Illinois Governor’s Weight Loss and Coverage for GLP-1 Drugs

Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois announced on Monday that GLP-1 weight-loss medications are covered for 55,000 state employees. In the same interview, he shared that he has personally lost 80 pounds while using the medication.

The Democrat made this announcement during an interview with CBS News, emphasizing that the state-funded coverage could lead to long-term savings by reducing the incidence of diabetes among residents.

Pritzker expressed his intention to leverage his platform as governor to encourage the use of the drug. “I have an opportunity, just with the platform I have as governor, to tell people that this is something that can work for them,” he 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.”

His administration expanded the coverage to include weight loss in July 2024, which resulted in a cost of $147 million for fiscal year 2025, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Initially, Pritzker’s office estimated a cost of $210 million for the first full year, and some economists have predicted that expenses could triple with individual prescriptions exceeding $16,000 annually.

Pritzker had been evasive about his weight loss for about a year prior to this revelation, as noted by NBC Chicago. He mentioned that he administers the drug weekly, walks nearly four miles along Lake Michigan most mornings, and has discontinued his insulin use.

“All of a sudden, on the third day, I was like, you know, actually, I don’t need to eat that thing,” he recounted, explaining the sudden end to his food cravings.

He also reflected on his family history, noting that his father, Donald, died of a heart attack at 39 on a tennis court, and shared that he has struggled with his weight since he was around seven or eight years old.

Pritzker is currently campaigning for a third term and has been mentioned as a potential Democratic contender for the presidency in 2028. When asked if his ambitions for the White House influenced his decision to lose weight, he shifted the focus to his reelection campaign, saying, “I honestly am focused on what’s best for the people of Illinois.”

Notably, during the 2024 presidential campaign, former President Donald Trump remarked that Pritzker “wants to eat all the time.”