With the rise in popularity of GLP-1s like Ozempic and Mounjaro, scientists are still studying how these drugs affect other parts of life beyond weight, food noise, diabetes and pre-diabetes. One of the beneficial side effects is that GLP-1 medications tend to quiet ALL addictions and impulses, not just around food – reportedly, the medications help people drink less, smoke fewer cigarettes (if not quit completely) and quiet other addictions and addictive disorders. The Cut just had a piece about this, but it was presented as a weird side effect – a “life in beige,” where everything feels “just fine” but people aren’t experiencing highs or lows. Some people are also reporting a decreased sex drive too.
Well, here’s something I didn’t know – apparently, some people experience vision loss on GLP-1s. This has apparently happened to British singer Robbie Williams, who says he was an early adopter of Mounjaro and now he’s lost his sight in one eye and the vision in his other eye is deteriorating quickly.
Superstar Robbie Williams fears he may be going blind from taking fat jabs. The singer, 51, says his vision is blurry and “getting worse”. The painfully honest star believes the Mounjaro he takes for weight loss could be to blame, admitting he struggles to see fans when serenading them with She’s The One at live shows.
He said: “I want to warn people reading this of the potential risks, to make sure they do their research.”
His comments come after a study revealed a link between Semaglutide, the active ingredient in some fat jabs, and an eye condition which causes blindness.
Robbie, 51, says: “I was quite an early adopter of the jabs but what I’m also noticing is that my eyesight’s not very good. It’s been blurry for a while now, and it’s only getting worse. I don’t believe it’s age; I believe it’s the jabs. I went to an American football game the other night and the players were just blobs on a green field in front of me. And I was like, ‘What the f*** is happening?’ And on my most recent tour, there’s this thing I do where I sing She’s The One to a girl every night. Basically, I was looking in the direction of these women looking up at me, having this experience that’s quite obviously incredible to them, and little do they know I can’t see them.”
“I’ve been to the optician about it but didn’t mention the Mounjaro as I hadn’t made the connection then. My prescription’s changed, and I had to buy a whole new load of glasses. Everybody’s experiencing it, because I’ll say to people, ‘Blurry, right?’. And they go, ‘Oh s**t, that the thing?’. Of course it’s worrying and by being honest today, obviously I want to warn people reading this of the potential risks, to make sure they do their research. But seriously, I’m that sick I’d probably stay on it until the sight in one eye has completely gone.”
The anecdotal evidence is that GLP-1s have enormous benefits. They diminish addictive behaviors across the board, help people lose weight, cause remission for certain diabetics, end people’s food noise, decrease stroke risks and help with joint pain. But here are the worst side effects: possible blindness, diarrhea, nausea, low to zero sex drive and an unshakeable ennui about life in general. Yikes. I’m not a hater or a lover of these medications, but I do wonder if they’re being too widely prescribed and that might be a factor here. Would you choose to go to blind if it meant you could fit in a size 6?
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Robbie Williams performs at Co-Op Live, Manchester, England, 10th June 2025. Editorial use only, no usage after 10th June 2026.,Image: 1009364079, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Editorial use only, no usage after 10th June 2026., *** DISCOUNT – UK NEWSPAPERS ONLY – £30 PER IMAGE ON LIVE MUSIC COVERAGE – INSIDE PRINT USE ANY SIZE – NOVEMBER 2025 ONLY ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Mike Gray/Avalon
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- Robbie Williams performs at Co-Op Live, Manchester, England, 10th June 2025. Editorial use only, no usage after 10th June 2026.,Image: 1009364257, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Editorial use only, no usage after 10th June 2026., *** DISCOUNT – UK NEWSPAPERS ONLY – £30 PER IMAGE ON LIVE MUSIC COVERAGE – INSIDE PRINT USE ANY SIZE – NOVEMBER 2025 ONLY ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Mike Gray/Avalon
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- Robbie Williams and Laura Pausini arriving during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Final match between Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium. on July 13, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.,Image: 1022391161, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Horacio Zamora Rios/ Alto Press/Avalon
Everything comes at a cost, particularly with health. If the lesser risk is the side effects vs what will happen to your health without it then I can understand making that choice but given the number of people using these drugs for sheer vanity when they are not medically necessary well you FAFO.
Yes, I think the main takeaway here is that these drugs still have too many side effects and unknowns for vanity weight loss. Using them to alleviate an actual diagnosed medical condition is a different situation, obviously.
