Jonathan Van Ness got candid about his weight loss journey, saying he trimmed his waistline with an Ozempic-like medication and other lifestyle changes.
Sharing mirror selfies with his fans, the Queer Eye star proudly posted before-and-after pictures of his weight loss transformation.
“Gonna be basic and post a before and after on the next slide,” he wrote in an Instagram story over the weekend.
Highlights
- Jonathan Van Ness opened up about his weight loss journey and shared before-and-after pictures.
- The 'Queer Eye' star said he managed to shed 66 lbs. so far.
- He said he used GLP-1 medication to aid his weight loss, along with lifestyle changes.
- An expert told Bored Panda that Ozempic-like medications could lead to a decreased desire to consume extra food.
Jonathan Van Ness candidly spoke about his weight loss journey and shared before-and-after pictures
Image credits: Amy Sussman/Getty Images
The JVN Hair founder said using GLP-1 medication was a “huge help” in shedding 66 lbs.
GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) medications, like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro, are generally prescribed to diabetic patients to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
They have become extremely popular in recent years for their weight loss effects. A number of celebrities have included the medication as part of their efforts to drop some pounds.
Image credits: jvn
In addition to taking GLP-1 medication, Van Ness said he made changes to his routine to slim down.
He revealed that he cut down on his alcohol consumption and that going for group pilates has been the “most pivotal” change.
“My mental health and overall feeling is a different universe since last year and the biggest change was group fitness,” wrote the hairstylist.
The Queer Eye star said he used GLP-1 medication to aid his weight loss
Image credits: jvn
“Overall though, I’m so proud of myself and want to share,” his fans read before moving on to the next Instagram slide to see his before-and-after pictures.
Netizens had mixed reactions to his transformation, with many appreciating him, while naysayers called him “Ozempic an*rexic.”
“Congrats to him,” said one fan.
“Well done,” another wrote.
The hairstylist managed to shed 66 lbs. with the medication, along with changes to his lifestyle
Image credits: jvn
“At least he's honest about taking a glp-1,” said another.
But critics tsk-tsked and claimed, “now he’s way too skinny.”
“Yikes,” one wrote. “Too skinny and scrawny now.”
“They look emaciated, this is not a compliment,” one said.
Fans had mixed reactions, with some claiming he’s “way too skinny” now
Image credits: jvn
“I love how they always say with changes to health and diet, when we know dam well nobody is changing their dam diet, they are just shootin theirselves up with ozempic,” said another critic. “This drug works like Phen/Phan did and there was no changes to diet needed for that either.”
Van Ness opened up about his weight loss last month and said he had a “confession” to make. He said he was taking GLP-1 medication to help with his binge-eating disorder.
The hairstylist said people who have been following him for a while would know that he “gained and lost weight several times very publicly.”
Van Ness said he felt “depressed” and “out of control” for his “compulsive eating”
Image credits: jvn
Over the last couple of years, he went through certain experiences in his public and private life that made him gain “quite a bit of weight” and not feel “good” about it, he told his followers.
“This time in my life, I knew that I needed a little bit of extra help,” he said in a TikTok video shared in January.
“The most important thing was, my binge-eating disorder was out of control,” he added.
The Netflix star credited GLP-1 medication for helping him gain control over his “binge-eating disorder”
Image credits: jvn
The Netflix star said he felt “depressed” and “out of control” after consistently making decisions that compounded his “compulsive eating” and “binging.”
When he discussed solutions with his doctor, he said they tried different GLP-1 injections, and he “immediately” started feeling better last September.
It was the first time in his life he felt in “control” of his food intake, he said, asserting the importance of him saying: “I needed help.”
Image credits: jvn
The medication “helped me so massively, and that’s part of why I wanna be honest with you about it because I know how important asking for help is,” Van Ness said, “and how much asking for help can change your life in terms of healing.”
According to experts, medications like Ozempic and Wegovy can lead to a reduced desire to consume extra food.
“These drugs work by mimicking a hormone (GLP-1) that our body naturally releases after we eat. This hormone helps lower blood sugar by boosting insulin levels and reducing glucagon levels,” Areesha Moiz from McGill University's Division of Experimental Medicine told Bored Panda via email.
“In terms of weight loss, they act on receptors in the brain to reduce appetite and increase satiety (fullness), and they slow down digestion,” she added.
An expert told Bored Panda that Ozempic-like medications could lead to a decreased desire to consume extra food
Image credits: jvn
Moiz co-authored a study on the efficacy and safety of using GLP-1 medication for weight loss among adults without diabetes. She said these medications resulted in higher levels of weight loss than older drugs.
“Older weight loss drugs didn’t work as well, helping people lose about 3-9% of their weight,” she said. “In comparison, we’re seeing patients lose 15-25% with GLP-1 RAs. Plus, older drugs also had more side effects, including cardiovascular, psychiatric, and gastrointestinal issues which limited their use.”
Image credits: jvn
The expert noted that patients who use GLP-1s may gain their weight back if they stop the medication.
“Most people end up gaining back more than half of the weight they lost within a year of stopping the medication, because the appetite-suppressing effects wear off,” she said.
Moreover, researchers are yet to see the long term-risks involved in taking GLP-1 medication.
“We don’t know all the long-term risks yet,” she added. “While the medications seem to be safe in the short term, we don’t have enough data to say for sure how they might affect people years down the road.”
“At least he's honest about taking a glp-1,” one commenter said about Van Ness' weight loss
