It used to be lip injections and BBLs, but now we’re all talking about buccal fat removal and Ozempic. The latter is a diabetes medication that’s rumored to be popular among celebs for its off-label use as a weight-loss drug. Anytime a celebrity seems to lose some weight, people speculate it’s due to Ozempic. (I wonder how Adderall and cocaine feel about this speculation.) Sometimes it’s A-listers, but usually reality stars that I see as most subject to this Ozempic speculation. The latest is Kyle Richards of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fame. But she says she’s not taking it.
Since Ozempic was exposed as being a popular Hollywood weight-loss drug, celebrity watchers have been speculating over which of their favorites might be on it. The latest suspect is Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards.
Ozempic is intended to help treat diabetes, and can lower blood sugar and encourage insulin production, but has recently gone viral as a weight-loss drug rumored to be extremely popular in Hollywood. And now it seems that whenever Richards posts any kind of gym selfie, commenters on Instagram immediately began questioning whether or not Richards was getting a little extra help from Ozempic. Last week, she responded after a commenter wrote “ozempic” under a post-workout group shot, she responded, asking the user to “not spread lies,” and insisting, “I’m not on ozempic.”
Her denials did not stop fans from questioning her again. On Monday, when “Page Six” posted about one of her gym selfies on Instagram, commenters immediately began suggesting that she was taking Ozempic, causing her to issue a second denial. “I am NOT taking Ozempic. Never have,” she wrote Monday. She then responded to a comment theorizing that it wasn’t Ozempic, but plastic surgery, again shutting down the claims. “I have never tried Ozempic and this is not from plastic surgery,” she wrote, adding that she did “have a breast reduction in May.” She continued, promising that if she ever did decide to go under the knife for any more surgeries, she’d be sure to let fans know. “I’m honest about what I do,” she wrote. “But if giving plastic surgery makes you feel better then pop off sister.”
So Kyle posts gym selfies and commentators ask about Ozempic. She says it’s a lie, she is not now nor has she ever taken Ozempic, and if she gets surgeries she’ll let us know. Lol, thanks? I don’t know enough about Kyle’s vibe or Ozempic to say if she’s lying or not, but I kind of believe her. A lot of celebrities lie about plastic surgery and how they maintain their appearance, but as I’ve said before, reality stars, particularly Real Housewives, are typically more honest about that stuff. It’s a little gross for commenters to keep harassing Kyle directly on her Instagram and accusing her of taking Ozempic. Speculate among friends or on a third-party blog! In any case, Kyle is posting gym selfies, not pretending she only eats burgers and pizza and never works out. Even if she is lying about taking Ozempic, she’s not promoting some harmful, quick-fix method. And Ozempic does seem to have some tough side effects, including weight gain when people eventually stop taking it, as most people who don’t actually need it for diabetes would probably do.
I don’t watch anymore but when I did watch that show she was always very natural and pretty but not super duper skinny. She looks really thin right now and her face looks a bit drawn, like Khloe. It may not be that particular drug but they are absolutely taking something to be that thin. Working out doesn’t do that, food deprivation does.
Agreed. She’s been open on the show about her eating disorders as a child actor, so I would be concerned those old demons have resurfaced.
I believe she is on one of the new diabetic weightloss drugs. It may not be Ozempic but it will be one of them.
She was always the RHOBH who was more curvy and frankly she looked great for it, imo.
She does not, again imo, have the will power to have lost that amount of weight – if you see one of her new shots her % body fat must now be v low indeed.
Yeah, she’s in her 50s, isn’t she, closing in on 60? This isn’t the result of just exercise & diet.
Her face looks real tight with no lines or sags, so she definitely has had some work done. It looks pretty good, but the hands tell the truth. I prefer to let myself age naturally. There’s nothing worse than seeing a 70 year old woman with no lines and old age spotted hands. So fake.
I have no idea how she lost her weight, but I’m in my early 60s, and I lost weight the old fashioned way. Weight Watchers. I’m told I look skinny, but I was going for healthy. It’s a myth that you can’t lose weight when you’re older. Your body just carries it in different ways.
Dreadful situation with this drug here in the UK. I’m not diabetic, but I believe there are shortages for people who genuinely need it.
