Oprah has long been the ultimate weight loss influencer — but some other stars are coming for her crown.
After the former talk show host signed up as a Weight Watchers ambassador, the company signed up a million new members in just a year — and her December 2023 revelation about using GLP-1 drugs inspired a mad dash to the doctor, with fans eager to get their hands on their own Ozempic or Wegovy.
But according to data from Zocdoc, there are two other celebrities whose admissions about using skinny jabs were followed by bigger surges in people sighing up for weight loss drug appointments.
After decades of yo-yo dieting in the public eye, Oprah, 71, shocked fans when she admitted she was using a weight loss drug on December 13, 2023.
“The fact that there’s a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift, and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for. I’m absolutely done with the shaming from other people and particularly myself,” she told People.
In the 72 hours following Oprah’s reveal, Zocdoc saw a whopping 18% increase in GLP-1 appointment bookings.
But beating her out is Serena Williams, 43, who last month debuted a campaign with the telehealth company Ro.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner admitted that she began struggling with her weight after having her first daughter in 2017, but since going on a GLP-1, she’s lost 31 pounds.
“I never was able to get to the weight I needed to be no matter what I did, no matter how much I trained,” she told People. “It was crazy because I’d never been in a place like that in my life where I worked so hard, ate so healthy and could never get down to where I needed to be at.”
The message was clear: Even a world-class athlete could have a hard time losing weight — it’s not about a lack of “self-discipline,” she said.
In the three days after the August 21 announcement, Zocdoc watched appointment bookings shoot up by 27%.
But the biggest boost of all came after Whoopi Goldberg, 69, said she had taken Mounjaro on an episode of “The View” on March 19, 2024.
“I always felt like me, and then I saw me and thought, ‘Oh, that’s a lot of me,’” she told her cohosts.
Those next few days had Zocdoc’s biggest increase yet with a 29% bump in appointments.
But even though that week had a huge uptick, Whoopi wannabes may not have been the only driving factor. Just a week and a half earlier, the FDA approved Wegovy to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death in overweight or obese adults.
There was also an 11% increase in appointments after singer Meghan Trainor, 31, said she uses Mounjaro in March of this year.
“I’ve worked with a dietician, made huge lifestyle changes, started exercising with a trainer, and yes, I used science and support (shoutout to Mounjaro!) to help me after my 2nd pregnancy. And I’m so glad I did because I feel great,” she said on Instagram.
Meanwhile, Kelly Clarkson only inspired a 6% increase after her May 13, 2024 admission on her show.
Though Kelly, 43, didn’t disclose which drug she’s on, she said it’s not Ozempic.
“It’s something else,” she said, “but it’s something that aids in helping break down the sugar — obviously my body doesn’t do it right.”
Jessica Aptman, Chief Communications Officer at Zocdoc said it’s no surprise that people in the public eye are driving bookings.
“We have seen time and again that celebrities influence people’s health and wellness choices,” she told The Post.
“When a well-known figure shares their healthcare story or experience, we often see a correlated wave of related searches and appointment bookings on Zocdoc, and GLP-1s are no exception.
“That said, there are often macro factors at play. Broader factors — like seasonal trends, regulatory updates, and an increased supply of care — also heavily shape patient behavior.”
Zocdoc’s GLP-1 appointment increases by celebrity:
- Whoopi Goldberg: 29%
- Serena Williams: 27%
- Oprah: 18%
- Meghan Trainor: 11%
- Kelly Clarkson: 6%
Plenty of other stars have also spoken out about their GLP-1 use, including Sharon Osbourne (Ozempic), Kathy Bates (Ozempic), Real Housewife Kandi Burruss, Jim Gaffigan (Mounjaro), Harvey Fierstein (Zepbound) and Billie Jean King (Ozempic).
Other celebrities have admitted to trying it but not said it wasn’t for long, including Amy Schumer, Chelsea Handler and James Cordon.
