It appears that some famous people are speaking honestly about taking GLP-1 drugs to lose weight. They include tennis player Serena Williams, comedian and actress Whoopi Goldberg, and journalist Sunny Hostin, all of whom reported experiencing success thanks to the drugs.
At the same time, while being related to decreasing the rates of obesity in the United States, GLP-1 drugs attract attention because of the possibility of developing side effects.
Stories told by celebrities
The above-mentioned people have spoken freely about losing weight due to the usage of GLP-1 drugs. For example, Sunny Hostin admitted that she used Mounjaro, managed to lose weight successfully and started following her usual physical activity routine afterward.
Similarly, Whoopi Goldberg talked about using the same medicine and getting rid of quite a bit of excess weight. Moreover, Serena Williams shared her experience of losing more than 30 pounds after pregnancy due to another similar drug.
In her story, the athlete highlighted the importance of thinking thoroughly about pros and cons before starting taking medication. It means that celebrities speak more about relying on drugs to solve health problems, while earlier, only their physical activities and diets were mentioned.
Doctors warn about the risks
Health specialists warn that there are some risks related to the use of GLP-1 drugs. According to the findings presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, almost 150,000 people in the USA were studied during five years.
It was stated that the users of GLP-1 medicines showed a higher frequency of diseases, such as osteoporosis, gout, and osteomalacia, which should be paid close attention, especially to people older than 40 or postmenopausal women.
Apart from this, some specialists warn about possible muscle and bone mass loss due to the lack of regular exercise programs, as well as side effects, for instance, nausea, problems with kidneys, and cardiovascular complications.
Sudden weight loss influences the appearance
Apart from the mentioned issues, fast weight loss can make someone look strange. “Ozempic neck” became a commonly known term referring to a condition that occurs in case someone loses an enormous quantity of body fat. In particular, Sharon Osbourne talked openly about how she lost too much weight and felt changes in the shape of her face.
It should be stated that dermatologists claim that rapid changes affect the appearance and become noticeable faster than if a person is losing weight gradually since the skin has less time to adapt. It explains why some visible effects occur, mainly in cases when the skin is thin.
Discussion of the issue and ongoing research
At present, many people choose to take GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, for weight loss. According to a poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation in 2024, about 12% of the US population has already tried GLP-1 treatments.
On the other hand, according to Gallup data, there has been a slight decrease in the obesity rate among Americans during 2022–2025, coinciding with increasing GLP-1 medications’ use.
