Donald Trump Once Said His Friend 'Was Fatter Than Ever' After Taking A GLP-1. Is That Side Effect Possible?

GLP-1s just took an unexpectedly political turn. During a 2026 event to discuss his administration's Great Healthcare Plan, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that a "very fat" friend of his took Ozempic, only to gain more weight (via TMZ).

Does Trump's assertion that GLP-1s sometimes cause weight gain hold up under scrutiny? Yes, but the underlying reasons differ depending upon each person's situation. (Plus, this statement is a bit ironic, given that Trump's 2025 annual physical exam confirmed that his BMI fell in the obese category at the time.)

For instance, an individual who begins on a low GLP-1 dose may experience less appetite suppression than is needed to avoid overeating. In that case, the individual may need to work with a doctor to adjust the dosage to avoid further weight gain. Similarly, people's bodies can adjust to GLP-1 doses, meaning the drug becomes less effective over time and the dose must be nudged to produce the desired amount of "hunger noise" reduction.

Another possible reason for weight gain while taking GLP-1s like Ozempic: common side effects, such as vomiting, constipation, and fatigue. After all, it may be difficult for people to want to exercise if they're facing such unwelcome bodily responses. Therefore, even if they eat a little less, they may not see a significant weight loss, or any weight loss at all, because they're still not burning many extra calories.

Then there's the possibility of weight gain after starting and stopping a GLP-1. Many people who've been on a GLP-1 stop after about one year, according to a 2024 study in JAMA Network Open. And most regain a substantial portion of the weight they've lost within a year. In fact, a 2022 trial published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism shows that, on average, people gain back two-thirds of their weight after discontinuing a GLP-1.

Meanwhile, findings of a 2021 clinical trial published in JAMA showed that after discontinuing a GLP-1 after 20 weeks, individuals gained back 6.9% of their weight after another 48 weeks. In contrast, those who stayed on the GLP-1 lost another 7.9% of their weight.

Evidence also supports the idea that some people's bodies try to return to a natural "set point" weight range (known as the "set point theory") as soon as GLP-1s are discontinued. A 2010 article in F1000 Reports Medicine argued that this was a type of predictable "counter-regulation" that needed to be considered when patients and providers were mapping out personalized weight loss programs.

The takeaway here is that Trump's friend may well be gaining weight either while he's on a GLP-1 or, if he's discontinued it, after taking the weight loss product. Trump describes him as having trouble walking normally, so the friend may require other means to address his weight concerns. As emergency medical physician Dr. Darien Sutton mentioned to Good Morning America, "There are some [people] that, despite doing all of this [trying GLP-1s], might have difficulty losing weight, and for those, I recommend talking to a provider to review the variety of medications and interventions that might help."