Ozempic: It’s a word that few people had heard of a year ago, but that is now spoken openly at office water coolers, at dinner parties, and in mothers’ groups.
Officially it is a treatment for type 2. diabetes. But more and more doctors are prescribing it “off label” for its weight loss effect.
Not since the dawn of Viagra in the late 1990s has a drug entered our cultural lexicon so quickly. Barely a day goes by without a celebrity or high-profile figure confessing to having used it, or being accused of doing so surreptitiously.
But what is it really like to take Ozempic when your life is the center of attention?
Here, one brave celebrity, who spoke on condition of anonymity, shares her story with complete honesty. You’ll have heard of her: she’s been a television personality for decades and has lived both here and in the United States.
He hopes that, after reading his story, the general public won’t roll their eyes so quickly every time a star returns to the spotlight 20 kg (3 or 44 pounds) lighter than a few months before…
A disclaimer: Ozempic is only approved for the treatment of diabetes in Australia. While some doctors may prescribe it for weight loss after a thorough assessment of their patients’ needs, Daily Mail Australia does not endorse its use for this purpose. You should always seek advice from a medical professional.
Celebrity who lost weight using Ozempic reveals how the diabetes drug, which also helps with weight loss, has completely changed her life after years of misery (file image)
I’ve struggled with my weight my whole life, but being in the public eye has made each extra kilo even more humiliating. My worst moment was when I was told about a decade ago that, although I was expected to attend red carpet events, designers had refused to dress me. He flatly refused. They said it was “too big.”
I could give you many examples of sarcastic comments that have been made about my figure, but that is the one that hurts the most.
I tried to remain the ‘showbiz fat guy’ as best I could, always smiling, waving, trying to look like I didn’t have a care in the world, but every public outing was a test.
Social media was in its infancy then, so at least I didn’t have trolls constantly commenting on my size. But still, the pressure to look good was relentless.
I looked good at the time (I was in my thirties and attractive), but I was already struggling to control my weight. As a result, I developed unhealthy eating habits that, to this day, I have not been able to escape.
The lightest I got was 70 kg (11 or 154 pounds). But to achieve it, I practically starved myself to death. I didn’t eat; So I couldn’t eat.
I became this version of myself that I didn’t recognize: a doll-like figure who somehow still wasn’t skinny enough in the eyes of my industry, even though the average Australian weighs 71.8kg ( 11.3 or 158 pounds).
When I see photos of myself then, I know I’m looking at a person who was thinner than ever. But all I can think is, “She’s fat.”
I was hungry. I look back now and can’t believe how sick I was. But all I cared about was trying to meet the impossible beauty standards of show business.
Oprah Winfrey, a former Weight Watchers ambassador who has struggled with her size for years, admitted to using Ozempic after previously calling it the “easy way out.” (Pictured on the left in June 2018 and on the right in March 2024)
When you saw me on prime-time television, I barely ate. I was exercising to the point of exhaustion. Still, the weight did not drop.
I was as thin as I could be and it was destroying my body.
That’s when I knew something was wrong.
So I tried to live like a normal person and naturally gained weight. The public scrutiny that accompanied this was unbearable, and that is putting it lightly.
Sharon Osbourne also revealed that she took Ozempic, but said she lost so many pounds on the medication that she “needed to gain the weight back.” (Pictured on the left in April 2017 and on the right in June 2024)
One time I was in Sydney and some guys driving by threw a milkshake at me from the window and called me a “fat pig.”
I have no idea if they even knew who I was. Perhaps those men would have shamed any woman for her size, regardless of whether she was famous or not.
Can you imagine how horrible it is to be publicly shamed like that? Now imagine how it feels when that moment is captured on camera and published in the tabloids. Mortifying.
I have been photographed on beaches and literally marked on the page with a stamp that tells readers that my body is something to be ashamed of.
Even after my public profile was toned down, the sick feeling in my stomach never went away. It took a huge toll on my mental health.
Kelly Osbourne, Sharon’s daughter, is a big fan of Ozempic, even calling the drug “amazing.” (Pictured on the left in May 2022 and on the right in June 2024)
So when I heard about Ozempic, I saw it as a lifesaver. It was 2023 and the drug, which began as a treatment for type 2 diabetes, was beginning to be recognized for its impact on weight loss. Some doctors began to prescribe it to combat obesity.
I was prescribed it by a private doctor, recommended it by a friend and started injecting weekly later that year.
Every week was different. At first there were days when I felt so nauseous I thought I was going to die. Sometimes I would vomit just thinking about food. But at other times I felt completely fine.
Even when I felt bad and convinced myself it wasn’t worth it, my need to be thin always won out. I would tell myself I wasn’t going to take it next week, but then the next week would come and I would inject myself again.
At first I wasn’t sure if it was working. But as the weeks went by I noticed that I was eating less food.
I was working a lot more and wasn’t really thinking about opening the refrigerator and looking for things to eat around the house.
Even though I wasn’t hungry, food was still a constant in the back of my mind. Isn’t it lunch time? What am I going to make for dinner for my son?
At my heaviest, in 2021, I tipped the scales at 130 kg (20.5 or 286 pounds). I am now a much healthier 81kg (12.7 or 178lbs) after a year of taking 1ml of Ozempic every week.
My goal weight, which I hope to reach but don’t have a set date, is 71 kg (11 or 156 pounds).
Critics have dismissed Ozempic as a “quick fix” that should not replace a healthy diet and exercise. But for me, it has been the positive side of my story. It has given me a sense of control that I never thought I would have.
I seriously believe that drugs have transformed my life. It’s not a trick or a trap: it’s medicine. For the first time I feel like I am no longer a prisoner of my own body.
Ozempic has allowed me to let go of constant anxiety about my size and just live.
Anyone who judges me for using the jab to lose weight, but hasn’t lived my life, has no idea what it’s like to deal with the pressure, the constant scrutiny, the humiliation.
‘This drug has absolutely transformed my life. It’s not a trick or a trap: it’s medicine. For the first time I feel like I’m no longer a prisoner of my own body,” says our anonymous celebrity
After just a few weeks of taking Ozempic, people noticed and praised me, and I finally started to feel good about myself.
Some accused me of ‘cheating’ for not doing things normally and going to the gym, but in my head I felt like I was doing everything correctly. I finally felt like I was doing something right.
I ate less, went for walks regularly, and had a much better mental space.
But it wasn’t just the toxic mix of fame and weight issues that brought me here: I didn’t want to die from any of the serious health conditions related to obesity. I wanted to live. I wanted to feel good about myself for the first time. This medication has helped me do that.
Being overweight can push you over the edge, and there’s no way to explain to a naturally thin person how terrible that can be.
But I’m grateful to have found something that has helped me get my life back. I don’t see it as the ‘easy way’.
I deserve to be happy, healthy and whole, just like everyone else.
As he told Ali Daher
