Sasha Pieterse’s Take on PCOS, GLP-1 Medication + Women’s Bodies is Spot On

During a late-night scroll, I came across a post from actress Sasha Pieterse that stopped me in my tracks. 

The Pretty Little Liars star spoke about appearing in Meghan Trainor’s music video…and about the comments on her and Trainor’s bodies that quickly poured in. 

“This is what I want you to understand about women and body commentary online,” Pieterse said. “You will never be the right size.”

She pointed out that Trainor built her career on celebrating her curves and was body-shamed for that…and now that she has a smaller physique, she’s being criticized for that too. Pieterse is no stranger to this: As a teen, she publicly gained 70 pounds while filming Pretty Little Liars due to PCOS, and the commentary was loud. When she lost that weight, it was loud once again.

“There is no version of existing in a female body that the internet won’t have a problem with,” she said, adding that “no amount of willpower” will fix those hormonal issues. What many women need is medication — yet many of the medications that are effective for conditions like PCOS are heavily stigmatized right now.

“I have watched those medications get mocked and shamed,” Pieterse said, presumably referring to GLP-1 drugs, adding that all this does is make women who need these medications feel there’s something to be ashamed of.

This is nuanced, as most conversations that deal with GLP-1 drugs are. But Pieterse nailed the nuance in her caption: “There is a difference between hollywood pressuring women to shrink themselves to fit a standard, and a woman working with her doctor to treat a real hormonal condition. one is the problem. the other is the solution. stop confusing them,” she wrote

For more of Pieterse’s thoughts, check out her Substack on the topic. This is such a valuable perspective — as someone who grew up in the public eye, had her body chane in very visible ways, heard all the criticism, searched for answers as to what was truly happening with her body, and found a solution that works for her body…all while still being criticized by the public, Pieterse understands this shaming of women’s bodies, dismissal of the real issues they face, and stigmatization of the medications that can help them manage these issues, Pieterse’s perspective is so valuable.