Inside The Zepbound Exhibit That’s Rewriting The Story Of Obesity

Zepbound’s Changing the Threads exhibit in Manhattan’s uber-chic Soho area was unlike anything I’d seen before. As soon as I stepped inside, I was greeted with a flood of green lights and projections. A sign at the entrance hinted at the exhibit’s mission to help “unthread” the stigma of obesity, but I still wasn’t prepared for how deeply the space would move me.

As I moved deeper into the space, the clothes on the headless mannequins began to come into focus. Each garment carried its own story about the quiet, everyday struggles of living with obesity. A simple black pair of pants belonged to a man who needed something that actually fit so he could bury his brother. A dark green one-piece swimsuit told of a woman who felt incredible in her new suit — until the judgmental stares from others dimmed that confidence.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, but the experience ended up reshaping how I think about obesity and the stigma surrounding it, and how medication like Zepbound, an injectable prescription medicine for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight with related health conditions, fit into people’s real, lived experiences.

What Fashion Reveals About The Stories People Try to Hide

Tan France, fashion expert, star of Netflix’s Queer Eye, and Lilly Brand Partner for Zepbound, opened up about why this mission resonates so deeply for him. “Changing the Thread is a movement to change the stigma around obesity,” said France. “The reason why it’s so important to me is because I’ve worked with people who have struggled with obesity for 10 years, but also my family members, too. Almost every one of my family members has lived with obesity, and I hear their struggles. I hear the concerns that they have.”

France mentioned that almost every statement that had been embroidered onto the garments in the exhibit he’s heard himself from many people in his life. “When it’s your own family that goes through it and you see it — I’m the youngest of my siblings, so I’ve seen it my entire life — it sticks with you,” he said.

France, who has transformed the lives of many on his popular Netflix show, knows that fashion plays a huge role in how we show up in the world. “Fashion is such an important tool when discussing our bodies,” he said. “We use it to either express ourselves in a positive way or a negative way.”

For many people who featured their garments in the exhibit, they were using fashion to hide. “Almost every piece of clothing in my siblings’ closets was wildly oversized,” said France. “And I knew exactly why they were wearing those things — I knew that it was to hide.”

So often, if somebody’s wrapped up in a cocoon of clothing — if they’re in something very, very large and oversized — they’re trying to hide away. “They don’t want you to look at them,” France explained. “They want to feel invisible, and that’s when they feel safe.”

Clothing is important to France, and on Queer Eye, it’s always been important to the way he instills confidence in the show’s participants. “However, if there isn’t openness and understanding when it comes to the conversation around weight, we’re never going to see progress,” says France. People may feel less confident in what they wear if the conversation around weight isn’t handled with understanding.

How One Pair Of Jeans Became A Symbol Of Resilience

One of the biggest reasons people experiencing obesity feel the need to hide is the persistent stigma surrounding the disease. Nita Danielle, a Zepbound patient and lifestyle influencer, told me about the backlash she faced when she did her first partnership with a clothing brand years ago. The jeans on display in the exhibit were the very pair tied to that moment — the ones that sparked so much criticism.

Danielle’s collaboration with the clothing brand should have been a celebratory milestone, but shortly after the campaign launched, the brand reached out to tell her they were receiving online backlash. Commenters accused the company of “promoting obesity” simply for featuring her. What started as excitement quickly turned into self-doubt, leaving Danielle to question whether she wanted to keep showing up in an online space that could feel so harsh. But rather than retreat, she chose to stay rooted in her purpose.

“In that moment, I remembered my why: That representation matters, and [I want to] show up for those who look like me and who resonate with my story,” she said. “So I chose to keep it up, and of course, I chose to keep [working as an influencer] four years later.”

Danielle’s experience captures just how painful stigma can be — but also how powerful visibility is in pushing back against it. By refusing to retreat, she turned a moment that could have silenced her into one of self-worth and representation. Her jeans displayed in the exhibit stand as a symbol of that resilience, a reminder that challenging stigma often begins with allowing yourself to be seen.

Why Obesity Needs To Be Treated As A Disease, Not A Debate

A hard truth that continued to come up again and again was that obesity is a misunderstood disease, not a personal failure. “If you’re not going to talk about obesity as a disease and you’re not going to treat it like a disease, we’re not going to make the progress that people living with obesity deserve,” said Dr. Clare Lee, Lilly obesity physician and researcher. “Obesity is a chronic, progressive disease, and it deserves to be treated like it is — with long-term, effective tools and management.”

According to Lee, the average person with obesity has tried about 19 different diets. “This is a disease people have been living with for years,” says Lee. “It’s not a lack of time or effort — people have tried all kinds of diets and exercise. They may have lost a pound or two, but it’s a relentless chronic disease, and diet and exercise alone are often not enough.”

Thankfully, we now have effective tools like Zepbound. “If we combine these tools with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, you can finally see results that you can sustain long-term, just like any other chronic disease,” explains Lee.

Recognizing obesity as a medical condition rather than a personal failing is important in shifting this stigma. As Lee emphasizes, reframing the conversation opens the door to better care, stronger patient–provider relationships, and lasting progress. When people living with obesity are offered understanding and support, they’re empowered not just to lose weight, but to regain confidence and control over their health, too.

How Shared Stories Help Break The Silence Around Obesity

The Changing the Threads exhibit did a wonderful job of bringing multiple stories together. When I asked Jacob Martinez, a Zepbound patient, about his experience seeing the whole collection, he said, “In reading everybody’s story, you really start seeing yourself in some of these thoughts. Everybody’s story is different, but everybody can relate.”

Martinez noted that everyone’s going through their journey at a different point in their life — and that maybe just talking about it makes it feel a whole lot easier. “Seeing my personal story embroidered into [my shirt] was a reminder of where I’ve come from and where I’m going,” he said.

Martinez feels strongly about sharing his story with the world to be able to help other men. “I was hearing a lot of women focus on weight, but you don’t really hear that from men,” said Martinez. “It really led me to want to help men.”

For Martinez, it started with helping his friend group. His friends would ask, “Hey, you’re looking good, what’s going on?” Eventually, Martinez got to a point where he was confident enough to share with them that he was taking Zepbound. “If I could help them [by sharing my experience], I wanted to help other men, too,” said Martinez. “It’s nice to share that and help bring awareness — not just to everyone, but especially to men.”

The Threads We Carry Forward

As I walked out of the exhibit, it was impossible not to feel shifted by the stories woven into every garment. Each piece carried its own emotional depth, but together they formed a moving portrait of courage, resilience, and hope. What began as private pain became something powerful the moment it was shared.

What Zepbound accomplished with this exhibit goes far beyond explaining a medication or even illuminating obesity as a medical condition. It created a space where people felt seen, often for the first time. It encouraged visitors to question their assumptions, soften their judgments, and listen more closely. And it reminded us that when stigma is pulled apart thread by thread, what remains is a clearer view of our shared humanity. If these garments taught anything, it’s that meaningful change doesn’t start with judgment — it starts with empathy.