Fat Joe has enjoyed a long career, spending many years seeming to happily live up to his rap name. At one point hitting an all-time high of 470 lbs, the “Lean Back” rapper has shed 200 lbs in recent years, and is very happy to talk about it.
Speaking to US Weekly, the 54-year-old revealed that he has been relying on reducing his carb intake, and has also gotten some help from the popular drug Ozempic to cut down the pounds. Managing his weight had become vitally important to his health, as he has suffered from diabetes for years.
“We just try to eat everything with the least carbs as possible…so we try to stay away from the bread, the pasta, the rice. That’s the smartest way to eat,” says the rapper, whose given name is Joseph Cartagena.
Joe says he was inspired to begin trying to lose weight after the death of his friend and musical collaborator, Big Pun. Pun was an important presence in the rap industry, bringing deft lyricism and delivery to his albums before passing away from a heart attack at just 28 years old in the year 2000.
Both Joe and Pun were known for their size, and this scared Joe into considering he might share the same fate as his friend, prompting him to try and live a healthier life. As with most things, however, journeys of self-improvement can be quite difficult, but Joe has finally reached his goal and doesn’t plan to lose any more weight at this time.
Ozempic has become a hot-button issue in recent years, and is used in conjunction with a healthy diet and proper exercise routine to control weight, but was developed to treat type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, which carries serious complications, occurs when the body’s production of insulin becomes interrupted, and the pancreas produces less of it.
Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes, and is largely considered to be caused by genetic as well as lifestyle factors, and can be a very impactful health problem if not properly treated. Luckily, with adequate lifestyle changes, it is possible for type 2 diabetes to go into remission.
Where things have gotten sticky is that increasing numbers of people, including celebrities, are getting off-label prescriptions for the drug to aid them with weight loss, despite not having a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. This has led to a shortage of the drug for people in Fat Joe’s position, who are dealing with a serious chronic illness that can lead to potentially life-threatening complications in the long term.
This is part of the reason why many celebrities seem to have become shy about admitting their Ozempic use, as not only is it not always necessary, but it can be needlessly impactful on people who do require the medicine to live healthy lives.
Despite the overall health improvement and dropping weight, Fat Joe says he doesn’t intend to change his stage name, primarily for his wife. “My wife would kill me. She likes me being a big boy.”