Filmmaker Karan Johar once spoke about his dramatic weight loss while dismissing claims that he took the weight-loss drug Ozempic. “People think I’m (I have taken) Ozempic. On the contrary, I’m (I have not) not. I realised that I’m acutely gluten intolerant, acutely lactose intolerant. And I didn’t realise that I was eating roti and not rice. Rice is my friend. Potato is my friend. My thyroid levels were all over the place. They put me on thyroid medication because I didn’t know I had a problem,” he shared with Aadar Jain and Alekha Advani on The Manyavar Shaadi Show in December 2025, which he hosted.

The 54-year-old added, “I used to wonder, I’m dieting, I’m starving, I was doing whatever I could and not losing weight. What I also removed was sugar. I have one piece of chocolate every three days. I was dieting through the day, and then I was eating kheer (pudding) in the night.”

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Explaining what weight loss drugs are, Dr Sujit Nair, consultant, medical gastroenterology, hepatology and endoscopy, KIMS Hospitals, Thane, said GLP-1-based medicines, such as semaglutide, can lead to significant weight loss in the right patients because they help reduce appetite, slow down stomach emptying, and improve blood sugar control.” However, these are prescription medications, not quick fixes for cosmetic weight loss. They should be considered only after evaluating a person’s BMI, metabolic health, medical history, and whether they qualify for treatment. Losing weight quickly without medical supervision can also have risks, such as losing muscle mass and developing nutritional deficiencies,” said Dr Nair.

Taking a cue from Johar’s confession that cutting out added sugar helped him, we asked Dr Nair all about it.

Here’s what you should consider

Dr Nair noted that cutting down sugar can help with weight loss, but it’s not usually the only factor. “Foods and drinks high in added sugar can add a lot of calories without making us feel full for long. When we cut back on these, our overall calorie intake often decreases, which can lead to weight loss over time. However, how much weight someone loses can vary based on their overall diet, physical activity, sleep, metabolism, and any underlying health issues,” said Dr Nair.

Dr Nair clarified that eating too much added sugar, especially from sweetened drinks and processed foods, can lead to consuming extra calories and more fat buildup in the liver. “Over time, this can worsen insulin resistance and increase the risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), also known as fatty liver. The liver is especially sensitive to long-term dietary excess, so cutting down on added sugar is a wise choice for both metabolic and liver health,” said Dr Nair.

 

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The key takeaway is not to imitate a celebrity’s diet or think that one change will yield the same results. “A sustainable approach is usually less dramatic: cut back on added sugar and ultra-processed foods, eat enough protein and fibre, stay active, and manage conditions like diabetes, thyroid issues, or fatty liver if they exist. Weight loss should ultimately focus on improving metabolic health, not just hitting a lower number on the scale,” said Dr Nair.

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