Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker says he has lost 80 pounds on ‘life-changing’ GLP-1 medication

Illinois Gov. JB Pritkzer says he has lost 80 pounds while using a “life-changing” GLP-1 medication since he was diagnosed with diabetes two years ago.

Pritzker discussed his weight loss and use of the medication in an interview with CBS News that aired on Monday. It comes as the billionaire Hyatt hotels heir seeks a third term as governor and is widely seen as a potential contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination .

He said he feels “a whole lot different, and a whole lot better” after losing weight.

“I have an opportunity, just with the platform I have as governor, to tell people that this is something that can work for them,” Pritzker said. “I think they should do it with a doctor’s advice. But I can tell you, at least for me, it has been really life-changing.”

Pritzker’s father, Donald Pritzker, died of a heart attack at age 39 while playing tennis. In the interview, Pritzker discussed his own struggles with obesity. He said he has been overweight since he was 7 or 8 years old, and had gained more weight during his time as Illinois governor.

He’s also been mocked for his weight. During the 2024 presidential campaign, President Donald Trump said Pritzker “wants to eat all the time.”

Pritzker started the GLP-1 medication after being advised by a doctor to do so two years ago, when he was diagnosed with diabetes. He also walks four miles along Lake Michigan almost every morning.

He said he lost two pounds in the first week on the medication.

“It was the strangest feeling,” he said, describing food cravings ending. “I’m not suggesting everything changed in a week. It didn’t happen that way.”

“I’ve been driven my whole life to lose weight,” Pritzker said. “The fact that I am now able to do it because this GLP-1 became available is truly, like — I mean, it’s something that has meant a lot to me.”

Pritzker also said the Illinois state employee insurance plan is covering GLP-1 medications. He said doing so will save money ultimately because “fewer people will have diabetes. People will be less overweight, which causes so many other diseases.”

He didn’t directly answer a question about whether the prospect of a 2028 presidential campaign played into his decision to use the GLP-1 medication and lose weight. He pointed to his reelection bid this fall, and said he has “not made any decisions about what I might do in the future.”

伊利诺伊州州长 JB Pritkzer 表示，自从两年前被诊断出患有糖尿病以来，他一直在使用一种“改变人生”的 GLP-1 药物，并已减重 80 磅。

普里茨克在周一播出的哥伦比亚广播公司新闻采访中谈到了他的减肥经历和药物使用情况。这位亿万富翁凯悦酒店集团继承人正寻求连任州长，并被广泛视为2028年民主党总统候选人提名的潜在竞争者。

他说减肥后感觉“完全不一样了，也好了很多”。

“我作为州长，拥有这样的平台，有机会告诉大家，这种方法对他们来说可能有效，”普里茨克说。“我认为他们应该在医生的建议下进行。但我可以告诉你们，至少对我来说，这真的改变了我的生活。”

普利兹克的父亲唐纳德·普利兹克在打网球时突发心脏病去世，年仅39岁。在采访中，普利兹克谈到了自己与肥胖作斗争的经历。他说自己从七八岁起就超重，在担任伊利诺伊州州长期间体重进一步增加。

他的体重也曾遭到嘲笑。在2024年总统竞选期间，唐纳德·特朗普总统曾说普里茨克“总是想吃东西”。

普利兹克两年前被诊断出患有糖尿病，医生建议他服用GLP-1受体激动剂，之后他便开始服用这种药物。此外，他几乎每天早上都会沿着密歇根湖步行四英里。

他说服用这种药物的第一周就瘦了两磅。

“那感觉太奇怪了，”他描述自己不再渴望食物时说道。“我不是说一切都在一周内发生了改变。事情并非如此。”

“我这辈子一直努力减肥，”普里茨克说。“现在有了GLP-1，我终于能够实现这个目标，这对我来说意义非凡。”

普里茨克还表示，伊利诺伊州政府雇员的医疗保险计划涵盖了GLP-1类药物。他说，这样做最终会节省开支，因为“患糖尿病的人会减少，人们的体重也会减轻，而超重会导致许多其他疾病。”

他没有直接回答关于2028年总统竞选是否影响了他服用GLP-1药物减肥的决定的问题。他提到了今年秋天的连任竞选，并表示他“还没有决定未来要做什么”。