There are major shortages worldwide. Between the explosion in proscriptions and a manufacturing issue it’s been hard to come by. It’s been 3 months since the last time I’ve been able to have mine filled.
That is awful. I’m sorry to hear this, Dutch.
the shortages of semaglutide injection (Ozempic and Wegovy) are due to significant manufacturing issues that Novo Nordisk had with their manufacturing vendor and aren’t related to all the other supply chain/manufacturing issues with medications. After two years correcting those issues (and, I think, a new manufacturing facility) it looks like the worst of the shortage is over and they’re now releasing more lots of Ozempic and Wegovy
@pottymouth pup – untrue.
They’re still out everywhere. I’ve spoken to pharma reps and it’s definitely caused by a combo of the offlabel usage and demand.
NOT supply chain.
Yes ! Just last month my husband and I had to wait weeks to get our meds here in the US because of the run on this drug. We both use Ozempic for diabetes. We were OK but I fear for people with less stable more severe diabetes. This is so concerning. I get why it is popular, I have lost 50 pounds while using it for my diabetes which has really helped my health overall. But again, people who nee this medicine for its actual use should get priority my Goodness.
I’ve been taking it now for four months to treat prediabetes. It’s done amazing things for my blood sugar levels *and* I’ve lost 30 pounds, which is great for my health overall. So far I haven’t had trouble getting the Rx filled but I do worry about it because I’ve heard that shortages are happening everywhere.
FYI ozempic and similar drugs are approved for obesity as well (in the US at least). Depending on bmi and other factors it is not only used for diabetes.
It’s getting out of hand. I’m getting increasingly angry over this renewed obsession with skinny and the flood of new procedures these past few years. It’s like everybody is losing their minds. Maybe it’s my age, maybe it’s because the 90’s skinny obsession f*cked me up once and I’m not participating again. But I’m over it. I’m about to turn 39 and I’ve decided I’m not doing ANYTHING to my face or any other part. I’ve thought about it. I’m not doing it. First of all, I had surgery last year and the scars vary from great to keloid. What if I get a breast reduction (which I’ve considered) and the scars look like shit??? Apparently my body can’t decide what it wants to do with scar tissue. This is what I look like, people can just deal with it of f*ck off. I’d rather go on vacation than have someone poke or cut me.
And diabetes drugs for weight loss? Is everybody high?
I have a friend who is obsessed with this drug for weight loss, and I honestly didn’t know what to tell her. Yes, ok, it worked. But the day she stops? This can’t be healthy. And this was even before I knew there were shortages now for people who actually need it because of this trend.
I may still get a boob reduction – as I get older my back HURTS – but for the rest, I think I’d rather get facials and massages and just enjoy life
Yes, exactly. There are huge complications associated with coming off this drug – weight gain, and side effects. It’s a crucial medical drug for some, not a life style choice for those who don’t need it. The world’s gone mad. It was ever thus, tho, sadly. Look at what film stars were doing throughout the heyday of Hollywood. Diet/speed pills and then Dr Vitamins.
I’m not against the concept of plastic surgery, especially if something affects your quality of life. I don’t love exercising with these boobs. LOL But right now, I’m protesting all of it.
LOL Emmi I hear you. Damn boobs. I can’t do some yoga poses because they get in the way :-P. The other thing that turned me off of surgery is that I was watching the Affair and I couldn’t focus because of the duck lips. Like why would you think that looks good? But yes, to each their own, live and let live and all of that — as long as people aren’t taking life saving meds from others!!
There can be medical reasons to get a reduction – I’m a gg and have considered it more than once m.
I’m not opposed to any plastic surgery in general as it’s not my business but when there is a drug shortage it should be rationed for those who need it to stay alive, not for those who want it for vanity.
I got a reduction when I was 19 and have NEVER regretted it (I’m 45 now). My surgeon told me that he never had a patient regret a reduction but plenty that regret implants. Yes I do have some scars but they have faded with time and I just never cared. No partner I’ve been with had cared either.
Amen to that!
I am currently recovering from a minor foot surgery. And I was SO grateful for all the painkillers/drugs in Hospital when I needed them.
But can we please stop putting medication into our bodies when we actually do not need them?!?
These drugs are developed for a specific scenario and condition.
Not for conforming to distorted body images. Not to mention what damage one could do to the body…
This has gone absolutely crazy.
