GLP-1s were a revelation for many of us.
That first injection, wasn’t just medicine. It was proof.
Proof that all the years of being told “eat less, move more” were a lie.
Proof that biology, not willpower, had been holding us back.
Proof that it was never our fault.
For me, this medication has been nothing short of life-saving.
Life-saving because I battled bulimia for over a decade. Every day was a cycle of obsession, guilt, and punishment. I thought that would be my reality forever. But with GLP-1s, it’s like that part of me has finally gone quiet. Miraculously, I feel like I never had an eating disorder in the first place.
Life-saving because I smoked my first cigarette at 14 years old and hadn’t stopped since. The day I started this medication was the last day I used nicotine. To this day, I wake up relieved that the urge is simply gone.
Life-saving because it lifted me from what felt like an endless depression. For the first time in years, life felt like actually living.
Life-saving because it reversed my pre-diabetes, potentially extending my time on this earth.
Life-saving because it gave my kids their mom back, my husband his wife back, and my friends their friend back.
Life-saving because it gave me back to myself.
All of these things had the potential to change the course of my life, and did.
Knowing what I know now, I will fight like hell for equitable access for everyone who needs this medication. And this book is part of that fight.
This isn’t just my story. It’s our story.
If you’re reading this, you already know what it feels like to carry the weight of stigma, bias, and silence.
You know how hard it is to defend yourself when the world tells you your health is your fault.
This guide is here to change that.
It’s for patients like you, learning to speak up against shame and bias.
It’s for allies, the parents, partners, teachers, and friends who want to understand what it’s like to live with the disease of obesity.
And yes, there will be a guide for healthcare providers, because stigma in obesity care is one of the biggest things holding us back. But advocacy doesn’t start in the clinic.
It starts here.
With you.
With me.
And when it grows, it becomes unstoppable.
This book is a tool to help you fight like hell, for yourself, and for the rest of us.
Because when one of us gets strong, we all do.
That’s what it means to be GLP-1 Stronger Together.
This is the tool that Belongs in every GLP-1 patient tool kit.
— Amanda Bonello