Experts warn that the surge in weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Mounjaro could reshape artistic beauty standards, with future portraits potentially featuring gaunt 'GLP-1 face' as a new ideal. The prediction follows research presented at the European Congress on Obesity, suggesting that rapid fat loss from these medications may influence how people are depicted in art.
Professor Rosalind Gill, a fellow at the British Academy, noted that while GLP-1 face is often viewed negatively, society has historically redefined hollowed-out looks as desirable, similar to 'heroin chic' in the 1990s. She argued that consumer culture could easily adopt this look as a new aesthetic, reflected in contemporary art.
Dr Michael Yafi, a paediatric endocrinologist at the University of Texas, Houston, told the conference that artists like Picasso would likely have painted GLP-1 face if alive today. He added that understanding shifting beauty ideals could help medics provide more empathetic care to patients with obesity, historically portrayed positively in art as a sign of wealth and status.
However, art historian Bendor Grosvenor cautioned against overinterpreting historical artworks, stating that diagnosing figures like the Mona Lisa based solely on facial appearance is unreliable. 'Art is about so much more than likeness, let alone health,' he said, urging restraint in linking past art to modern medical trends.
