{"id":492584,"date":"2026-06-10T14:31:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T14:31:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/492584\/"},"modified":"2026-06-10T14:31:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T14:31:09","slug":"shaquille-oneal-shares-how-zepbound-helped-with-sleep-apnea-and-weight-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/492584\/","title":{"rendered":"Shaquille O\u2019Neal Shares How Zepbound Helped with Sleep Apnea and Weight Loss"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ShaquilleShare on Pinterest<\/a>NEW YORK, NEW YORK \u2013 MAY 12: Shaquille O\u2019Neal attends the 2026 Disney Upfront at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on May 12, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by John Nacion\/FilmMagic)Shaquille O\u2019Neal is taking Zepbound to help manage his weight and reduce obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) symptoms.Zepbound is FDA approved for moderate to severe OSA in adults living with obesity.Excess weight, especially around the neck, can worsen OSA symptoms by narrowing the airway and increasing the risk of collapse during sleep.<\/p>\n

In 2011, the NBA legend was diagnosed with moderate obstructive sleep apnea after taking part in an overnight sleep study<\/a> conducted at Harvard Medical School.<\/p>\n

\u201c[The doctors] told me the what and whatnots to do and talked about certain things, but I ignored it\u2026because I thought I was superhuman,\u201d he told Healthline.<\/p>\n

OSA is often an obesity-related disease<\/a> in which the airway in the throat repeatedly collapses or becomes blocked while sleeping, said Karl Nadolsky<\/a>, DO, director of the diabetes & endocrinology clinic at The Gym and an assistant clinical professor of medicine at Michigan State University.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis causes you to briefly stop breathing multiple times per hour, leading to drops in oxygen, disrupted sleep, loud snoring, and daytime tiredness,\u201d Nadolsky told Healthline. \u201cOver time, untreated OSA can increase the risk of high blood pressure<\/a>, heart disease, and other serious health problems.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, he said he didn\u2019t use it effectively, so he stopped and his snoring continued to get worse.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy snoring got so bad that my friends started making\u2026funny videos out of them. And then I was always tired during the daytime,\u201d said O\u2019Neal.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Neal said moments like that helped him realize the importance of taking his health more seriously.<\/p>\n

\u201c[I] got with my doctor, and my doctor\u2019s like, \u2018Uh, you know what? You should think about Zepbound.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

After discussing treatment options with his doctor, O\u2019Neal decided to try Zepbound, a GLP-1<\/a> drug that is currently the only prescription medication that is FDA approved for moderate to severe OSA in adults with obesity.<\/p>\n

Since he began taking the medication, O\u2019Neal said he\u2019s experienced improvements in his OSA symptoms, including fewer breathing interruptions during sleep.<\/p>\n

Now he\u2019s sharing his experience and using his platform to help raise awareness about the treatment option for others who are living with OSA, especially men who may be putting off seeking treatment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe problem with men? We think we\u2019re superhuman, especially athletic men. Because, you know, when you play, you never get sick, and you never catch the flu, you just think you\u2019re [invincible],\u201d said O\u2019Neal.<\/p>\n

Zepbound may help with moderate to severe OSA by addressing obesity, which plays a significant role in OSA, said Alex Dimitriu<\/a>, MD, founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcess weight, especially around the neck, can narrow the airway and increase the risk of collapse during sleep,\u201d he told Healthline. \u201cClinical evidence suggests that weight loss is highly effective in reducing disease severity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Losing 10% to 15% of body weight can reduce OSA severity by as much as 50% in people with moderate obesity, Dimitriu said.<\/p>\n

For people seeking ways to treat sleep apnea symptoms, O\u2019Neal encourages people to talk with a healthcare professional.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re experiencing snoring<\/a>, daytime tiredness, fatigue, get with your doctor and let him prescribe what\u2019s best for you,\u201d O\u2019Neal said.<\/p>\n

Dimitriu agreed, noting that several treatment options are available and that a doctor can help determine which is most appropriate.<\/p>\n

\u201cCPAP remains the gold standard for treating OSA because it effectively uses pressurized room air to keep the airway open,\u201d said Dimitriu.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven while taking Zepbound, many patients with OSA may still require CPAP to manage their symptoms effectively, especially while the weight loss is in progress or if they have anatomical factors like a small jaw (and crowded teeth to prove it) that contribute to the obstruction,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

However, he also noted that many people like O\u2019Neal have a hard time using CPAP, with roughly 30% to 60%<\/a> of people using it consistently.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s exciting to see new pharmacologic options like GLP-1 agents being utilized for OSA, as CPAP adherence has historically been poor,\u201d Dimitriu said. \u201cThere\u2019s also a sleep apnea pill in the pipeline, but weight loss helps overall health in general, in addition to sleep, so it\u2019s a win.\u201d<\/p>\n

When O\u2019Neal learned that a reduced-calorie<\/a> diet and exercise plan could maximize Zepbound\u2019s effectiveness, he prioritized making lifestyle changes.<\/p>\n

He now focuses on eating a lot of protein<\/a>, including chicken, fish, and steak, to help manage his weight and overall health.<\/p>\n

\u201cI used to eat four or five McDonald\u2019s [items] a day; not anymore,\u201d said O\u2019Neal. \u201cI have to eat a high-calorie-reduced diet, and work out more, and I just can\u2019t do things that [I] used to do. Like, my favorite thing was club sandwiches. I like bread<\/a>. But [bread] can get me in trouble now. I\u2019m trying to eat really healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n

He has also adjusted his exercise routine, which includes regularly using an elliptical machine<\/a> and, more recently, a bike.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just bought a bike, so I\u2019m doing a lot of biking<\/a> now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He also noted that guidance from a healthcare professional is important while getting treated for OSA and obesity, as well as after stopping medication like Zepbound.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaintenance is very important as obesity is a chronically progressive and recurring disease that fights to protect itself, and most people regain a substantial amount of weight if they stop therapy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese therapies may be indefinite, but we are learning more ways to reduce the dose or use other medications, if and as needed, to help with that weight loss maintenance.\u201d<\/p>\n

For O\u2019Neal, improving his health is about more than managing sleep apnea symptoms or losing weight. He said he and his family hope the changes he\u2019s making today will help him live a longer, healthier life, so he can share many more moments with them.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of my sons said, \u2018I can\u2019t wait until my babies call you Grandpa.’\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Share on PinterestNEW YORK, NEW YORK \u2013 MAY 12: Shaquille O\u2019Neal attends the 2026 Disney Upfront at Jacob…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":492585,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[103,61,60,48868,20656,2114,19966],"class_list":["post-492584","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-shaquille-oneal","tag-sleep-apnea","tag-weight-loss","tag-zepbound"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/492584","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=492584"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/492584\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/492585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=492584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=492584"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=492584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}