Marriage and Sex in the Age of Ozempic: An Update

Summary

Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Daily
Episode: Marriage and Sex in the Age of Ozempic: An Update
Date: December 26, 2025
Host(s): Rachel Abrams
Reporter: Lisa
Main Guests: Javier and Jean

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Episode Overview

This episode explores the profound and unexpected impacts of GLP-1 weight loss drugs (like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro) on marriage, sexuality, and personal identity. Through an in-depth revisit with one married couple—Javier and Jean—the episode delves into their journey before and after Jean began taking Ozempic, how their relationship changed, and where they stand now, reflecting on updates since their original story aired.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The “Weight Loss Revolution” (00:29–02:33)

• Context: The United States is experiencing widespread use and cultural transformation due to new weight loss drugs.
• Personal Impact: 1 in 8 Americans has tried these medications, fundamentally changing lives by enabling people to control eating in ways previously impossible.

Notable Quote:
“If you are able to eat just five French fries and you used to not be able to eat just five French fries, it gives you grounding in the idea that you can control things in your life that you didn’t think you could control.”
— Lisa (01:21)

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2. Introducing Jean and Javier’s Story (02:33–06:53)

• Finding the Couple: A New York Times “call out” yields a response about a marriage changed by Ozempic: less alcohol, smaller meals, improved health—and diminished libido.
• Their History:
  • Met in high school, both self-conscious, particularly Jean about her body.
  • Both experienced painful self-image issues, despite mutual attraction.
  • Reconnected after divorces; became romantically and sexually fulfilled together.

Memorable Moment:
“I thought he was cute... there have been times in my life where someone was actually flirting with me... and I just don’t register... because I feel so uncomfortable in my own body.”
— Jean (04:08, 04:27)

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3. Jean’s Struggle with Weight (06:37–08:14)

• Life Together: They loved food, wine, and sharing indulgent experiences, but Jean struggled with her weight and self-acceptance, cycling through losing and regaining 70 pounds multiple times.
• “Food noise”: Jean describes a constant, uncontrollable urge to eat, absent of normal hunger cues.
• Health Consequences: She developed chronic health issues, eventually asking for and receiving a GLP-1 prescription.

Notable Quote:
“Food noise to me feels like a constant need to eat. I don’t feel hungry, I don’t feel full.”
— Jean (07:22)

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4. Rapid Changes After Ozempic (08:14–10:17)

• Physical Transformation: Jean loses 60 pounds in eight months.
• Social Perception: She experiences increased opportunities at work and is perceived differently, even though she is the same person.
• Wider Context: Many others on these drugs report new social and professional prospects, catalyzing identity shifts and relationship challenges.

Notable Quote:
“I feel like there’s this different perception of me. I’m the same person, I’m just 60 pounds lighter.”
— Jean (09:27)

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5. Strain on Marriage and Intimacy (11:47–17:12)

• Lifestyle Shifts: Jean’s appetite for alcohol disappears; she asserts her introverted side and desires more independence.
• Javier’s Response: He mourns loss of shared experiences—late nights, social drinking, going out.
• Escalating Conflict: Their once harmonious life turns tumultuous; arguments become frequent and intense.

Memorable Quotes:
“We’re the people who do these things.”
— Lisa paraphrasing Javier’s feeling (13:20)

“I started really wondering who I was with. Bottom line is, it became very confusing to me as far as how to manage our relationship.”
— Javier (13:58)

• Loss of Sexual Connection: Their sexual intimacy disappears. Both miss the voluptuousness of Jean’s previous body. Javier struggles with the physical and emotional distance.

Notable Quote:
“I used to love feeling her body, her big body next to me in bed, the softness of her body... That voluptuousness... That’s no longer an option.”
— Javier (14:19, 14:50)

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6. Shifting Boundaries & Self-Discovery (16:00–18:18)

• Complex Roots: Reduced sex drive potentially stems from menopause, antidepressants, and deeper shifts: Jean’s newfound ability to set boundaries.
• Self-Assertion: Jean reflects on finally prioritizing her desires after decades as a “pleaser.”
• New Questions: Both partners confront existential questions about what they want from their relationship and lives.

Notable Quotes:
“I’m setting the boundaries. I don’t want to have sex, but before I would.”
— Jean (16:41)

“So you’re empowered in a way to take up space to say what you want, and that forces you to have to figure out what you want.”
— Lisa (17:23)

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7. Reflections and Gratitude (18:18–19:09)

• Mixed Emotions: Jean is grateful for the transformation and determined to maintain her health, though she notes the sadness in confronting these issues later in life.

