You’re not alone #4: Stephen Fry

In this week’s You’re Not Alone series, I dive into Stephen Fry’s story. Like James Corden he has been candid about his struggles with mental health, addiction and his battle with his weight. However he shares a second experience with James Corden, he also tried, then stopped taking Ozempic – but for Stephen it was the side effects that got to him.

I hope you find this helpful.

Vomiting, weight loss, and the limits of Ozempic

Stephen Fry has long been candid about his struggles with weight and mood. In 2024, he revealed he tried Ozempic—and quickly abandoned it after extreme side effects.

“An early adopter”

On the River Café Table 4 podcast, Fry said he got Ozempic in the U.S. as an early trial. At first it seemed miraculous: he lost his appetite, even his interest in alcohol. He thought, “This is going to be brilliant.”

The crash: “I can’t do this”

Within weeks, Fry was vomiting four to five times a day. The cost was unbearable. He quit, concluding: “I can’t do this. That’s it.”

Sustainable success elsewhere

Before Ozempic, Fry had lost five-and-a-half stone through walking, podcasts, and sensible eating. He found that sustainable changes improved not just weight but mood.

How Stephen’s story can help you

Medication isn’t magic. Stephen said Ozempic made him vomit four to five times a day. If you’re tempted by quick fixes, ask: “Will this help me heal, or just shrink me?”
Side effects don’t mean failure. Quitting Ozempic wasn’t weakness. If you’ve had to stop a plan or diet, remember stepping away is data, not defeat.
Small steps add up. Stephen lost weight by walking and listening to audiobooks. Could you add one short daily walk, paired with something you enjoy (music, podcast)?
Mood and food are linked. Stephen lives with bipolar disorder; mood shaped his eating. Notice your own mood-food patterns – keep a diary for a week and see what feelings spark cravings.
Sustainability wins. Stephen found walking improved both body and mood. Ask yourself “What could I do this week that’s good for my body and my mental health?”

Weight loss medication is far from a magic pill – alongside the medication it is essential to make changes to what you eat and to how you move. This is not just to ‘help’ the weight loss, it’s actually critical to minimise the side effects of these strong medications. It’s also essential to build new habits while you have the support of medication, because if and when you stop taking medication – weight regain is a significant risk. Without new habits, any impact on your weight will be temporary.

Here at Eating Freely we are experts in emotional eating and binge eating, and we’re also now offering support around GLP1 and other weight loss medication. When you have truly holistic support, you maximise your chances of success long term.

Emotional eating and binge eating can be helped with medication, there’s evidence to say they can help reduce the “food noise”. But if your emotional triggers are still at play – the impact will be limited.

Professional help is at hand regardless of where you are on the spectrum of struggling with food, weight or your body image. All you need to do is reach out, and we are here – in 10 countries and online.

I hope you are finding this series useful!

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