Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has disclosed that he has been using a GLP-1 medication for the past two years to manage his type 2 diabetes, resulting in an 80-pound weight loss and significant health benefits. His candid sharing aims to destigmatise the drug and highlight its potential when used under medical supervision amid ongoing political scrutiny.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has disclosed that he has been using a GLP-1 medication for the past two years after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, saying the treatment has helped him lose about 80 pounds and feel “a whole lot different, and a whole lot better”. Speaking to CBS News, Pritzker said the experience has been “life-changing” and added that he wanted to use his public profile to show that the drugs can help patients when taken under medical supervision.
Pritzker said doctors warned him that he could face a lifetime on insulin before he began the treatment. He told CBS that he has struggled with his weight since childhood, and that he now walks four miles along Lake Michigan almost every morning as part of a broader effort to improve his health. He also said the reduction in food cravings was striking, describing the early effect of the medication as “the strangest feeling”.
His comments place a personal story into a political context that has long been shaped by Donald Trump’s attacks on his appearance. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump said Pritzker “wants to eat all the time” and was “too busy eating” to govern, while at a White House turkey pardoning ceremony last November he called him a “big, fat slob”. Pritzker, who is now seeking a third term as governor, has been mentioned as a possible contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, although he did not say whether that prospect influenced his decision to speak publicly about his weight loss.
Health concerns have long informed Pritzker’s approach to the issue. He said his father, Donald Pritzker, died of a heart attack at 39 while playing tennis, and that family history has made him vigilant about his own condition. NBC Chicago reported that Pritzker had previously been overweight for much of his life and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes more than a year ago, while local reporting in Illinois said the state is already covering GLP-1 drugs for more than 50,000 employees in an effort to reduce longer-term health costs.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