I didn’t read anything here that says the weight-loss drug caused his eye problems. I read that he thinks it was that but he hasn’t mentioned it to either his doctor who prescribes the drug or his optometrist. He doesn’t think it was age. Maybe he doesn’t want to believe it’s age? ‘Do your own research’. Sure.
I was diagnosed with type2 diabetes four months ago and have been on a gpl-1 since then. My side effect is continual nausea, sort of like when I was pregnant years ago lol. If he is only taking the shots for weight loss why doesn’t he just stop? Nothing is worth going blind for. This guy is an idiot.
Oh my God it’s the nausea and occasional vomiting, diarrhea for me. I am really being forced to change the foods I eat because the med will kick your ass if you don’t.
Hang in there, I have been on GLP-1 for about 18 months now and while my initial side effects were mild they have pretty much vanished. I had a BMI of 35 and was heading quickly into type 2 diabetes (very common in my family) and knee replacement. So far I have lost about 75 lbs (about 50 with the GLP-1) and now have a BMI of 27. It is amazing to know what “normal” people take for granted and not have food noise. My mom died at 68 because of her not taking care of her type 2 diabetes, so great motivator for me to prioritize health – I don’t take it for granted and have done this slowly under the close care of my endocrinologist.
Just adding my voice to yours…hang in there. A number of years ago we had a tragedy in our family and a beloved grandchild died. I dealt with it badly, became almost a recluse, and my weight soared. (I would also add, only take these drugs under a doctor’s supervision.) I’ve been on Mounjaro over two years, and reached my goal weight several months ago. I’ve lost 125 pounds and now weigh 120 with a BMI of 21.9. It has changed my life completely. I am no longer in danger of developing diabetes, I have been able to put off knee surgery, and I look and feel so much better! Looking and feeling good has helped me deal with my grief and so has my improved energy level. My self confidence is back, and my children and husband are so happy for me. I’m on maintenance now, all under the supervision of my doctor. I do occasionally have a flare-up of nausea or diarrhea, and that trade off is worth it to me. My life is certainly not a life in beige, but it definitely was before Mounjaro. I’m in such a good place, and just deciding what to wear every day is so much fun! Loving life!
I will also add my voice to the positive aspects of GLP-1. I have a family history of diabetes, and my mother is currently on Zepbound for hers. It has allowed her endocrinologist to take her off of Jardiance, which was causing some HORRIBLE gastrointestinal side effects.
I am “micro-dosing” the same medication at my own GP’s recommendation, as I was beginning to show many of the same signs as my mom prior to her own diagnosis. Luckily, it was caught very early, and my “elevated” A1C levels are now back within range, and my own perimenopausal weight gain has begun to correct itself. And this is when I eat a vegetarian diet, exercise at least 4 days a week, meditate, and try to take care of myself. Responsible usage is key, and luckily I’ve not experienced any major side effects. The journey I’ve had on my GLP-1 is MUCH easier than after I had my gallbladder out. LAWDY. That was miserable.
Did you ever consider bariatric surgery?
Robbie needs to get himself to an eye doctor – like an ophthalmologist or retinal specialist – someone who will examine his eyes thoroughly, who will review ALL the medications he’s taking, his medical history, his family’s medical history.
There could be something going on with his eyes that is putting his vision at risk, but it a) could be something that’s treatable and b) could be something that indicates an issue with his overall health because some problems (with cardiovascular heath, circulation, blood sugar, blood pressure, lipids) show up as micro-changes in the eyes very early on.
Yeah, some GLP-1 meds do have the risk of rare vision impairing side effects.
Opticians are great for planning, choosing, crafting and fitting corrective lenses not for examining your overall eye health
I agree with everything you said. Also, my eye doc always asks what prescriptions and supplements I am taking so it’s strange that Robbie wouldn’t have informed his doc that he was on a glp1.
These drugs have been a game changer for people struggling with obesity, metabolic dysfunction, hormone issues, inflammation, addiction, diabetes, high BP and cholesterol, and so much more.
Yep. He should see an actual doctor to see what’s going on with his eyes & not make assumptions.
While it’s absolutely possible that his off-label use of Monjauro for weight loss (before Zepbound was approved for that purpose) may have contributed to this issue, I doubt it’s the only reason in Robbie Williams’s case.
Robbie, whom I actually like a lot, did wreck his body for a very long time with alcohol and drugs and was (is?) a chain smoker from a very young age, which in and of itself causes early eye degeneration and blindness in many people.
