Famous singer Carnie Wilson has admitted that her doctor warned her about taking Ozempic, revealing that his advice was ‘too scared’ of the possible side effects to try the popular weight loss drug.
The 55-year-old Hold On hitmaker, who rose to fame as part of pop group Wilson Phillips, has faced fierce criticism over her weight loss in recent months after she proudly revealed she had lost 40 pounds.
Images of her slimmed-down figure sparked a wave of speculation that Carnie had turned to a weight-loss drug, but she has now furiously dismissed those rumors, claiming her doctor had issued a serious ‘warning’ against relying on treatments like Ozempic . slimming.
‘Personally, I was too afraid of side effects, gastrointestinal side effects. My doctor warned me,” she explained to Fox News.
“He said, ‘This is an option if you want to do it, but I’m warning you that it doesn’t exist enough yet for the way a lot of people use this, which is to lose weight.’
Carnie Wilson (seen in 2024) has admitted that her doctor warned against taking Ozempic when she revealed she refused to take the weight loss drug because she was ‘too scared’
The 55-year-old Hold On hitmaker tipped the scales at over 300 pounds in 1993 (pictured)
The singer has vehemently defended her weight loss strategies as she continues to shut down all the Ozempic rumors (seen in 2022).
Carnie has been outspoken in the past about undergoing weight loss surgery; in 1993, she revealed that she tipped the scales at 300 pounds, but after undergoing two surgical procedures in both 1999 and 2012, she lost weight to 200 pounds.
But when it came to her latest weight loss, Carnie furiously denied any suggestion that drugs were behind it.
Carnie admitted that while there should be no “stigma” on weight loss medications, she was personally too afraid of the potential side effects of using the trendy drug.
The singer explained that her doctor had offered the drug as a solution because she was pre-diabetic, but he also told her that many people taking the drug had gone to the hospital because of the side effects.
She also confessed that she was afraid to even take a “risk” with the drug.
“I didn’t want to take a chance with my anatomy that I had gastric bypass surgery and a lap band over that gastric bypass,” Carnie added. ‘I wasn’t prepared for it; I was too afraid of the side effects.
‘So it didn’t make sense to me. And I’m not writing down anyone who has done it or wants to do it. Each his own. I believe we have no problem intervening in our lives in some way. I am in favor of that.’
The star revealed that her gastric bypass surgery – which she underwent in 1999 – and her lap band surgery – which she underwent in 2012 after gaining about 50 pounds from pregnancy – helped her go from 300 to 200 pounds.
She told Fox that her doctor warned her about the drug, despite saying two days earlier that her doctor suggested she take Ozempic.
The singer (seen in 2019) explained that her doctor offered the drug as a solution because she was pre-diabetic
In 2012, when she went under the knife again, she admitted that she turns to food because it’s how she copes with problems.
The star said: ‘I’ve been under so much stress this past year so it’s really a struggle.’
The host of the upcoming cooking show Sounds Delicious with Carnie Wilson noted that while she isn’t “perfect,” she is “healthier.”
Just a few days ago, Carnie opened up about her weight-loss journey again, telling People that her doctor offered Ozempic as an option in September when she discovered she was “half a point away from diabetes.”
The Wilson Phillips singer told the site that she quit sugar after realizing she was addicted to sweets, which was her “cradle” in coping. The crooner added that it was hard to say goodbye to cookies and sweets at first, but now she’s okay with it.
And she stopped eating gluten, which she said was very helpful in losing weight.
“I now treat my body with respect,” she said. She said she hopes to reach a goal weight of 170 pounds.
The Wilson Phillips singer told the site she gave up sugar after realizing she was addicted to sweets, which was her ‘crutch’ to cope (seen in 2021)
The host of the upcoming cooking show Sounds Delicious with Carnie Wilson noted that while she isn’t “perfect,” she is “healthier” (seen in 2009)
Earlier this week, Carnie showed off her impressive weight loss in a series of side-by-side before and after photos
Carnie also told Good Morning America that she is starring in a new cooking show titled Sounds Delicious With Carnie Wilson, which pairs recipes with celebrity guests. The series debuts April 16 on AXS TV.
The star experienced “gastrointestinal hell” and joint pain when he weighed more than 200 pounds.
She told the outlet: ‘There was a voice that said, “You have to change the way you eat. You no longer have a choice. It’s for your health.”
Earlier this week, Carnie showed off her impressive weight loss in a series of side-by-side before and after photos.
She shared: ‘Another before and ‘during’… my health journey! ‘This is 40 pounds down.
‘I really feel different. I need to work out more to get the scale moving again, but I’m so proud and excited. Knowing that I did this purely through diet: no gluten or sugar, no butter and also keeping the fats low.’
Over the past year she has combined raising her two children – Lola and Luci – with performing.
Both Ozempic and its sister drug Wegovy are hailed as magic bullets for obesity and their ability to melt away fat in a matter of weeks.
Ozempic was first approved by the FDA in 2017 as a drug for type 2 diabetes, while Wegovy was approved by the FDA in 2021 as a treatment for weight management.
Over the past year, she has been balancing raising her two children – Lola and Luci – while also performing (seen in 2023)
The star experienced ‘gastrointestinal hell’ and joint pain when he weighed more than 200 pounds
The drugs have taken the world by storm since they hit the market, with celebrities and patients alike raving about their fat-reducing ability.
Many celebrities have spoken out and defended their use of the weight loss drug, including Oprah – who shamed those who “shamed” her a few weeks ago – Boy George, Tracy Morgan, Remi Bader, Chelsea Handler, Elon Musk, Amy Schumer, and Sharon Osbourne.
In recent weeks, however, the drug has been praised for its overwhelming number of side effects.
Increasing evidence has shown that the side effects of the drugs, such as vomiting and diarrhea, are so common and overwhelming that it is impractical for most patients to continue taking the current versions for very long.
The result is that in practice there is a very high patient dropout rate due to side effects. Besides vomiting and diarrhea, the most common side effects are nausea, constipation and fatigue.
Less common complications of GLP-1 medications include gallstones, increased heart rate, kidney damage, and pancreatitis – a condition in which the pancreas quickly becomes painfully inflamed.
Another serious problem is gastroparesis, a serious condition in which the stomach muscles essentially become paralyzed and the stomach does not empty, causing patients to vomit days-old food. For some patients, the only cure for gastroparesis may be gastric bypass. About 10,000 patients in the US are now suing Ozempic’s maker, Novo Nordisk, and Mounjaro’s manufacturer, Eli Lilly, for medical damages.