Notable Quote:
“I still feel very strongly that this is... one of the best things that I’ve done for myself...”
— Jean (18:18)

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Update: One Year Later (20:53–23:01)

8. Have Things Changed? (20:53–22:59)

• Breakthrough Intimacy:
  • The couple confirms they’re having sex again, though not frequently.
  • Jean attributes the change to a series of body contouring surgeries, increasing her physical comfort and confidence.
  • Javier expresses gratitude for Jean’s acknowledgment of his ongoing support during her transformation.

Notable and Lighthearted Moment:
Lisa: “Are you having sex?”
Javier (joking): “Well, I’m not a virgin anymore.” (21:08)

Detailed Account:
Jean: "I'd had a mommy makeover... tummy tuck... breast reduction and lift... arms done, so removing loose skin. So I was just feeling affectionate and appreciative." (21:27)
Javier: "Gene said... I'm open to it. And I'm like, okay, no, clothes are coming off... got out of bed, locked the door, clothes came off. And it was, you know, it was wonderful." (22:13–22:43)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-------|---------| | 01:21 | “If you are able to eat just five French fries...” | Lisa | | 04:27 | “There have been times... I just don’t register the signs because I feel so uncomfortable in my own body.” | Jean | | 07:22 | “Food noise to me feels like a constant need to eat.” | Jean | | 09:27 | “I feel like there’s this different perception of me. I’m the same person, I’m just 60 pounds lighter.” | Jean | | 13:58 | “I started really wondering who I was with. Bottom line is, it became very confusing to me as far as how to manage our relationship.” | Javier | | 14:50 | “That voluptuousness... That's no longer an option.” | Javier | | 16:41 | “I'm setting the boundaries. I don't want to have sex, but before I would.” | Jean | | 17:23 | “So you're empowered in a way to take up space to say what you want, and that forces you to have to figure out what you want.” | Lisa | | 18:18 | “I still feel very strongly that this is the one of the best things that I've done for myself.” | Jean | | 21:08 | "Well, I'm not a virgin anymore." | Javier | | 22:43 | “And it was... wonderful.” | Javier |

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Background & Weight Loss Revolution: 00:29–02:33
• Introducing the Couple: 02:33–06:53
• Jean’s Past Struggles & Starting Ozempic: 06:53–10:17
• Lifestyle and Relationship Tensions: 11:47–13:54
• Loss of Intimacy and Desire: 13:54–17:57
• Jean’s Self-Discovery & Reflections: 17:57–19:09
• Update: Return of Intimacy: 20:53–23:01

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Conclusion

This episode offers a nuanced, deeply personal look at how powerful new drugs—intended to improve health—can reshape not only bodies, but also identities, relationships, and the core dynamics between long-term partners. Jean and Javier’s story illustrates both the costs and gifts of transformation: the loss of familiar comforts, emergence of new boundaries, and, eventually, the possibility for renewed intimacy on new terms.

Listeners unfamiliar with the original episode will gain insight into the multidimensional impact of Ozempic beyond the headlines—reminding us that physical health revolutions can catalyze profound emotional and relational upheaval as well.

Transcript

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[Rachel Abrams]

Hey, it's Rachel. This week we're revisiting some of our favorite shows from the year, listening back and hearing what's happened in the time since then. Today we return to the story of one married Couple's experience with GLP1 drugs and how the use of weight loss medications like Ozempic can impact how people see themselves and their closest relationships. It's Friday, December 26th. Lisa I don't think it's an understatement to say that we in 2025 are in the middle of this, what feels like kind of a weight loss revolution in the United States. And of course, we're talking about these drugs that everybody's probably heard of. Ozempic, wegovy Manjaro. I think most people know somebody who's been transformed by them. Maybe a lot of people themselves have actually had some experience with them.

[Lisa]

Yeah, it's a revolution in how we look. It's a revolution in our health. It's got gigantic potential to help people who have not been able to be helped before. The data show that one in eight Americans has tried one of these drugs. Like, I have a friend who takes the medicine and he says, you know, if you are able to eat just five French fries and you used to not be able to eat just five French fries, it gives you grounding in the idea that you can control things in your life that you didn't think you could control. So what else can you control? Can you control the way you relate to your children, the way you talk to your boss? And what really interested me was this question of how the GLP1 drugs affected a marriage, especially when one partner is on the drugs and the other partner isn't.

