Expert Weighs In On Gayle King's Facial Changes & Ozempic Speculation

One of the celebrities who looks nearly unrecognizable after using weight loss drugs is Oprah Winfrey. Winfrey has been open about her weight loss journey over the years, and in 2023, she revealed that she'd been using a drug to help her keep the pounds off. Her longtime best friend, Gayle King, may have joined Winfrey in a transformation aided by pharmaceuticals. Both King and Winfrey have been in Weight Watchers, but King hasn't said if she has used drugs like Ozempic. She's clearly done something, considering the changes in her look over the years, so we asked Dr. Michael Omidi, Beverly Hills Double Board-Certified Facial and Body Plastic Surgeon, what he thought of King's transformation and the rumors that she used Ozempic to help her along the way. 

Whatever she has done has taken work and dedication. "Gayle King has lost a significant amount of weight," Omidi said. "Losing weight and keeping it off can be very difficult and usually a lifelong battle. With food, the correct type and the right amount must enter the body, and with every meal the temptation is reset."

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Whether or not it was because of using a drug like Ozempic, the result of weight loss in the face is the same. And Omidi confirmed that you can see some of that in King. "Reducing caloric intake too quickly without sufficient nutrients and protein can lead the body to burn protein (muscle)," Omidi explained. "The face can become sunken and hollowed — we lose buccal fat in the cheeks, the eyes and temples can appear hollow, and facial bones become more prominent because of the loss of surrounding soft tissue." This has become known as "Ozempic face."

Dr. Michael Omidi noted that we don't know if it was Ozempic that led to the changes in Gayle King's weight, but that there are some potential pitfalls in using Ozempic-like drugs. "One issue with GLP-1 drugs is that they work so well that people sometimes forget to eat," he explained.

So for those who are losing weight, Omidi had some advice to help keep the face from hollowing out into that gaunt "Ozempic face." "Much of this can improve if caught early by increasing protein, nutrients, supplements, and maintaining a balanced diet," Omidi said. He also shared some guidelines for healthy weight loss. "Generally, weight loss should not exceed 1–2 pounds per week," he noted.

King has talked about having ups and downs when it comes to her weight. In 2004, she spoke about losing 20 pounds in three months working with a personal trainer. In 2020, she shared a photo on Instagram of her at what she said was her heaviest, and that may have been her inspiration to start working for a slimmer figure again. And for those who didn't know, King was a "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit model in 2024. She was told not to change anything about herself or to try to lose weight. King took the advice to heart, and she said she ate a cheeseburger before the shoot.