Serena Williams is sharing how she took a swing at weight loss drugs.
The tennis legend, 43, explained she “hit a wall” she had never encountered before after having her kids in a campaign video for telehealth company Ro.
“I was doing everything right — working out, eating clean, following the plan. But my body wasn’t responded the way it used to. I knew my body was missing something it needed,” she said in the ad.
The answer for her, she continued, was GLP-1s.
According to the campaign, Williams has lost 31 pounds in 8 months using GLP-1s, though it is unclear which drug she has used. The campaign noted she used another GLP-1 provider before Ro, which currently offers Zepbound, Ozempic, Wegovy and Saxenda.
Drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists mimic a hormone in the body known as glucagon-like peptide 1, which helps signal fullness to the brain and regulate blood sugar. Ozempic is typically used for diabetes while Saxenda, Wegovy and Zepbound are approved for weight loss.
Williams, now a celebrity patient ambassador for Ro, also spoke to the stigma surrounding the popular weight loss drugs.
“If you’re on GLP-1s too, don’t let anybody tel you it’s the ‘easy way out.’ You’re not taking a shortcut, you’re taking care of yourself, and that takes courage,” she said.
In an interview with People magazine Thursday, Williams said she feels “really good and healthy.”
“I feel light physically and light mentally,” she told the magazine. “I just can do more. I’m more active. My joints don’t hurt as much. I just feel like something as simple as just getting down is a lot easier for me. And I do it a lot faster.”
This isn’t the first famous face to open up about their use of the medications.
In 2023, Oprah Winfrey revealed she turned to a weight-loss medication after years of struggling with her weight. Videos on social media showing dramatic transformations have also increased demand in recent years.
The medications don’t come without risks, however. For example, the most common side effects of Ozempic are nausea, stomach pain, constipation, diarrhea and vomiting, according to the drug’s website.
Some people have reported severe GI-related issues, including gastroparesis, a paralysis of the stomach also called delayed gastric emptying. This condition is the basis of a lawsuit filed in 2023, which claims the drug makers failed to warn consumers.
And long-term, it’s unclear how these drugs will affect the body.
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