Increasingly popular, ‘slimming pens‘ have become the newest aesthetic phenomenon around the world, including Brazil. These pens, in turn, are nothing more than medications indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and severe obesity.
Despite initial medical advice, drugs have been adopted wildly and without pharmaceutical support for weight loss. An article recently published by the magazine Obesity sought to understand what is behind this event.
According to the authors, doctors and researchers, this is not only a clinical deviation, but also a social phenomenon. Drugs are no longer seen only as therapeutics for disease-risk conditions and are now seen as tools for lifestyle for body and social optimization.
The study also highlights some gaps in relation to full knowledge of how medications work outside of their initial indication. The research highlights that there is still a lack of evidence on the safety and effectiveness of pens in people without clinical obesity, especially in the long term.
Furthermore, off-label use can mask essential health factors in the healthy weight loss process, such as a balanced diet, physical activity and psychological support.
The authors argue that the deliberate use of weight-loss pens cannot be understood solely by medicine, as the event reflects social norms and standards that value thinness as a symbol of beauty. Using medication to lose weight, even without clinical need, raises the debate about weight stigma.
How do pens work?
The pens are medicines based on agonists of the hormone GLP-1, produced by the small intestine. It is responsible for stimulating the release of insulin, the feeling of satiety and a decrease in the speed of digestion. The medicines then imitate the action of natural molecules and can reduce the appetite of those who apply them.
Use in Brazil
Given the situation, Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) published resolutions prohibiting the manufacture, distribution, import, commercialization, advertising and use of some GLP-1 agonist medications. In Brazil, the use of these drugs is subject to medical prescription, with prescription retention.
Another situation that concerns Brazilian authorities are cases of counterfeiting and adulteration of products. In 2024, the WHO issued an alert about counterfeit batches of medicines such as semglutide, detected in several countries, including Brazil. The use of clandestine versions can pose even more health risks.
In February 2025, the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabology (SBEM), the Brazilian Diabetes Society (SBD) and the Brazilian Association for the Study of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome (Abeso) issued a joint note warning about these risks.