I feel like anyone who’s experienced major surgery is going to be less inclined to undergo medically unnecessary surgery. Your body never recovers 100% from the trauma of being cut open. Moreover you don’t know what the future holds. So many unnecessary procedures fatiguing your body and then a medical emergency?
@Zazzoo: Right? I only had my gallbladder removed. That’s only 4 small incisions but they do take out an organ and mine was inflamed. I got Covid at the same time so I only went back to work 3 weeks later. It took months until I could move around at night without any pain whatsoever. I cannot imagine a boob job at this point. It’s not even the pain, it’s the time it would take. I also live alone so … that’s something to consider.
Yes!!! I have so many friends with breast implants that have side effects from them, one even has MS symptoms and she thinks it’s worth it!
@emmi, I’m worried about scaring from breast reduction too. Damn it if these huge knockers of mine don’t get in the way alllllll the time, and I don’t like how they look, but like what if they look worse or what if the scaring is horrendous? It’s a scary endeavor.
As far as Kyle goes, I do watch RHOBH and I wouldn’t put it past her at all to be on some kind of Rx for weight loss. She’s playing the word game here where she is naming a specific name brand medication but there are lots of meds that make you lose weight. I certainly hope she isn’t taking this specific medication with all these med shortages happening, but I won’t lay that judgment on Kyle unless there is proof this is what she’s doing.
I got a breast reduction which has been one of the best decisions of my life. My chest was far too big for my body and I suffered for years. I have accepted that my breast scars will simply always be there but my back and shoulders are much happier. However I did not drastically lose weight my chest got lighter. There is something else going on. It could be menopause. I am in peri menopause and my weight has started to decrease both my mother and grandma got super skinny once the pause hit. Either way Kyle isn’t telling us something and I agree this Ozempic trend needs to stop
Had it done years ago, and the scars have mostly faded. If your plastic surgeon is worthy of their profession, they know how to minimize scarring. NGL, the incisions were still pretty gnarly for the first few months, but since they are mostly underneath and on the lower half they were unnoticeable to everyone who didn’t see me naked. No regrets from me, even if the scarring had been worse.
Agree 150%. No surgery or procedures or drugs unless I have an actual health illness.
I have lived thru some sh*t in my life, as we all do, and this is what I look like. Period.
This nonsense is causing folks who need these drugs for their health, to have shortages.
BS.
I agree. I’m 51 and by now, many people have done *something* – lots of implants (which have to be replaced every decade or so), Botox, etc. I won’t judge anyone for their choices, but it’s not for me. No needles or knives unless it’s medically necessary. I don’t even have pierced ears.
Ozempic, Wegovy & Rybelsus are all formulations of semaglutide. Ozempic and Wegovy are both injectables that have very minor differences in formulations with Ozempic (and Rybelsus, which is an oral formulation) being approved for diabetes and Wegovy being the brand name the approval of this drug is marketed for with an indication of weight loss. Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist and there are multiple drugs in this class approved & marketed for both diabetes & weight loss (these drugs are also being studies for treatment of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/NASH) so there’s nothing clinically off for using these particular drugs approved for diabetes to lose weight. Even if there hadn’t been supply chain. issues with Wegovy, I bet the concierge docs celebrities use would still have prescribed Ozempic instead of Wegovy as a way to obfuscate that they’re treating patients with the drug for weight loss that do not fit the approved patient profile and explain why they’re not titrating them to higher doses
My MIL needs Ozempic to maintain her LIFE and she hasn’t been able to find it for the last several weeks…when she was TRYING to get it at the end of the year because she wanted to get it before her NEW OOP started in 2023 making the drug unaffordable for her until she hit her OOP limit again…This subject makes me MAD AF🤬
OMG that is horrible!
Not to mention there are major side effects associated with Ozempic. I know someone who was prescribed it for health reasons and it affected his kidneys, triggering a major health crisis. A year later he DIED. I cannot fathom the people going on this willy-nilly for vanity’s sake.
I don’t know what she is doing, if anything. But she is almost unrecognizable. She looks nothing like she did on Real Housewives.
I mean, there’s saxenda too which is specific for weight loss. It doesn’t need to be Ozempic
Isn’t taking a diabetic drug when you don’t have diabetes, dangerous?
