Movies

Kathy Bates Dishes on Ozempic Rumors Surrounding 100-Lb Weight Loss

‘A LOT OF TALK’

The award-winning actress, who struggled with eating due to self-esteem issues, said she focused on her health after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Kathy Bates.
Amy Sussman/Getty

Award-winning actress Kathy Bates is setting the record straight on the rumors that she relied on the medication Ozempic to lose 100 pounds. The 76-year-old told People that she lost 80 pounds on her own, over the past seven years, by altering her diet and lifestyle—and only recently did she turn to Ozempic to drop another 20. “There’s been a lot of talk that I just was able to do this because of Ozempic,” Bates said. “But I have to impress upon people out there that this was hard work for me, especially during the pandemic. It’s very hard to say you’ve had enough.” The Misery star, who says she would eat to deal with self-esteem issues, got serious about her health after she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2017. “[Diabetes] runs in my family, and I’d seen what my father had gone through,” she said. “He had a leg amputation. One of my sisters is dealing with it very seriously, and it terrified me. It scared me straight.” Bates added that she still enjoys the occasional treat, and she is planning to soon dive deeper into working out, in addition to improving her diet.

Read it at People