[Rachel Abrams]

How did you go about trying to find the right people to talk to to satisfy that question?

[Lisa]

Right. Well, we at the Times have a thing called a call out where you ask the public a question and then we get responses to that question. And the question was, this has a GLP1 drug like Ozempic, and subsequent Weight loss changed your relationship. And I was getting all of these responses and one jumped out at me. He wrote, I believe it has changed a few things. Less alcohol consumption, smaller meal portions, improved health outcomes. But I believe GLP1 has affected my wife's libido. No interest in sexual, perhaps due in part to image issues. Also increased mood swings on her part. And I thought there's a lot between the lines here. And so I called them up and they agreed to participate in the story as long as I used their middle names.

[Javier]

Javier.

[Lisa]

Javier. So he is Javier and she is Jean.

[Jean]

J E A N N E. They.

[Lisa]

Live in New England in sort of a nice suburb.

[Javier]

We celebrated our anniversary a few days ago.

[Lisa]

They had been married for 15 years and I think maybe it's helpful to talk first about what their relationship was like before the drugs. And it goes back to high school.

[Javier]

Junior year is when I met her. So it takes us to 1987.

[Lisa]

They both grew up in Sacramento. What do you notice about her? Like what, what made you like her?

[Javier]

Her personality. Very outgoing, great smile.

[Jean]

Well, I thought he was cute, but.

[Lisa]

She was like in a bigger body and excruciatingly self conscious about that.

[Jean]

So always felt awful, never felt attractive.

[Lisa]

And he had a crush on her.

[Jean]

There have been times in my life where someone was actually flirting with me or trying to come on to me and I just don't register the signs because I feel so uncomfortable in my own body.

[Lisa]

So even though she had a crush on him too, she wouldn't believe it. They were unrequited high school sweethearts.

[Jean]

And.

[Lisa]

They each married other people.

[Javier]

What happened was that my first marriage was coming to an end.

[Jean]

My first marriage had just ended. And then our 20 year reunion was coming up that fall and I told.

[Javier]

Her that it'd be great to connect and have a cup of coffee.

[Lisa]

They told me about their first date.

[Javier]

The cup of coffee ended up being a dinner and some beers. And then.

[Lisa]

And they both told me about the first time that they had sex. The way he talked about it was just as this unbelievably magical, uninhibited interaction.

[Javier]

She didn't say don't look at me or I'm ashamed at this or the other or my boobs are too big or my butt's too big. There was never any talk of that. So I kind of thought that she was happy in her body.

[Lisa]

And other women that you had been with being talked like that. And I'm running this story by the both of them and she was like, I don't exactly remember it that way.

[Rachel Abrams]

Now we know that they eventually get together, right? They get married.

[Lisa]

Yeah. They move to the east coast where she gets big jobs in corporations. She's the earner. You get the sense that they fit each other's romantic fantasies and they're extremely sexually attracted to each other. It's a big part of the their identity as a couple. They have a child, they settle into a life where they both love food, they love wine, and they get a big wine fridge in their dining room.

[Rachel Abrams]

Living the dream.

[Lisa]

Totally. They're doers, you know, they like to imbibe in life. But throughout this, you know, Jean struggled with her weight.

[Jean]

I was obese from a BMI perspective.

[Lisa]

After she had her baby, she was heavy. She hated it. She had postpartum depression. She could not lose the weight. And she would say she's gained and lost 70 pounds multiple times in her life. And it just felt like an endless struggle to her.

[Rachel Abrams]

Did she tell you why she was having so much trouble keeping the weight off?

[Podcast Sponsor/Announcer 2]

She.

[Lisa]

She talked about food noise.

[Jean]

Yeah, food noise to me feels like a constant need to eat. I don't feel hungry, I don't feel full. So I don't have those physiological triggers to know when to eat.

[Lisa]

And the feeling of self loathing that she describes, of not being able to control that, like it's a failure of will.

[Jean]

And then being embarrassed about the food that I was eating. So sneaking food when I was home by myself, having a pint of ice cream because I could and I could hide it.

[Lisa]

Eventually this leads to health issues.

[Jean]

I do have other chronic conditions that it developed over time. I had non alcoholic fatty liver disease.

[Lisa]

And she says to her doctor, how about one of these GLP1 drugs?

[Jean]

And he wrote the script.

[Rachel Abrams]

And can you just remind us, Lisa, how do these drugs actually work?

