Elon Musk says he used a popular weight-loss drug to get 'fit, ripped, and healthy'
NTB/Carina Johansen via REUTERS
- Elon Musk credited fasting and the weight-loss drug Wegovy for what a fan called his "ripped" body.
- Wegovy, a brand of semaglutide, helps manage diabetes and was also approved last summer for obesity.
- The drug is expensive and in high-demand, and can come with gastrointestinal side effects.
Elon Musk's secret to looking "fit, ripped, and healthy" is fasting — and the popular weight-loss drug Wegovy, the Tesla founder said.
Musk, 51, revealed his secret on Twitter earlier this month in response to a fan who said he looked "awesome" and asked him if he was lifting weights and eating healthy.
The business magnate pointed to Wegovy, Novo Nordisk's brand of semaglutide, for his figure. "Fasting," he tweeted. "And Wegovy."
—Eva McMillan ♥️ (@EvasTeslaSPlaid) October 1, 2022
—Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 2, 2022
The once-weekly injectable was originally used to help manage diabetes but gained FDA approval last summer for "chronic weight management."
It suppresses appetite by balancing out the body's hunger hormones and delaying digestion, and has been shown to lead to a 15% to 20% loss of body weight over 68 weeks, Insider's Gabby Landsverk previously reported.
While the drug is only approved for weight loss in people with an "obese" body mass index — as well as those who are considered "overweight" and have another condition like type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol — people are paying to use it off-label, contributing to shortages.
Some of those people are speculated to be other celebrities, who can afford the steep price tag of $1,200 to $1,500 per month, Variety reported.
Semaglutide for weight loss is intended to be used alongside a reduced calorie diet (which the drug makes easier) and increased physical activity, the FDA says. Its most common side effects are gastrointestinal issues like nausea and diarrhea.