Health
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker Says He’s Lost 80 Pounds on ‘Life-Changing’ GLP-1 Medication
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker speaks at a Texas Democratic Party press conference ahead of the Republican midterm convention on Sept. 9, 2026, in Dallas. (Gabriela Passos / AP via CNN Newsource)
(CNN) — 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.”
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