Former NBA star and television analyst on CBS Sports, Charles Barkley has revealed that he lost 62 pounds after taking the weight-loss drug Mounjaro and practicing a healthy lifestyle. He shared on the latest episode of The Pat McAfee Show, “I started at 352 [lbs.], and I’m down to 290. I’m starting to feel like a human being, not a fat a** anymore. I started taking this drug called Mounjaro about six months ago. It’s been amazing. My doctor, she is amazing. I know a lot of people take Ozempic, but my doctor prefers Mounjaro.”
“I have ZERO IDEA what it does but I’m losing weight” 😂😂 ~ Charles Barkley #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/GrsIFrIuqp
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 26, 2023
According to US Magazine , Barkley had two hip surgeries: one in 2016 and the next one in 2018. Since the surgeries, the 11-time NBA All-Star had gained weight, but he is now working on his physique to get fit.
Barkley continued to explain his weight-loss journey, “I gained a lot of weight when I got my new hips, and I was like, ‘Yo man, I want to be here’. I’m working out. I’m taking my shot once a week. Like I said, I’m gonna get down to 270. Man, I want to be here — I don’t want to leave all my money to my freeloading-ass family!” When the host asked if he had any idea about how the drug works, Barkley exclaimed that he had no idea: “I have zero idea what it does! I’m not gonna lie! I have zero idea. Everybody keeps asking me. My doctor did say that she wanted me to eat a little bit better, so I probably have been, but I got zero idea what the hell this drug does,” Barkley said while laughing.
According to US Magazine , the former Philadelphia 76ers player started taking the drug shots after seeing his doctor. The Maunjaro shots are similar to Ozempic, a drug that is prescribed alongside a healthy diet and exercise to help individuals with type 2 diabetes to improve their blood sugar levels. Touching upon the influence of age and weight on a person’s health, Barkley joked, “My doctor told me, she says, ‘There’s a lot of fat young people. Ain’t a lot of fat old people, they’re all dead.’”
In 2017, Barkley revealed that he felt “embarrassed” due to his weight. In a statement that he shared with his fellow TNT cohost, Shaquille O’Neal, Barkley said that he will be joining a weight-loss camp soon to lose weight. He said, “Listen, I am embarrassed about how fat I have become, I’ve become lazy. Number one, I’m not healthy. I’m not healthy. Y’all not going to see me. I’ve got to come back for the [NBA] awards show. But I’m taking the next six weeks to get my fat a** in shape. [I won’t be] around anything. So, I don’t drink, I’ve got to eat healthy and I’ve got to work out. So, I’m disappearing until I see y’all.”