What's the skinny? Michelle Obama's weight loss fuels Ozempic talk

Former first lady Michelle Obama looks ultrathin these days, leading many to speculate that she has joined the growing number of Americans taking Ozempic or a similar prescription GLP-1 weight loss medication.

Mrs. Obama appeared extra svelte in a newly released, glamorous photo shoot with photographer Annie Leibovitz. The 61-year-old mother of two showed off in skinny jeans with toned abs and a slimmed-down waistline. Her face appeared a little gaunt, which some say is a telltale sign of the rapid weight loss triggered by GLP-1 medications.

It’s all speculation, but her noticeable shrinkage coincides with a dramatic increase in GLP-1 prescriptions, especially for “off-label” purposes, meaning no underlying medical condition such as Type 2 diabetes. Patients simply want to shed some pounds and improve their appearance.

The number of people prescribed GLP-1 medications who were neither obese nor suffering from conditions related to diabetes jumped from fewer than 7,600 in 2018 to nearly 108,000 in 2023, according to a study published recently in the American Journal of Managed Care.

A long list of Hollywood stars have acknowledged slimming down with the medications. Some were clearly overweight, including Oprah Winfrey and actress Kathy Bates. Some stars said they took the drugs to lose weight after pregnancy. Other actresses and performers who look rail-thin are suspected of taking the medications but haven’t revealed how they lost weight.

The drugs work by slowing down digestion and reducing appetite. The medications also improve insulin function. They were initially prescribed to help Type 2 diabetes patients lower their blood glucose levels.

Mrs. Obama, a fitness enthusiast, hasn’t discussed her slimmed-down figure or whether she is taking a GLP-1 medication.

Dr. Alexandra Sowa, author of the book “The Ozempic Revolution,” said she doesn’t know for sure whether Mrs. Obama is taking GLP-1 medication. If she is taking the drug, Dr. Sowa said, it could have been prescribed for any one of various reasons.

“Yes, we do have to be careful about celebrities that are getting very thin,” Dr. Sowa said. “And I see it with my own eyes, and I can speculate. But I think being open about medication use could help a lot of people.”

Dr. Sowa said only a small percentage of people who could benefit from the pricey drug are taking it. The cost of Ozempic, without health insurance coverage, ranges from $350 to $500 per month, depending on the dosage.

The National Institutes of Health reported that more than 42% of American adults are obese or severely obese.

The former first lady has been open about her struggles with weight. She described herself in her 2018 memoir as a “chubby” child and a “decidedly un-skinny teenager,” who later gained weight after the birth of her children and after menopause.

“I never used to weigh myself. I’m not trying to stick to numbers, but when you’re in menopause, you have this slow creep that you just don’t realize,” she told People magazine in 2022. “We’re all in menopause with stretchy bands, and our athleisure wear on, and you look up, and you can’t fit the outfits you had last year.”

Mrs. Obama wore jeans, a T-shirt and suede boots for the Leibovitz shoot. She posted a video and a photo on her Instagram account and said the image would be used in the new edition of Ms. Leibovitz’s photo book “Women.”

“Annie Leibovitz has always known that a photo can do more than preserve a moment — it can say something,” Mrs. Obama wrote on Instagram.

Mrs. Obama’s bestseller “The Look” was released Nov. 4. It chronicles her style and the outfits she wore in and out of the White House and how they helped inspire her own confidence.

She also co-hosts a podcast with her brother, Craig Robinson.

Speculation about Mrs. Obama’s weight loss began months ago, after she posted a video of herself dancing with Beyonce’s mother, who appeared on her podcast. Mrs. Obama looked thin as she danced around in pants and a flowy top.

Rumors have been swirling for more than a year that Barack and Michelle Obama were headed for a divorce because they were rarely seen together. The couple have denied the speculation.

Mrs. Obama appeared on the cover of the Nov. 10 issue of People magazine, where she “opened up about embracing her 60s, date nights with Barack and her new lease on life.”

She told the magazine that she is prioritizing her health.

“My health has always been paramount. What I eat, working out, I go to regular doctor’s visits. I do not miss a mammogram. I do all the things that I’m supposed to do, because I value my health, and that also allows me to enjoy this time, because I’m not achy, I’m not sore, I’m not sick. I’m as vibrant as I’ve ever been,” she said.