Sharon Osbourne, the outspoken media personality and wife of rocker Ozzy Osbourne, has been candid about her lifelong battle with weight fluctuations. In recent years, she embarked on a weight loss journey aided by Ozempic, a medication originally intended for type 2 diabetes treatment but known for its weight loss side effects. While Osbourne initially celebrated the rapid results, she now faces a new challenge: struggling to regain weight after losing "too much." Her experience highlights the complexities and potential pitfalls of using such medications, sparking important conversations about body image, responsible usage, and the long-term effects of drastic weight loss.
The Ozempic Experience: A Quick Fix with Unforeseen Consequences
Osbourne began taking Ozempic in December, driven by her desire for quick weight loss. During an April podcast with Howie Mandel, she explained why she wanted to be open about her weight loss journey in the first place: "It's not a sin to use Ozempic if you have a weight problem, so why not talk about it?" While she doesn’t regret taking the medication, she now wants to focus on maintaining a healthy weight, instead of going from one extreme to the other.
Like many others, Osbourne was drawn to the promise of rapid results. "Everything with weight with me was 'I want it now,'" Sharon said on the U.K. talkshow Loose Women in January. She acknowledged that she always wanted to see results quickly, but knew that wasn't possible until she started taking weight loss injections. "You have a weight problem, and you’ve tried everything, and then somebody says, 'Take this injection and you’re going to be skinny,'” she said in August 2023 on Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast.
The drug proved effective, leading to a significant drop in her weight. Back in February, Sharon told The Guardian that she lost "three stone [42 pounds] in four months. In her life, the heaviest I was 230 pounds and I’m now under a hundred.
However, the rapid weight loss came with unpleasant side effects. "You’re not hungry, but for me-it’s different for everybody-but for me, the first few weeks were fcking sht because you just throw up all the time and feel so nauseous," she said. "After a couple of weeks, it goes, and you’re just fine."
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The Aftermath: Struggling to Regain Weight
Osbourne has been off Ozempic for a while now, but my warning is don’t give it to teenagers, it’s just too easy," she told the publication. "You can lose so much weight and it’s easy to become addicted to that, which is very dangerous."
Now, Osbourne faces a new challenge: struggling to regain weight. "I'm too gaunt and I can't put any weight on. I want to, because I feel I'm too skinny,” she said. “I didn’t want to go this thin. It just happened,” Sharon also said on Piers Morgan Uncensored with husband Ozzy Osbourne, and two of their three children, Jack and Kelly Osbourne.
She now weighs under 100 pounds and desires to gain about 10 pounds. “If I could, I’d put back another 10 pounds," she told the Loose Women hosts while discussing her weight loss journey.
Despite her efforts, her body seems resistant to weight gain. During a December 2023 appearance on the U.K. talk show Good Morning Britain, Sharon said, "I could do with putting on a few pounds, but at this point the way my body is, it's not listening. It's staying where it is."
The situation has even drawn comments from her husband, Ozzy Osbourne, who jokingly compares her to former First Lady Nancy Reagan.
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The Broader Concerns: "Too Much" Weight Loss and Its Consequences
Osbourne's experience raises an important question: How common is it to lose "too much" weight on medications like Ozempic and struggle to gain it back? While most studies focus on weight regain after stopping these drugs, the opposite scenario is often overlooked.
Dr. Jody Dushay, an endocrinologist at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, emphasizes the importance of considering the full spectrum of potential outcomes when using weight loss medications. "We don’t know what your response to these medications might be. You can be anywhere from a nonresponder to a super-responder, and if you’re the latter, it might seem amazing from the get-go, but it can be very complicated,” she said. “(Osbourne’s) story is really important to consider when laying out for people the entire landscape of what could happen while on these drugs.”
Defining "too much" weight loss is challenging, as it depends on individual factors like baseline weight, health status, and personal goals. Dushay suggests considering factors like macronutrient deficiencies or a gaunt facial appearance as potential indicators of excessive weight loss.
The lack of data on excessive weight loss in clinical trials further complicates the issue. Less is known about how individuals without diabetes, obesity, or being overweight respond to these medications.
Why Regaining Weight Can Be Difficult
Experts don't fully understand why some individuals struggle to regain weight after losing it through medications like Ozempic. Weight loss drugs work by influencing the appetite center in the brain, reducing hunger and increasing fullness, according to Dr. Deborah Horn, an assistant professor of surgery at the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. When medication stops, that effect is gone, paving the way for some people to regain what they lost if they don't adjust their diet and exercise patterns.
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Dushay suggests that dietary and exercise habits after discontinuing the medication play a significant role, although other unknown factors may also be involved.
Dr. Andres Acosta, a bariatrician, gastroenterologist and physician adviser for the Mayo Clinic Diet, suggests a genetic predisposition may contribute to being a "super-responder" to weight loss medications.
The lack of research on excessive weight loss makes it difficult for doctors to provide guidance on safe weight gain strategies without unintended health or aesthetic consequences. "Do you back off on the dose? Do you stop the medication altogether?” Dushay said. “It's uncharted territory."
Acosta emphasizes the importance of regular follow-up appointments with a multidisciplinary healthcare team to ensure adequate nutrient intake and appropriate exercise for maintaining health.
The Mental and Emotional Impact
Losing "too much" weight can have significant psychological repercussions. Alexis Conason, a clinical psychologist and certified eating disorder specialist, points out that society's idealization of thinness can make it difficult for people to acknowledge their struggles with being underweight.
Some individuals may experience body dysmorphia or struggle with how others perceive them after significant weight loss. In extreme cases, rapid weight loss can lead to weakened bones, increasing the risk of osteoporosis, or the development of gallstones.
Dushay notes that the mental health implications of excessive weight loss from medications like Wegovy could be harder to deal with considering patients aren’t required to undergo mental health screenings before starting these drugs like they are prior to bariatric surgery.
Other Celebrities and Ozempic
Sharon Osbourne isn't the only celebrity who has spoken openly about using Ozempic or similar medications for weight loss. Here are a few other examples:
- Rosie O'Donnell: The comedian has been on Mounjaro since late 2022.
- Meghan Trainor: The singer and her husband, Daryl Sabara, started taking Monjaro together.
- Kendra Wilkinson: The former Girls Next Door star tried a weight loss injectable but stopped due to potential health risks.
- Bonnie Chapman: Dog the Bounty Hunter's daughter had a negative experience with Ozempic, experiencing nausea.
- Amy Schumer: The comedian took Ozempic briefly but stopped because she felt too skinny and sick.
- Jennifer Aydin: The Real Housewives of New Jersey star admitted to using Mounjaro, not Ozempic.
- Raven-Symoné: The actress emphasized that these medications are for people who actually need them.
- Chelsea Handler: The comedian unknowingly took Ozempic, thinking it was another medication.
These examples highlight the growing trend of using these medications for weight loss, both for medical and cosmetic purposes.