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3. Lebanon’s Beaches: The Great Slimming Down

When we usually talk about beaches in Lebanon, it’s only to bemoan their polluted state. But this summer, something has changed. People aren’t scanning the waves for floating plastic bags anymore. It’s not the heat (still sweltering), the entrance fees (still outrageous), or the music volume (still unbearable). No, the real shift is in the average waistline of beachgoers. And here, we’re witnessing nothing short of a revolution. Or rather, a collective meltdown.

Off with love handles, bulging bellies, and generous silhouettes. We have instead toned hips and ultra-slender bodies stretched out on the sand like fashion magazine ads.

Let’s put it this way: beaches now look like they’re sponsored by Photoshop.

The secret? Two words—staple products widely used by a particular class of Lebanese: O… or its cousin M…. No need to name them, but everyone will know exactly what they are.

Originally developed to treat diabetes, these injectable drugs are widely repurposed in Lebanon for rapid weight loss. They’ve become more common than power outages. One shot a week, and voilà—pounds vanish, just like disarmament promises. A true weapon of mass calorie destruction. One minute you’re a dabké queen, the next, a runway model.

And as with anything that “works” in Lebanon, everyone’s jumped on the bandwagon. Pharmacies are frequently out of stock, and people scramble for these little magic pens.

The result: an unprecedented epidemic of slimness. Everyone is melting, disappearing, and evaporating in XS swimsuits.

Yet, beware: this new body standard comes at a price—literally. Those who can afford these medications, which range anywhere from $100 to $1,000 a month, now wear their thinness like a social badge. Meanwhile, those who can’t afford these syringe-based diets keep their curves… So it’s not just weight being lost—it's dragging salaries down as well. The slim are under treatment; the rest are waiting for a bank transfer. We no longer speak of social classes, but weight classes.

Hence, a new phenomenon is taking hold: body shape as a socioeconomic indicator. You no longer read someone’s status from their watch, car, chalet, or sunglasses—but from their waist and arms.

You have a flat stomach? So, you're a financial success story.

You have a slight belly? So, you're struggling.

Bodies on the beach have become a new, highly Instagrammable marker of class.
So yes, on Lebanon’s scenic shores, people are still getting tanned—but now they’re slimming down before our very eyes. A light summer, in every sense.