Mindy Kaling has spoken openly about her significant weight loss, which has been a topic of discussion for years. Fans have often speculated that the actor and producer has used Ozempic, a diabetes medication that has gained popularity among celebrities and influencers due to its weight loss effects.
In a recent interview with Bustle, the 46-year-old shared that she began her weight loss journey when she realized she needed to “live at least 20 more years” for her three children: Katherine, aged eight, Spencer, aged five, and Anne, aged two.
“I don’t wake up every day feeling like I look amazing and am so gorgeous. No, unsurprisingly, but I truly feel so healthy,” she said. “When I was younger, I wanted to lose weight because of vanity reasons. Now I want to lose weight or have lost weight because I want to stave off things like diabetes.”
Kaling added that she had the condition on both sides of her family and that avoiding such health issues would help her longevity. “That’s my goal,” she said.
The former star of The Office also acknowledged the criticism she has faced for losing weight in recent years. “It’s sometimes no fun when one of your favorite actors loses weight. You have an idea of what they were like when you grew attached to them, and it made them endear themselves to you,” she explained. “Of course, it’s never a joy to be scrutinized, but also I truly understand it, as someone who consumes pop culture.”
Despite this, Kaling emphasized that she has “very specific rules” for what she shares publicly, including setting boundaries around conversations regarding her body and family. She has kept her children out of the spotlight and has never revealed the identity of their father.
During a 2023 interview with Allure, Kaling was asked what she would say to fans who “feel like they’ve lost an ally” during her fitness journey.
“It’s not super exciting for me to talk about my body and how it’s analyzed. So I think I’m just not going to get into it because it takes over the conversation unfortunately and people take it so personally,” she responded.
The Mindy Project star has previously discussed her motivation for losing weight. “I grew up without parents who worked out. They were trying to establish themselves in this country and they did not put a premium on their own health and working out,” she told E! News in 2022. “So, I think it’s been great to show my kids that part of my life.”
Regarding her diet and exercise routine, she told Prevention in 2024 that she aimed for 15 to 20 miles of walking a week and consumed lots of leafy green vegetables while eating only a small amount of red meat.
“I really try to implement [my eating plan], not when I have all the time in the world, but especially when I feel stressed out, because that’s when I feel like I make a lot of my big health mistakes,” she said.
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