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How to succeed in business???

No matter what business you’re in, it pays to be conventionally attractive. Younger, thinner, with great hair—those are the people who get ahead.

That helps explain the popularity of weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound. We hear about them everywhere, and not only in those endless commercials. (Tell me I’m not the only one with the Wegovy jingle stuck in my head.) Celebrity interviews, Instagram posts, and gossip columnists are all talking about the GLP-1 weight loss drugs.

The Cut is no exception. It surprised me, though, that they dealt with the popular injections not in a health column or even a piece about beauty. Their financial advice columnist wrote “Taking GLP-1s to Get Ahead at Work.”

And the people whose stories she told are not in the cosmetic industry, fashion, or television where you might assume looks would be a huge issue. They’re in finance, real estate, and interior design! Each of them felt pressure to look better, and they’re taking a GLP-1 to make that happen.

Do you really care whether your banker is pretty?

Apparently, the banking bosses think you do. A New York bank director says the frat house atmosphere at her company means women have to look a certain way to succeed: “Like hot, thin sorority girls in business attire.”

She went on Zepbound for fear of being “the biggest girl at the office.” And while it’s a relief not to worry if her pants are going to fit, she’s conflicted about a preoccupation with appearance—she says it goes against her values.

Commercial real estate—is it “appearance-driven”?

A Dallas woman told The Cut’s columnist she started on a semaglutide to lose the baby weight a couple years after her twins were born. She wanted to go back to work feeling more confident.

And she says she’s not by any means alone in her industry. “It’s created this new playing field,” she explained, “and if I want to stay competitive, I need to keep up.”

And then there’s interior design.

A Manhattan designer says aesthetics are the whole business, especially with his very wealthy clientele. “Obviously, there is a huge emphasis on appearance and looks and weight in this realm of the world.”

Losing weight has been a boost for his business and his confidence.

He points to industry events, photographs, social media … it all puts pressure on men and women to look good. Unlike many professionals, the guy’s been open about using a GLP-1, with everyone but his parents. Because, he says, “they’d consider it lazy.”

Like others quoted in The Cut, the designer knows he’s not alone. He mentioned colleagues who’ve maybe gone a bit too far. “They look skeletal,” he says, “like bobbleheads.”

In the interest of full disclosure …

My interest in this whole issue is more than professional. I’m smaller than I was six months ago, thanks to Wegovy prescribed by my cardiologist. I’m also healthier, which was the whole point.

Well, it was his whole point. And yes, I was eager to lose weight for the sake of my health. Research has shown that Wegovy, in particular, has proven cardiac benefits.

And appearance mattered to me too. If we’ve been connected for a while, you likely know that I’ve wrestled with weight my whole life. It is such a relief to let go of that struggle! While I haven’t quite reached my goal, I feel good about my progress.

They’re not for everybody, of course, but these GLP-1s seem like miracle drugs to me. And while insurance companies seem slow to get on board, there is increasing evidence that they’re valuable in treating everything from sleep apnea to drug addiction to polycystic ovary syndrome.

Back to the business implications.

It does make sense, doesn’t it, that conforming to norms around appearance is useful in most businesses, even when there’s no obvious connection between job performance and attractiveness.

Looking back, I think my weight was a strike against me in radio … where you’d think good looks wouldn’t matter so much. Radio’s about good sound, no? Well, no, as it turned out.

Now I do my talking in a different context. And I regret to say, there has not been a sudden rush of speaking opportunities for me, in spite of looking better in front of an audience.

I’m curious about your experience, whatever your profession. Do you agree that conventional good looks are an asset? And have you noticed dramatic weight loss among your colleagues or clients—or looking in your own mirror?  Share your experience in a comment below.