Sarah Huckabee Sanders' Complete Weight-Loss Transformation

The only thing more noticeable than Sarah Huckabee Sanders' MAGA makeover in her side-by-side pics is her weight loss. Previously, drastic weight changes like the Arkansas governor's were due to either one of two things: lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise, or surgical interventions like gastric bypasses. Now, there's a third player in the game — weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro, which leads us to the question, what exactly is behind Sanders' impressive weight-loss transformation?

Since she's said very little about her weight in general, we dove into her photos taken over the last few years. By January 2023, Sanders was still her old self in her Instagram photos, with no allegations of Ozempic use in sight. In fact, it was quite the opposite, as internet trolls camped in her comment section making unkind remarks about her weight. This began to change by March 2023, albeit subtly. Sanders' Instagram posts showed her with a slimmer frame, and this trend would continue and eventually attract public attention.

By 2024, Sarah Huckabee Sanders had hit the peak of her weight-loss journey. But thanks to the speed and the timing, the internet was awash with accusations that she had a case of Ozempic face, despite the risks of the diabetes drug. One X user pointedly said, "Sarah Huckabee Sanders needs to lay off the Ozempic." Other commenters shared similar sentiments. "Plastic surgery and Ozempic changed your appearance, but inside you're the same," another X user wrote. Even when a Reddit user theorized that she'd simply made lifestyle changes, no one agreed. "Like everyone else she used Ozempic," a commenter replied.

The major reason the internet was convinced that Sanders used Ozempic is that the timing seemed just a bit too convenient. Ozempic was first FDA-approved for treating diabetes in 2017, but it didn't become popular for weight loss until 2021. Interestingly, it was partly popularized by Dr. Mehmet Oz, a MAGA fan and Donald Trump ally. This detail, as well as the fact that Sanders' weight-loss journey only began after Ozempic became popular, had people side-eyeing her weight loss. However, there is another key component to the story that many people do not consider: Sanders was treated for thyroid cancer in 2022.

In 2022, Sarah Sanders publicly announced on X that she'd recently undergone surgery to remove her thyroid gland after her doctor discovered she had thyroid cancer. As you probably know already, thyroid gland problems can cause significant weight gain or loss, so it's possible that Sanders' weight issues had to do with her thyroid all along. What many do not know is that the FDA publicly warns that taking Ozempic and similar medications increases the risk for thyroid cancer.

This means that taking Ozempic is an absolute no-no for a person with a history of medullary thyroid cancer — at least, according to the experts. However, since Sanders had papillary thyroid carcinoma, which is a different type of thyroid cancer, it is possible that her doctor deemed it safe for her to be on Ozempic or another GLP-1 medication. It's also possible that the removal of her thyroid gland, mixed with healthy changes, could have contributed to her weight loss.

The fact is that it's impossible to accurately determine what route Sanders chose without information from her or her doctor. What's more important is that we ensure that the conversation around weight loss remains respectful. When Glam spoke exclusively to Dr. Terry Dubrow from "Botched," he pointed out the need to stop shaming people for using Ozempic. Weight loss can be incredibly difficult, and in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really matter if Sarah Huckabee Sanders or anyone else had a little medical help.