[Lisa]

Well, they work by reducing your feeling of being hungry. And because of that, people lose a ton of weight really fast. And people who have been dieting their whole lives and struggling with their weight are able to keep their weight off as long as they're on the drugs. And, you know, she starts losing a lot of weight really fast. You know, £10, £20. I mean, she lost £60 inside of eight months. And then, you know, she notices that, like people start treating her differently.

[Jean]

Well, and even at work, you know.

[Lisa]

She'S a successful professional. She's always been a successful professional.

[Jean]

But I feel like the marketing team is putting me out there more now.

[Lisa]

Suddenly at work she's getting these outward facing opportunities where she's being put forward as a talking head to talk to the media, for example, in a way that she hadn't been before.

[Jean]

But I feel like there's this different perception of me. I'm the same person, I'm just 60 pounds lighter.

[Podcast Sponsor/Announcer]

Now.

[Lisa]

This is a thing that others have said too, about these drugs, that doors open. And a lot of the people I talk to for this story talk about the opportunities that get presented to them, promotions and dates. And if you're married, it presents a whole world of things that you have to suddenly start from figuring out that you didn't anticipate at all. And that was definitely true for Jean and Javier.

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[Rachel Abrams]

These huge changes that Jean is going through, both physically and emotionally, are affecting her relationship with Javier.

[Lisa]

I mean, one of the first things that happened was that she totally lost her appetite for alcohol. And for Jean, the loss of appetite just changed her whole approach to having fun with her husband. I mean, no longer could they sit on the couch and uncork a bottle of wine at the end of the day or go to the local brew pub and try out the new beer. None of it felt good to her anymore.

[Jean]

We go over to a friend's house and we'll have a game night or something like that. I mean, we'll still go. I just won't drink and that's fine.

[Lisa]

Yeah, in somebody she had an introverted side that hadn't been able to express herself because she was so busy being a pleaser, extrovert. Cause she was in a bigger body and she wanted people to like her.

[Jean]

I am not as much of a night owl as my husband is, and I like to read my Kindle a little bit before I go to sleep at night.

[Lisa]

Once she was in a smaller body, she could assert herself and say, like, actually, I like being at home.

[Rachel Abrams]

But she's also telling Javier she doesn't want to do the things that he.

[Lisa]

Thought that she loved and that they love together.

[Rachel Abrams]

They love together.

[Jean]

Right.

[Rachel Abrams]

How does he respond to all this?

[Jean]

How does he.

[Lisa]

He does not like it.

[Javier]

No, no. I like going with the flow. I mean, living in a moment and enjoying, you know, whatever's going on in social aspects or social events. Yeah.

[Lisa]

He was like, no, this is not how we are. We are the people who do these things.

[Jean]

I think he misses his drinking buddy, the person who is going to stay out late.

[Rachel Abrams]

It sounds like the lifestyle stuff led to a lot of tension.

[Lisa]

More than tension. I mean, I think they had a really, really, really hard time. And when I met them, they were fighting a lot before, it was a.

[Javier]

Conversation and, you know, and now it's a fight, and one of us is going to walk away angry because we're not seeing eye to eye on something.

[Lisa]

And their fights could be loud and ugly.

[Javier]

So I started really wondering who I was with. Bottom line is, it became very confusing to me as far as how to manage our relationship.

[Lisa]

I would.

[Javier]

Even to her, I'd say, you know, I don't recognize you. I need a roadmap.

[Lisa]

And one of the biggest things that changed is that they completely stopped having sex.

[Javier]

I used to love feeling her body, her big body next to me in bed, the softness of her body, you know, the extra tummy and the extra booty, you know.

[Lisa]

Next, they both talk about the loss of her. But are there things you miss about your previous body?

[Jean]

My butt.

[Lisa]

They both loved her butt, so I. I miss that.

[Javier]

That voluptuousness. Being able to lean up next to her and feel her, for lack of a better word, draping over me. That's no longer an option. Now it's. It's cuddling. And it's cuddling as tight and closely as we can or as I can. And that's the extent of the intimacy. I'm at a loss for why there's no physical intimacy. There hasn't been any.

[Lisa]

This, like, physical connection that they had has completely changed into something else. And Neither one of them knows exactly how to find it again.

[Javier]

And this new body, I haven't really been able to touch or explore or anything like that.

[Lisa]

It's not as accessible.

[Javier]

It's not now.

[Rachel Abrams]

Why haven't they had sex? Like, was that just another appetite that the drugs reduced?

