Rosie O’Donnell reveals her recent health transformation, attributing her improved well-being and weight loss to the diabetes medication Mounjaro, highlighting a growing trend among celebrities openly discussing the impact of GLP-1 therapies.
Rosie O’Donnell says she feels better in her body than she has in years, crediting part of that shift to Mounjaro, the diabetes medicine she began taking after her doctor prescribed it to manage her blood sugar. Speaking on Tuesday’s episode of “Good Hang with Amy Poehler”, the 64-year-old actor and talk show host said the treatment was never framed as a weight-loss drug at the outset, but as a way to bring her diabetes numbers down.
O’Donnell said the change in her appetite became obvious soon after she started the weekly injection. She recalled going to Nobu after her son’s engagement celebration and finding that she could barely eat. At first, she thought the lack of hunger was tied to emotion, but within weeks the scale told a different story and she found herself panicking that something far more serious might be wrong.
The medicine she described, tirzepatide, is the active ingredient in Mounjaro, which the Food and Drug Administration approved on May 13, 2022, for adults with type 2 diabetes. In November 2023, the agency also approved the same drug under the brand name Zepbound for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight conditions. Both versions are intended to be used alongside diet and exercise, and clinical trials have shown tirzepatide can improve blood sugar control and help reduce body weight.
O’Donnell is among a growing number of public figures who have spoken openly about GLP-1 medicines, a class that also includes semaglutide, the ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy. The drugs work by acting on hormones involved in blood sugar and appetite regulation, though tirzepatide also targets GIP receptors. They can cause similar side effects, including nausea and diarrhoea. Other celebrities have described similar experiences, with Eric Stonestreet saying Mounjaro helped him become more accountable about exercise, Serena Williams saying a GLP-1 helped her lose more than 31 pounds after childbirth and Oprah Winfrey saying she wished she had started sooner.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
