Shaquille O’Neal Says Sleep Apnea Drove Zepbound Use at 54, Fronts Eli Lilly Campaign
Updated
Updated · thelooker.thedailybeast.com · Jun 10
Shaquille O’Neal Says Sleep Apnea Drove Zepbound Use at 54, Fronts Eli Lilly Campaign
3 articles · Updated · thelooker.thedailybeast.com · Jun 10
Summary
Shaquille O’Neal said Wednesday he began taking Eli Lilly’s Zepbound after obstructive sleep apnea worsened, leaving him fatigued and unable to focus—not simply to lose weight.
A Harvard Medical School sleep study diagnosed the 54-year-old former NBA star with OSA after his 2011 retirement, but he said he initially ignored doctors because he felt “superhuman.”
Zepbound later eased his symptoms and also helped him lose weight, alongside diet changes and more exercise including bike and elliptical workouts.
O’Neal said that progress led him to join a Zepbound awareness campaign, using his story to urge others—especially men with snoring or daytime exhaustion—to seek treatment.
The endorsement adds him to a growing list of elite athletes promoting GLP-1 drugs; Serena Williams backed another brand in August.