[Lisa]

I mean, that's what Javier's theory was, is maybe Jean has different theories of the case. She's gone through menopause. She's been on antidepressants for a really long time, and both of those things are known to suppress sex drive. But I think there's actually something bigger at work here.

[Jean]

I haven't said this to him. I just didn't say no.

[Lisa]

Before she started to be able to draw boundaries between doing things for other people because they want them and being able to articulate what she wants.

[Jean]

I'm setting the boundaries. I don't want to have sex, but before I would.

[Lisa]

But he very much wants to be her loving partner.

[Jean]

Mm.

[Rachel Abrams]

It sounds like the drugs kind of unearthed something. They unearthed some kind of dynamic in their sex life that Jean had only been maybe vaguely aware of, but certainly had not been in a position to act on before she felt differently about herself.

[Lisa]

Yes, I think that's true. I think they're both completely blindsided by that.

[Javier]

I felt that we were always on the same page and going, you know, we're on the same. We weren't two ships in the night crossing paths. We were one. One ship.

[Lisa]

So you're empowered in a way to take up space to say what you want, and that forces you to have to figure out what you want.

[Jean]

Yeah, yeah.

[Lisa]

Beyond just, like, I want to leave the party at 10. You know, that's, in a way, that's easy. Like, do I want to have a sexual relationship with my husband? Do I want to leave my corporate job? Do I want to. Like, these are much bigger questions.

[Jean]

Yeah. Yeah. And kind of Sad that at 53, that I'm starting to have those thoughts. Aren't those the kinds of things that most people think about when they've graduated from school? Right. I just. I'm the good girl, and I do what.

[Lisa]

What's expected in a certain body. And now you have.

[Jean]

In a certain body. Yeah. I still feel very strongly that this is the. One of the best things that I've done for myself. This is it. You know, I. I have lost the weight, and I will maintain this for life, and I'm just so grateful.

[Rachel Abrams]

After the break, Lisa calls Jean and Javier back to see how they've handled the changes in their relationship since the episode originally aired.

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[Lisa]

Hi, guys.

[Javier]

Hey. How's it going?

[Lisa]

Can you hear me?

[Javier]

I can hear you.

[Lisa]

So we met approximately a year ago.

[Jean]

Yeah.

[Lisa]

Tell me what's changed between you since then?

[Javier]

Well, I'm not a virgin anymore.

[Lisa]

What do you mean by that? Are you having sex?

[Javier]

Yeah.

[Jean]

Not often, but yes.

[Javier]

Yeah, we've. It's no longer a dry spell. Let's just say that.

[Lisa]

That's amazing, Gene. What prompted you? What was the change in you?

[Jean]

I'd had a mommy makeover. I had a tummy tuck. I had a breast reduction and lift. I had the arms done, so removing loose skin. So I was just feeling affectionate and appreciative.

[Javier]

Yeah. Out of the blue, a few weeks ago, Jean said, hey, I just want to thank you for being so supportive through my, my adventure with my body image issues and, and fears. And I'm thinking, well, okay, well, you're welcome. Like, you know, I love you, baby, you know? And that's. And that was the end of it.

[Lisa]

So break it down for me. Like, where were you? What happened? What made you in the mood?

[Jean]

Okay. Now, I mean, in the morning and.

[Javier]

At home, Gene said, hey, you know, we've said to the effect that we, we have some time. And I'm, I'm feeling, I'm feeling amorous. Do you want to. Yeah, I, I, yeah, I'm I think I'm, I'm. I think she said, when I come, I'm open to it. And I'm like, okay, no, clothes are coming off.

[Jean]

I don't even think you said that. They're just gone.

[Podcast Sponsor/Announcer 2]

Boom.

[Javier]

Got out of bed, locked the door, clothes came off. And it was, you know, it was wonderful.

[Lisa]

Amazing, amazing. I feel that I've been on this long journey with you guys.

[Javier]

It has. It's been a journey.

[Lisa]

All right, well, I'm so happy to see you. We'll keep in touch. Thank you so much.

[Jean]

Thank you.

[Javier]

Take care.

[Jean]

Bye. Bye.

[Javier]

Bye, Lisa.

[Rachel Abrams]

Today's episode was produced by nina feldman with help from anna foley. It was edited by ben calhoun, jody becker and lindsey garrison, with help from patricia willins and lexi dio. Contains music by marian lozano, dan powell, pat mccusker, diane wong and leah shaw demeron and was engineered by chris wood and rowan nie misto. That's it for the daily. I'm rachel abrams. See you on Monday.

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