Bravo mainstay Andy Cohen has come under fire for some remarks he has made about the controversial “diet drug” Ozempic, as well as his broader commentary on weight loss.
During a recent episode of Watch What Happens Live, Cohen congratulated Dolores Catania on losing weight, and enquired: “Ozempy?”, to which the Real Housewives of New Jersey star responded that she was using Ozempic as well as working out with a trainer to lose weight ahead of the upcoming reunion taping.
The following day on his SiriusXM radio show, Cohen was called out for that conversation, receiving a message from a viewer that said: “Tonight was the third Watch What Happens Live guest who I’ve heard you praise for losing weight and inquiring about Ozempic.”
Cohen admitted that he perhaps could have handled the subject of Catania’s weight loss in a different way, saying: Well, you know what? This woman, she’s right… I was happy that [Catania] told the truth about it, by the way, because there are so many people who aren’t.”
“I’m trying to deliver the goods for my audience watching,” he added. “I mean, if Dolores shows up looking 15 pounds lighter, I gotta find out how it happened.” He conceded, though, that it can be a “slippery slope” when being too casual around what can be such a triggering topic for many.
Ozempic and Wegovy are the brand names for a medication used to treat people with diabetes: its active ingredient is semaglutide, which mimics the hormone GLP-1, stimulating the production of insulin and lowering blood sugar levels. It also functions as an appetite suppressant, and is increasingly frequently mentioned as a poorly-kept secret for weight loss among celebrities.
This has driven recent demand for the drug, with younger consumers using Ozempic on a casual basis as a diet supplement regardless of the side effects which can include nausea, dizziness, vomiting, headaches, and constipation, leading to supply chain issues and shortages among end users with diabetes who need it for its original purpose.
Philip Ellis is a freelance writer and journalist from the United Kingdom covering pop culture, relationships and LGBTQ+ issues. His work has appeared in GQ, Teen Vogue, Man Repeller and MTV.
Comments are closed.