Sharon Osbourne, the outspoken media personality and wife of legendary rock star Ozzy Osbourne, has been candid about her long-standing struggles with weight. Throughout her career, she has gone through various phases of weight loss and health changes, ranging from bariatric surgery to adopting popular weight loss medications like Ozempic. But after years of extreme highs and lows, Osbourne says she’s finally at a point in her life where she’s learned to embrace her body and stop chasing unattainable weight loss goals. Here’s a closer look at Sharon Osbourne’s weight loss journey, her struggles, and the realization that she’s “done” trying to meet unrealistic expectations.
The Early Years: Sharon Osbourne’s Battle with Weight and Bariatric Surgery
Sharon Osbourne has always been open about her weight battles, especially after the birth of her children. However, in 1999, she opted for lap band surgery as a way to address her growing weight issues. The surgery, which involves placing a band around the stomach to limit food intake, helped Osbourne lose over 100 pounds. While the procedure gave her the initial results she desired, it didn’t come without its challenges.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Osbourne admitted, “I felt like such a cheat when I had that band on my stomach.” She explained that while the weight loss was visible, the band made it incredibly difficult to properly digest food, leading to uncomfortable side effects, including frequent vomiting.
“I’d go, ‘Thank you, I just have to leave and vomit,’” Osbourne confessed. By 2006, she had the lap band removed, feeling it was no longer a sustainable solution for her long-term health.
A Shift in Diet: Sharon Osbourne’s Struggles with Food Addiction
After the surgery, Osbourne continued her battle with food, describing herself as a food addict. “We all have our little addictions that we do not in moderation but too much, and mine is food,” she admitted during a 2014 interview with Entertainment Tonight. Recognizing the need for a change, she turned to the Atkins diet, a low-carb eating plan that she adopted to help control her weight. She even became a brand ambassador for Atkins.
However, Osbourne was quick to point out that her relationship with food remained complicated. “I’d be fibbing if I said I don’t cheat, because I do cheat,” she shared, adding that everyone has moments of indulgence. Instead of punishing herself for slipping up, she adopted a mindset of course correction and focused on moving forward without guilt.
Her willingness to embrace the imperfections in her journey reflects her growing sense of self-compassion. “I don’t guilt myself out,” she emphasized, marking a shift from the extreme pressures she once placed on herself.
The Ozempic Era: Sharon Osbourne’s Latest Weight Loss Attempt
In 2023, Osbourne made headlines when she turned to Ozempic, a prescription medication originally approved for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes but now often prescribed off-label for weight loss. Osbourne explained in a November 2023 interview that after years of dieting and exercise attempts, she decided to give Ozempic a try to give her weight loss efforts a boost.
“I started on Ozempic last December, and I’ve been off it for a while now, but my warning is don’t give it to teenagers; it’s just too easy,” she cautioned in her interview. “You can lose so much weight and it’s easy to become addicted to that, which is very dangerous.”
Although she experienced a decrease in appetite while on Ozempic, Osbourne noted that she also suffered from gastrointestinal side effects, such as nausea and vomiting during the initial phase of the treatment. “After a couple of weeks, it goes, and you’re just fine,” she shared, speaking about the gastrointestinal discomfort that she eventually adjusted to.
The “Too Much” Weight Loss: A Reflection on Her Experience with Ozempic
In September 2023, Osbourne reflected on her drastic weight loss, telling E! that she had reached her lowest weight ever and was aiming to regain a few pounds for health reasons. “In my life, the heaviest I was 230 pounds and I’m now under a hundred,” she admitted. “And I want to maintain at about 105 because I’m too skinny.” She went on to describe how her appearance had changed so drastically that she was concerned about looking unhealthy. “I can’t afford to lose any more,” she said in an interview with the Daily Mail, adding that she had stopped taking Ozempic after losing 42 pounds.
“I was injecting myself with Ozempic and I lost three stone in four months,” Osbourne explained. “Too much. I now weigh seven stone and can’t put on weight. Ozzy says I look like Nancy Reagan.” Her struggle with maintaining a healthy weight after using the medication highlighted the complexity of weight loss treatments and how difficult it can be to find balance.
Struggling to Regain Weight: Sharon Osbourne’s Ongoing Battle
Despite her desire to regain some of the weight she lost, Osbourne faced a physical challenge in trying to put the pounds back on. She admitted that her body was resistant to her efforts to increase her weight. “I’m too gaunt and I can’t put any weight on,” Osbourne said during a conversation with The Daily Mail. Her concerns about her appearance prompted her husband, Ozzy Osbourne, to voice his worry about her health.
Osbourne expressed her frustration, noting that she had tried various methods to reverse the weight loss but was still struggling to achieve the desired results. “I think I went too far,” she confessed in an interview with Howie Mandel. It became clear that the drastic changes she had made to her body weren’t as beneficial as she had hoped, highlighting the importance of finding a balance between weight loss and overall well-being.
Sharon Osbourne’s Decision: ‘Done’ with Extreme Weight Loss Goals
After years of extreme weight loss attempts and fluctuating body image, Sharon Osbourne has decided to embrace her body and stop chasing after unrealistic goals. “I’ve finally become more accepting of my body, my looks,” she said in a 2024 interview with The Guardian. “I’m through with the weight loss and all that cosmetic stuff.”
At age 72, Osbourne shared that she is done trying to reach extremes, whether through weight loss surgery, strict diets, or weight loss drugs like Ozempic. Instead, she is learning to live a more balanced and sustainable life, focusing on maintaining her health rather than meeting society’s expectations of what she should look like.
“I’m just an ordinary person who got lucky and I didn’t take advantage of that,” Osbourne said on the U.K. talk show Loose Women. “I never want to forget I am blessed and been really lucky in my life.”
Sharon Osbourne’s Weight Loss Journey
Sharon Osbourne’s weight loss journey serves as a reminder of the challenges many face when it comes to body image, self-acceptance, and health. Some of the key takeaways from her journey include:
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Extreme approaches aren’t always the answer – Whether it’s surgery, dieting, or medication, quick fixes can come with side effects and long-term consequences.
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Mental health is as important as physical health – Osbourne’s struggles with food addiction, depression, and body image remind us that health is a holistic issue, requiring attention to both body and mind.
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Balance is key – Sharon Osbourne’s decision to stop chasing extreme weight loss goals is a powerful statement about finding peace with one’s body, accepting imperfections, and embracing a more balanced, healthy lifestyle.