What Super Bowl Health Ads Reveal About Equity and Stigma in Mainstream Narratives
This year’s Super Bowl included a number of health-related advertisements that generated attention not only for their reach but also for the substance of their messages. Some offered promising information. Others simplified complex health realities in ways that may do more harm than good, particularly for Black communities.
Health messaging on the national stage matters because it shapes how Americans think about chronic disease, prevention, personal responsibility, and access to care. That is especially true for Black women, who experience higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and other chronic conditions compared with white women. Patterns of advertising that fail to reflect these disparities risk leaving the very people who need the most support feeling misunderstood or excluded.
What Was Positive: Clearer Messaging on Lifestyle Change
One trend in this year’s marketing was the inclusion of messaging about GLP-1 medications and healthy lifestyle factors. These medications have become part of conversations about diabetes management, weight control, and metabolic health. After years of debate around how they are presented, the World Health Organization updated its guidance in 2025 to emphasize lifestyle change as a core component of the diabetes care pathway alongside newer therapies such as GLP-1 medicines. This represents a shift in global public health framing toward telling a fuller story than medication alone.
Still, real-world data suggests that a number of patients, including Black Americans, discontinue GLP-1 medications earlier than expected or struggle with consistent use. Barriers include cost, side effects, lack of continuous clinical support, and limited access to providers who can help optimize therapy. If advertising suggests that medication alone is a quick fix, it misses the broader picture of what sustained health improvement looks like for many families.
What Missed the Mark: Stigma, Oversimplification and Access Gaps
Celebrity-driven weight messaging, like the Mike Tyson spot encouraging people to “eat real food”—risked veering into fat-shaming territory without acknowledging the deeper, structural barriers many Black families face around food access. And longevity ads that framed wellness in terms of “what the wealthy can afford” highlighted a familiar—and troubling—gap in how health is marketed versus how it is experienced on the ground.
At the same time, several ads blurred the lines between aspirational messaging and lived reality. For example, a national campaign from a direct-to-consumer company implied that “the same science” and “the same access” available through high-cost wellness products is equally available to all Americans.
Such messaging oversimplifies meaningful differences between direct-to-consumer telehealth and traditional clinical care. Traditional care models offer continuity with providers, structured clinical oversight, and follow-up support that many Black patients rely on for successful chronic disease management. In contrast, some direct-to-consumer offerings may appear more accessible on the surface but lack continuity of care, comprehensive management plans, and the infrastructure needed to support long-term health outcomes.
The inclusion of compounded medications in some brand campaigns further complicates the narrative. These products are not FDA-approved, and they can vary widely in quality and safety. Compounded formulations are currently under legal scrutiny, which raises serious questions about claims of equivalence with standard therapies. When advertising positions these products as interchangeable with regulated medications, it can mislead the public about risks and benefits.
A Closer Look Through an Equity Lens
Health advertisements influence how people understand complex health issues long before they ever step into a clinic. When messages emphasize quick fixes without acknowledging environmental and structural barriers, they can inadvertently reinforce the very disparities advocates are trying to eliminate. Effective health communication must recognize access differences, the importance of sustained clinical guidance, and the social factors that shape health behaviors.
Turning Awareness Into Real, Supported Action
At the Black Women’s Health Imperative, we believe that awareness is only the first step. Real health improvement requires community, support, and practical resources that people can use every day.
That is why we are excited about our Change Your Lifestyle. Change Your Life. (CYL2) chronic disease prevention program. Through CYL2, participants receive:
- A trained lifestyle coach at no cost
- A supportive community that understands lived experience
- Practical tools and structured guidance for lasting health behavior change
- Workshops that focus on nutrition, movement, stress management, and long-term prevention strategies
Our approach acknowledges that long-term wellness is not about choices made in isolation but about continuous support, culturally responsive guidance, and community investment. New CYL2 classes are starting soon, and we invite individuals to join us at BWHI.org/cyl2 to learn more.