Perceived Credibility of Social Media Narratives About GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Acceptance of Integrated Obesity Care: Implications for Nutrition and Lifestyle Support

Background/Objectives: GLP-1 receptor agonists are an established component of obesity treatment that should complement nutritional and lifestyle interventions. Social media narratives may shape public understanding and acceptance of these therapies. This study examined whether exposure to GLP-1-related narratives and their perceived credibility were associated with perceptions of obesity pharmacotherapy. Methods: An anonymous cross-sectional online survey was conducted among Polish-speaking adults aged ≥ 18 years who used social media at least weekly and reported exposure to GLP-1-related content within the preceding 3 months. Five exploratory composite scores assessed narrative exposure, perceived credibility, perceptions of communication, attitudes toward obesity pharmacotherapy, and GLP-1 treatment evaluation. Associations were examined using univariable and multivariable linear regression. Results: The final sample comprised 279 participants (84.6% women; mean age, 38.14 ± 8.58 years). In adjusted models, greater perceived narrative credibility was associated with less favorable GLP-1 treatment evaluations (B = −0.311, 95% CI: −0.359 to −0.263; p < 0.001) and greater endorsement of negative pharmacotherapy-related statements (B = 0.401, 95% CI: 0.350 to 0.453; p < 0.001). Greater narrative exposure was associated with more favorable GLP-1 treatment evaluations (B = 0.072, 95% CI: 0.026 to 0.118; p = 0.002) and more negative perceptions of social media communication (B = 0.235, 95% CI: 0.161 to 0.309; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Greater perceived credibility of GLP-1-related narratives was associated with less favorable perceptions of obesity pharmacotherapy, but the cross-sectional design precludes conclusions about direction or causality. The findings highlight the importance of evidence-based communication that supports critical evaluation of treatment-related claims and presents pharmacotherapy, nutrition, and lifestyle support as complementary components of comprehensive obesity care.