ROB LOWE’S GOOD looks and lean, fit physique are such a central part of his public image that they have even influenced the roles he has taken throughout his career: the perky, health-obsessed character of Chris Traeger in Parks & Recreation was undoubtedly based at least in part on his real-life persona. And as he prepares to turn 60 next month, the actor intends to stay in the best shape possible.
However, unlike some of his peers in Hollywood, Lowe won’t be turning to fad diets or trendy injections to lose weight.
“I never ever talk about diets, I talk about lifestyle,” Lowe recently told People. “I see people who are taking all the new weight loss drugs and that’s great, and it’s really changed their lives. But my concern always is, okay, now what? What’s the plan for the longevity of everything?”
Lowe, a spokesperson for Atkins, added that instead his focus will be on watching his sugar consumption and “be even more disciplined” in what he eats as he gets older, without cutting treats out of his diet entirely as that’s not “sustainable” in the long run. “I am blessed that I really enjoy physical exertion and adventure,” he added. “So if I’m not on a set, I build my entire day around what activity I’m going to do. It might be a paddle in the ocean, a hike, running sprints on the track, pickleball, tennis. I’m pretty much up for anything.”
Ozempic and Wagovy, two of the brand names for semaglutide, surged in popularity last year as a weight loss aid: originally devised and marketed as way to improve blood sugar management in Type 2 diabetics, the drug is being increasingly used to reduce appetite.
TV host and former reality star Kelly Osbourne recently made headlines after calling Ozempic “amazing” and defending her choice to use the controversial drug to lose weight. “There are a million ways to lose weight, why not do it through something that isn’t as boring as working out?” She said. “People hate on it because they want to do it and the people who hate on it the most are the people who are secretly doing it or pissed off that they can’t afford it.”
Semaglutide has seemingly proliferated so quickly and widely that any public figure who has visibly lost weight ends up the subject of speculation of Ozempic use; last month, rapper 50 Cent was forced to deny rumors he’s been taking it, clarifying that his slimmer physique is the result of lots of cardio.
Lowe and 50 Cent are not the only stars advocating for a more balanced, sustainable, non-medicated approach to weight loss.
“To each his own, but I do encourage people to eat right and exercise,” Mark Wahlberg told Page Six last year. “It’s much more [of] a lifestyle change. You’d be surprised what you can accomplish when you’re willing to do the work… I’ve seen lots of people accomplish amazing things, ordinary people doing extraordinary things on a fitness base, and they’re now encouraging other people that look like them.”
Philip Ellis is News Editor at Men’s Health, covering fitness, pop culture, sex and relationships, and LGBTQ+ issues. His work has appeared in GQ, Teen Vogue, Man Repeller and MTV, and he is the author of Love & Other Scams.
