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February 19, 2026

There is something fascinating about watching a drug go from whispered Hollywood secret to primary-care staple in less than two years.

Not long ago, GLP-1 medications were red-carpet rumors and dramatic before-and-afters. Today, cardiologists are prescribing them to reduce heart attack risk. Researchers are studying them for fatty liver disease, sleep apnea and even addiction. Medicare is reconsidering coverage. Food companies are reformulating snacks. The cultural shift has been swift—and profound.

What began as a weight-loss craze is quickly becoming something much bigger: a reframing of metabolic health itself.

For decades, women—especially in midlife—have been told to “eat less and move more.” Now, doctors are openly discussing insulin resistance, visceral fat and cardiometabolic risk as biological drivers, not personal failures. For many of us navigating perimenopause and menopause, where hormonal shifts often make weight redistribution inevitable, that validation feels significant.

But as the spectacle fades, more nuanced questions are emerging: What happens to muscle mass and bone density when weight drops quickly? How long should someone stay on these medications? Who gets access as compounded versions face scrutiny and insurers debate coverage?

The question is no longer simply about whether these drugs work. It’s about what it means to finally treat weight as biology—not willpower.

And that may be the real reckoning.

Meet the Actress Refusing to Let Midlife Women Fade Into the Background

Constance Zimmer has spent her career playing powerful, no-nonsense women (hello, UnREAL’s Quinn King). Lately, she’s channeling that same energy off-screen—advocating for better, broader storytelling about women over 40 and pushing back on the idea that aging should be something we apologize for (or “anti-” our way out of).

This moment also happens to be a big one professionally: Zimmer is everywhere right now, from Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer to Ryan Murphy’s Love Story, while continuing her work as an advocate and co-founder of The Midlife Collective. We caught up with her to talk about what she wants women to know about aging, what she’s building right now and what helps her stay grounded when life gets loud.

What advice, or message, do you have for women who are afraid of aging?

A message I have for women who are afraid of aging is… don't be. I mean, truthfully, it's as simple as that! We're afraid of things that we don't know about, but the more information you get for yourself, the better you will go into aging. Everybody ages; it's how you take that information and make it work for yourself and your own health…there's nothing to be afraid of. It's actually really fucking liberating, I have to say. So, you just have to lean in towards that messaging.

How do you encourage women to spark joy or pivot during hard times?

For me, it's basically about quieting your mind and remembering why you are in that space in the first place—giving yourself the time to take a breath, take a moment and appreciate and be grateful for where you are and how far you have come. We definitely have to work harder when we get older, which has been the biggest surprise for me, but the payoff is that much more rewarding, because what we are working on is something we're so passionate about, versus something that we were told we had to do earlier in life. So, I would just say that every day is a new day and a new opportunity to feel better.

What are you most passionate about right now?

Well, I'm definitely most passionate about getting out the stories of what it means to be in midlife and what life is after menopause, because we are so much more than menopause. And midlife is a word that I don't think people really understand until they're in it. So my passion is about making sure that women are prepared when they get here, so it isn't such a shock. And also to make sure that women's stories at this time in their life are much broader and much greater, because we don't have them. That's why we're all here going, “I'm sorry. Why did nobody talk to me about any of this?” So, that's what we want to do. We want to get people talking about all of this.

How do you find flow—that moment, or ability, to be fully immersed and present in the moment—in your life?

I find flow in my daily life at the end of the day, I have to say. Once I have done all the things that I've set out to do, I can just be excited about the things I accomplished and I did—and I know that I have tomorrow to finish the things that I didn't do. But there's definitely my point in the evening where I just get to appreciate everything I did and the people I talked to and who I met and the stories I shared and then go to sleep with a very content mind. I think that's probably when I have my best flow… or listening to a really good song in my car while I'm driving. That's also definitely where I get my flow.

I mean, right now, I'm gonna say [my favorite car song is] Florence + The Machine’s “Dog Days Are Over,” because I don't care where I am, when I hear that song my mind… the lyrics are so fucking good, and it feels like midlife; it feels like we're moving from dogs to horses. Like, we are fucking moving on to a stronger animal and a stronger story. And that, to me, is just like, yeah, those were those times, and these are these times. And these times are so much more meaningful and significant, and we've got to share it. So, I definitely get my flow from that too.

Listening More Closely to Women’s Hearts

For years, women have been told their heart health is “normal”—until it suddenly isn’t.

A standard cholesterol panel may look reassuring, but it doesn’t measure particle number, inherited risk or the inflammatory shifts that occur during perimenopause and menopause. As estrogen declines, visceral fat, insulin resistance and vascular stiffness can quietly increase — even when LDL stays stable. For midlife women, “normal” numbers don’t always equal low risk.

At the same time, research breakthroughs are finally centering women’s biology. New blood tests can predict cardiovascular risk decades earlier. AI-assisted mammograms are flagging hidden arterial calcification. Advanced imaging is detecting plaque before symptoms begin. Prevention is moving beyond reaction.

And perhaps most critically, cardiologists are pushing back against the reflex to label chest tightness, fatigue or palpitations as “just anxiety.” Women are more likely to be misdiagnosed, even though heart disease remains their leading cause of death. The overlap between stress and cardiac symptoms is real—but dismissal is dangerous.

The message this American Heart Month is clear: women are not small men. Our risk rises differently, our symptoms present differently—and our care must finally reflect that.

How We're Finding Flow

CELEBRATING Pinterest’s new partnership with Maven Clinic, bringing dedicated menopause support to employees and treating this life stage as both a health and workplace priority.

READING The Balancing Act by Nedra Glover Tawwab, a smart, compassionate guide to staying connected without losing yourself. From codependency to hyper-independence, Tawwab breaks down what it really means to get your needs met — without building walls or disappearing in your relationships.

SALUTING The Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) for announcing its 2026 Women’s Health Visionary Awardees: Jenelle Krishnamoorthy, PhD, recognized for advancing women’s health policy at Merck, and Alex Taylor, honored for elevating research advocacy through her work at Perelel.

BINGING Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, Netflix’s three-part documentary series unpacking ANTM’s complicated legacy, controversies and cultural impact.

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