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Briana “Chickenfry” LaPaglia slams the use of Ozempic for weight loss.
The 26-year-old reality TV star and Barstool Sports personality spoke candidly about the increasing use of GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic on TikTok on March 10, saying everyone she knows is taking them.
“This is not tea, it’s not shade, it’s not hate. It’s just field research,” LaPaglia said in the video. “Every (expletive) word I know is on Ozempic. People who don’t need Ozempic, okay?”
LaPaglia claimed that people who “don’t need Ozempic” are also using the drug, adding, “It’s like I’m on Ozempic.” He added that Ozempić was not needed, although “we may lose some players”.
“You’re going to die. You’re all going to die,” LaPaglia said, ending the video.
GLP-1 use increases in the US
A Gallup National Health and Welfare Index study released Oct. 28 found that use of GLP-1 drugs, including Ozempic, will more than double among both men and women from 2024 to 2025, with 12.4% of respondents admitting to taking the drugs, compared to 5.8% in February 2024, when the research firm first measured it.
The drug, approved as a weight loss drug by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2021, is booming as an effective way to lose weight, stay full longer and reduce food intake, USA TODAY previously reported.
What are the side effects of GLP-1 drugs?
However, weight loss drugs are not without side effects, which include nausea and vomiting, diarrhea and constipation, heartburn and bloating, fatigue, dehydration, and muscle weakness. Patients may also experience hair thinning when taking high doses over a long period of time, especially when combined with low calorie intake. More rare but serious side effects include acute pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), gallbladder problems, and blindness; seek immediate medical attention.
Several GLP-1 manufacturers, including Denmark’s Novo Nordisk, which makes Ozempic, Wigovy, Libersus, Victoza and Saxenda, and Indiana-based Eli Lilly, which makes Trulicity, Maunjaro and Zepbound, also face multiple lawsuits alleging the drug makers failed to adequately warn about the risk of certain serious injuries, USA TODAY previously reported.
The first such lawsuit was filed in 2023, and at least 4,400 patients have filed suit since then, now part of a consolidated federal and state lawsuit, and that number is expected to grow.
Other celebrities have also promoted the use of GLP-1
Although LaPaglia opposes the use of weight-loss drugs, “The View” co-hosts, including guest Savannah Chrisley, spoke out about the drugs and how they have changed their lives last month.
“We all did it,” said Joy Behar, who admitted she lost 25 pounds on GLP-1, and Whoopi Goldberg added, “We were all at this table.”
“GLP-1 is cool,” Chrisley added.
Other celebrities who have been open about using weight loss drugs to lose weight include Serena Williams, Rebel Wilson, Andy Cohen, and Oprah Winfrey.
Williams said she had made every effort to get to a healthy weight, but had no success until using the GLP-1 drug.
“The misconception is that it’s a shortcut,” she previously said. “As an athlete and as someone who’s done everything, I’ve never been able to gain the weight I need to be healthy. Trust me, I don’t take shortcuts.”
Winfrey, on the other hand, said she began taking GLP-1 because she recognized that obesity was a medical condition to be treated, not a lack of discipline or willpower. She knows the drug is “for life” and sometimes takes the injections every 10 to 12 days instead of weekly because she can still feel the effects of the previous injections.
Although Winfrey experienced side effects such as indigestion, she said the reward was worth the inconvenience.
“I feel more alive and more vibrant than ever before,” Winfrey said.
If you or someone you know is struggling with body image or eating concerns, the National Eating Disorders Association’s toll-free and confidential helpline is available by phone or text (1-800-931-2237) or click-to-chat message. Nationaleatingdisorders.org/Helpline. For 24/7 crisis information, text “NEDA” to 741-741.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact her at sshafiq@usatodayco.com and follow X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