Those things, alone (or in combination with a drug that can cause vision issues in a very small number of people), could cause the issues he’s dealing with without being something that most people on GLP-1s need to worry about, especially if the brand name or high quality compounded drug is prescribed and monitored appropriately by a medical doctor as part of an ongoing treatment plan.
Also, the fact he described himself as an early adopter of the drug, and uses the brand name of the original diabetes drug (not the later approved weight loss formulation) is a reminder that the disage and frequency of these original diabetes drugs that boutique doctors were prescribing to rich celebrities in the early days were all over the place, not the the tested and calibrated versions that were later approved (if they were the just brand name version at all and not some boutique doctor’s compounded formulation or part of a bespoke cocktail of weight loss solutions). If that wasn’t weighed against his history with drink, drugs, and smoking before prescribing, then this outcome was much more likely for williams, without necessarily being more likely for the average person.
My friend who has been overweight and at risk for type 2 her whole life is on mounjaro. She is a huge advocate for it even for people who are closer to a normal weight.
After a decade of ongoing stress and trauma I found that I was overeating and thinking about my body all the time as a coping mechanism. I did noom med for micro dosing glp-1 and it’s been fabulous. My digestion is actually better (I used to be severely bloated after every single meal which is both painful and difficult to plan clothing around), I’ve lost 15 lbs quite rapidly, but the greatest benefit to me is I’m not obsessing about food/weight/appearance. I had an ED 25 years ago so this is an amazing outcome. I don’t plan to be on it longer than 3 months followed by a slow taper. Some research shows it is great for mast cell activation too.
I don’t take any other prescriptions so this is a big deal but I’m very happy with it and glad that this is an option right now
I just started Zepbound last week. Within the first 24 hours, the “food noise” went away and I wasn’t majorly craving sugar. I have no desire to snack. I also feel fuller faster, so I’m not overeating at meals. I don’t know if it’s perimenopause or the effect of getting sober and replacing alcohol with food, but I started overeating last year for the first time in my life and gained weight rapidly. I was starting to experience other health problems that probably resulted from obesity. I just wanted to feel better and stop obsessing over food. I feel like Zepbound is helping me so far and I feel relief. My eyesight was already shite before, but I’ll keep you guys posted on If it gets worse.
Or his eyesight could just be getting bad with age. He’s 51. Also – if his sight is this bad why hasn’t he gone to an eye doctor? They will be able to tell him what’s going on, whether it’s genetics, age, or medication use.
This… and also he wasn’t overweight, just carrying a little extra which many people do from middle age onwards. This was not a health concern but a vanity prescription. Too many people are taking these drugs that do not need them.
As I understand it, in our 50s it is the middle of our field of view that begins to blur. It has to do with the lens hardening iirc. Faces right in front of us, things in the center of our vision blur and we can “see” more clearly things that are to the side or we’re not focusing on.
Chryst… can’t he just hit the gym? I do…. And I’m old
As someone who works in clinical drug development, I’m horrified by how overused these drugs are and how gyms/weight loss programs/online pharmacies are compounding these drugs to sell to anyone regardless of whether they should be using them. I see lots of ads for GLP (and GLP-GIP combo) products that don’t exist across SM platforms and I report them we know that Meta just loves the money they make from known fraudulent ads (and neither the FTC nor FDA will do anything about them) and these products not only put the people who use them at risk but when those people do have adverse events using them, they will report them as related to semaglutide or tirzepatide
The risk:benefit to using them for people who are obese, morbidly obese and/or diabetic is solidly in the benefit range. If I recall correctly, the data related to AEs like Williams come from people with diabetes and/or other co-morbidities that also have an increased risk for ophthalmic issues that impair vision. In clinical trials, the increased risk compared to other drugs to treat diabetes is modest (in pharmacovigilance databases, the risk looks significantly higher but as those are spontaneous reports there may significant confounding that artificially inflates the actual incidence). This is why we do long-term follow up safety studies for any drug used to treat a chronic condition
I’m on ozempic since April for type 2 diabetes, which is what it’s supposed to be prescribed for. I’ve had minimal side effects and obviously my experience is anecdotal so I wouldn’t presume to speak for anyone else. But if you’re getting this medicine for reasons other than what it’s prescribed for, it can’t be surprising that side effects will occur. Then again, Robbie is no stranger to any conspiracy theories 🙄
Also, re the eyesight. I have to go to the hse (Irish health services) diabetes centre twice yearly for retina scans because of the eye issues that come with diabetes T2.