I’d assume there are some kind of side effects.
I’m thinking these drugs cause you to lose weight and as soon as you stop taking it, the weight comes back.
There are risks and side effects to most medications. Taking a diabetes drug that has been approved for weight loss loss like Victoza (Saxenda) and Ozempic (Wegovy) can actually save a morbidly obese persons life. Especially those who have co-morbidities like high bp, high blood lipids and pre-diabetes. Read about obesity and leptin resistance and you will gain a better understanding of what obese people deal with. Yes an obese person may need to take these medications for life to maintain weight loss but at least they will have one to live.
How are people who are not diabetic even able to get this drug? Are doctors prescribing it to them? Countries need to start cracking down on the abuse of prescription drugs before we find ourselves further into a new epidemic that is just as dangerous as the opiates one.
I wouldn’t even doubt that half the Kyle commenters might be genuine in thinking she’s taking it/don’t like her and call her out, but I’d place bets that the other half are bots/paid to name drop the drug so women and girls see it and fall down the rabbit hole of taking it to lose weight
It has been approved at different doses by the FDA for weight loss under another name. So the company has some responsibility here too. If you want to sell massive amounts of this drug then make enough so that your diabetic patients can get ahold of it.
I am a LADA diabetic & Addison’s disease patient who takes ozempic & it is not guaranteed to be a miracle do nothing weight loss drug. I have lost zero weight on it over the years. It has serious side effects. It’s an injection into fat tissue once a week. I do not recommend asking or using it for weight loss.
What it does do is stabilize my blood sugar that was constantly keeling out of control without it. I need less insulin and my A1C is better with it.
Same Souperkay I take it because it has lowered my A1C into normal range and helped me stop the progress of diabetes. The weight loss has been a huge help, but I was genuinely overweight this using it for fad diets is terrifying.
souperday, I agree. I have been on Ozempic for over 3 years now and it has helped to regulate my sugar levels, but I am in the percentile who GAINED weight when I started it. I gained 10 pounds in the 1st month.
I’m not sure about her but the celebs that have always “struggled” with their weight and were constantly on diets or in the gym suddenly loosing ton of weight at the same time is 100% sus and I think they are all taking it. Off the top of my head I would bet Mindy Kaling, Khloe and Kim K.
OMG how I can’t stand this woman. I will not watch the new Halloween movies unless her head and voice are deepfaked over with Betty White. I always fast forward her raspy cackle scenes if possible.
+1
I have complicated feelings about this. I am 48, exercise every single day (weights, yoga, running), don’t drink, track all my food. And I’m 20 pounds heavier than my highest “normal range” for BMI. I have lost weight and it always comes back to this set point. I am healthy and strong but get a lecture every time I go to the doctor about my weight. I know I feel and look better at a lower weight but I simply can’t do it with willpower alone. My two brothers are very overweight and have developed diabetes. And I have come to truly believe that we three (my brothers and I) are just always hungry. Always hungry. I work really hard at suppressing it, but it’s a losing battle. So if my doctor wants to talk to me about “maybe try exercise; have you heard of weight watcher?” I want to scream. I have been on every eating plan in the land. And just like everyone else, it works until it doesn’t. At this point, either we all need to agree that being heavier than ideal is just goddamn fine or I want a prescription. Just like I take a daily pill for anxiety and high cholesterol, I’m willing to take something long term for weight management.
@Marisa, I agree with you.
I’ve worked at my health and weight for years.
I am lectured at every Drs. weigh in, often by medical staff who are younger by 15-20 years and yet heavier than I am.
Apparently my body levels itself to XX weight, that is my weight unless my intake in calories is greatly restricted, etc.
At one point, I was under tons of stress and could not force myself to eat, lost roughly 15-20 pounds inside 5 weeks. It was unreal how people would comment to me “Oh, you lost weight, you look good” Good? I was close to a breakdown, made a Drs. appt. and was given A/D + anxiety meds + started in person counseling 3x a month.
WTH is wrong with people?
I’m in my fifties and have been obese nearly all my adult life. Three times I’ve gone on Weight Watchers or similar and lost a lot of weight, but it always crept back on. I ate fairly healthy food, and I did exercise some, but I just was really hungry all the time (and also had some binge-eating problems related to anxiety and depression). And yeah, people (including my mother) were always saying to me, “Just eat less!” as if it’s the easiest thing in the world to do.
