Josh Gad’s Weight Loss: A GLP-1 Quieted His Food Noise, but Not Without Complications
The actor said he prioritized his health to be there for his kids
From singing on Broadway to playing beloved characters on the big screen (including everyone’s favorite animated snowman, Olaf), Josh Gad can truly do it all. Amid his busy life as an actor and dad to two girls, he still prioritizes his health. Though he’s long embraced his self-proclaimed “funny fat guy” persona, he recently opened up about his impressive 40-lb weight loss. Keep reading to learn more about Josh Gad’s weight loss and how to set yourself up for success, too.
Josh Gad used a GLP-1 to jump-start his weight loss
After losing a noticeable amount of weight, Gad recently revealed that he’s been using a GLP-1 medication to help get his health on track. “I’m on a GLP-1,” Gad told Dax Shepard and Monica Padman on a January episode of their Armchair Expert podcast. “This is the first time I’ve opened up about this.”
These medications, which go by brand names like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, have changed the game for weight management, especially for people who struggle with metabolic resistance or have conditions like type 2 diabetes, explains Giselle Prado-Wright, MD, MBA, medical director at Exert BodySculpt. “They work by mimicking natural hormones that regulate appetite, so patients feel fuller faster and eat less.”
Gad said, “It has suppressed, in a great way, that noise. When I wake up, I feel hunger pains, and so much of that is psychological. And what this does is it takes away that signal.”
Josh Gad’s struggle to find the right GLP-1
The actor didn’t share which GLP-1 he was using, but did detail his struggles in finding one that worked without triggering unwanted side effects.
“I was on a different drug that caused me diverticulitis,” he said during the podcast. “And I had lost 40 pounds, and I was really bummed out because it was working incredibly for me, and I had to switch.”
Weight loss medications can have varying side effects, including gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, vomiting and constipation. In Gad’s case, he developed diverticulitis, which Dr. Prad-Wrights says is an inflammation of small pouches in the colon. It’s unclear if his condition was directly linked to weight loss or GLP-1 use, but sudden dietary changes and slowed digestion can contribute to digestive distress.
Mild cases of diverticulitis can often be managed with antibiotics, a temporary shift to a low-fiber diet and rest. In more severe cases, hospitalization may be required, and for long-term care, “it’s essential to maintain a fiber-rich diet, stay hydrated and follow a consistent eating routine to support gut health and prevent flare-ups,” adds Dr. Prado-Wright.
How Josh Gad feels about his weight loss journey
Gad said he’s grateful for how GLP-1 medications helped him lose weight, but understands that they aren’t replacements for healthy habits. “So I’m figuring out this new one [medication], and it is life-changing, but it also doesn’t negate the fact that it can’t be in the place of having a healthy relationship with food, and it can’t be in the place of having a healthy relationship with exercise,” he noted.
Although Gad is still making progress, he revealed he had mixed feelings (and some guilt) about using weight loss medication. “I’m actually really happy that I’m opening up about this because I’m having my own journey with it,” he said on the podcast. “Sometimes I feel like I’m cheating myself by doing this, and I know a lot of people who aren’t overweight like I am who are taking it, and then I feel like, ‘Okay I should be able to do this because I need it for health.’”
Gad also isn’t concerned with how others feel about his use of weight loss drugs, and said his main goal is to stay healthy for his kids. “I think as I go on this journey of weight loss, I’m not as worried about that because my primary goal is, I want to be there for my kids,” he said. “Everything else is bulls***.”
Dr. Prado-Wright agrees that there should be no shame in this approach to weight loss. However, she says to keep in mind that GLP-1s are a tool that should be used strategically and under the guidance of a medical professional to ensure safe, sustainable results.
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