’re eating too much’

After years of managing her eating disorder, one woman got her hands on a prescription for GLP-1 weight loss drugs from a telehealth service — and says it was “criminally easy” to do so.

Kate, identified only by her first name, told Australia’s ABC News that she had a history of anorexia nervosa prior starting a GLP-1. But she was not screened for an eating disorder before a practitioner gave her the drugs.

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Kate’s story

Kate, 25, was last hospitalized for anorexia in 2022. Since then, she’d been managing the condition with her medical team.

But after she researched GLP-1s online in 2025, she started getting targeted ads for a telehealth clinic on Instagram and made an appointment.

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In a follow-up for a refill on her medication, when Kate asked her for dose to be increased — people often “titrate” or increase dosing gradually to maximize effects while limiting side effects — she said she was given “forceful” and “intimidating” advie.

“They basically said … you’re eating the wrong things, you’re eating too much,” Kate said. “Hearing that specifically in terms of my food was quite jarring for the eating disorder.”

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She was able to stop taking GLP-1s with the help of her doctor, and hopes her story can help others.

How GLP-1s can reawaken eating disorders

Kate’s not alone. A study from July showed 30% of participants with eating disorders had used GLP-1s like Ozempic and Wegovy.

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Experts say many doctors aren’t screening for eating disorders before prescribing — a sharp departure from other weight-loss interventions, such as bariatric surgery.

“A psychological screening would happen before moving forward with that process. Here, with [GLP-1s], that’s not really happening,” said Sarah Davis, a licensed psychotherapist and certified eating disorder specialist.

GLP-1s can awaken an eating disorder that may have been “in recovery or have had good functioning for a long time,” said Dr. Brad Smith, chief medical officer for the Emily Program, a national organization that specializes in eating disorders.

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That’s what happened to Jo Clark-Smith, who went on Wegovy for cholesterol management. It revived an eating disorder that she hadn’t actively struggled with for 20 years.

And when some with eating disorders quit their GLP-1s, they found it hard to stop their restrictive food habits.

“It takes over your brain and your mental capacity. It can be really like a prison of your own mind,” said Dr. Thea Gallagher, a clinical psychologist at NYU Langone.

(*) Full article: https://nypost.com/2026/09/02/health/woman-with-history-of-anorexia-was-told-youre-eating-too-much-after-getting-glp-1/