For months, fans speculated about Kelly Clarkson's noticeable weight loss. Recently, the Grammy Award-winning artist decided to clear the air.
On a recent episode of "The Kelly Clarkson Show," Clarkson and her guest Whoopi Goldberg discussed their weight loss journeys. Both celebrities revealed they used weight-loss drugs to assist their transformations.
Clarkson complimented Goldberg during the show, saying, "Every time I run into you, you look younger! You're like Benjamin Button. It's like crazy every time you walk in!" Goldberg responded, "First of all, it's all the weight I've lost. I've lost almost two people. I am doing that wonderful shot that works for folks who need some help, and it's been really good for me."
Discussing her own weight loss, Clarkson clarified, "Mine is a different one than people assume, but I ended up having to do that too because my blood work got so bad. My doctor chased me for two years, and I was like, 'No, I'm afraid of it.' I already have thyroid problems. Everybody thinks it's Ozempic, but it's not. It's something else." She added that it helps break down sugar, which her body struggles with.
Earlier, Clarkson had indicated her weight loss journey began on her doctors' advice, initially attributing her success to diet changes. "I eat a healthy mix," she mentioned in a past interview with People magazine. "I dropped weight because I’ve been listening to my doctor — a couple years I didn’t. And 90% of the time I’m really good at it because a protein diet is good for me anyway. I’m a Texas girl, so I like meat — sorry, vegetarians in the world!"
In a discussion with actor Kevin James in February, Clarkson shared she was pre-diabetic. "Well, I was told I was pre-[diabetic]," Clarkson admitted. "That was literally what happened … I wasn't like shocked. I was a tiny bit overweight," she explained.
"They were like, you're pre-diabetic, you're right on the borderline. I was like, ‘But I’m not there yet!'," she joked. After waiting two years and seeing her condition worsen, Clarkson took decisive action.
Clarkson joins a list of celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, who have used weight-loss drugs. Last year, Winfrey spoke candidly about her choice. "I realized I’d been blaming myself all these years for being overweight, and I have a predisposition that no amount of willpower is going to control. Obesity is a disease," she told People.
She expressed relief at the availability of medical solutions for weight management, saying, "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."
