Single women taking GLP-1 drugs were up to 28.6 percentage points more likely to marry or move in with a partner after 1.5 years, while unemployed women were 26.9 points more likely to find work.
Rebecca Diamond compared GLP-1 users with women who wanted the drugs but had not yet started, using quarterly Understanding America Study data to isolate weight loss from health, family background and local labor-market factors.
Survey responses showed little change in depression, loneliness or life satisfaction, and women already employed did not report more hours or promotions, undercutting the idea that mood or motivation drove the gains.
Women already married or employed also saw no significant status change, reinforcing Diamond's argument that the effects appear strongest at the 'first impression' stage in dating and hiring.
Diamond said wider GLP-1 adoption could reshape the 'female obesity penalty' but may also deepen inequality if people who cannot afford the drugs face sharper stigma.