A few months ago, my doctor found that my blood sugar was too high and I was in prediabetes. She prescribed Ozempic for me. In four months on it, not only has my blood sugar gone down and stabilized, but I’ve lost 30 pounds. Without “dieting” at all. I’m just… not particularly hungry. When food is available, I can take it or leave it. I will actually forget to eat (and my mind used to be blown when people would say that to me – how could you forget to eat when you think about eating constantly??). And the compulsion to overeat is just gone. I find myself thinking, “This must be what naturally thin people feel like around food! No wonder they can’t understand why someone would overeat!” I kind of wish I could give my previous appetite/compulsion to those people, just for a while, so they would understand what it’s like (and hopefully then shut the hell up).
Obesity, by and large, isn’t the result of a lack of willpower or a lack of understanding about how/how much to eat. (And it isn’t a moral failing, though some seem to think so!) It really does seem to be something in the way some people’s brains/bodies are wired. I wish more people understood that.
I feel you. I have experienced that when I leave out the cardio and do only weights, I am less hungry. Also, I couldn’t do anxiety meds because they made me hungry, too. Hang on in there. My sister is trying hypnosis and subliminals and is happy with her results, I may try that.
Yes to ALL of this. I’ve been overweight for 3/4 of my life. Bariatric bypass, ALL the diets, all the pills. I am healthy but I look far from what’s consider ideal, heck, even normal. I have a physical next month and I will sadly be inquiring about some sort of injection. It pains me that I have to resort to this but I see no other option besides going back for surgery, which I dont want.
Omg I feel this so much! I just ordered Plenity, it’s supposed to help you feel fuller. I’ve only taken 3 doses so far but it seems to help. It’s so aggravating because I work out but I guess I don’t “look” like I work out. Cause anytime I complain about my weight, I get suggestions to work out. But I don’t lose weight doing that. I do look more toned but I don’t lose more than 5 pounds. I have to diet and exercise like a maniac to lose any actual scale weight. So over it. I’m hoping this Plenity helps.
I said this above, but I feel like it’s worthy of it’s own comment. Be very wary of this drug for off-label use if you are an otherwise healthy person. I know someone who recently died after a year of kidney problems that were triggered by using it, prescribed by his doctor. Like all medications, it has side effects. To me, it just isn’t worth the risk if you don’t need it to live.
At the moment, I think Ozempic for weight loss should be ranked with bariatric surgery. If your obesity is currently endangering your health and less drastic interventions haven’t worked, then it’s worth considering. This drug hasn’t been around long enough or used widely enough yet for us to know about possible long term damage. That damage may be an acceptable risk weighed against diabetes, heart disease etc. but against a bigger clothing size? Never chase new treatments in pursuit of vanity. The risk to reward does not balance. Lawyers make enough money to advertise off of the harms caused by FDA-approved and doctor prescribed treatments.
It is stunning to me that so many people use these drugs for weight loss. I am diabetic and was on Ozempic for about 2 months. I have never been so sick in my life. I threw up every day. I got quite good at it actually. I was exhausted to the point that I had to stop and rest after climbing one flight of stairs and slept basically any time I wasn’t at work. I eventually had to come off the drug. Maybe my experience was particularly gnarly but woof, being thin is NOT worth that.
She is *very specific* about denying using “Ozempic” –so does that mean she really used Wegovy instead?
Despite my snark, it’s perfectly possible to lose weight quickly other ways — starvation diets, juice cleanses (which are starvation diets), liposuction, etc., so it doesn’t have to be some type of drug.
I truly, truly worry about Ozempic and the frenzy over it. I live in a boring suburban neighbourhood in Canada and I know 3 people who are using it currently. One of them is a fellow mom who “just couldn’t lose weight” but she’s tall and regular sized already. She just wants to be skinny-skinny. If she stopped going to Starbucks literally every single morning and actually used the home gym she “needed” in her brand new house or stopped drinking so much she’d probably be fit in no time. She’s abusing this drug when she hasn’t even explored easy lifestyle changes. And this is who is using this drug. People who desire a quick fix for being lazy. It’s infuriating that this is even allowed to happen.