Updated September 3rd, 2026

‘Boy Meets World’ Actor Ethan Suplee, 50, Says ‘Learn To Love the Process’ After Losing 300 Pounds & Offers Advice On GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs

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Understanding GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs

Actor and podcast host Ethan Suplee, who shed 300 pounds, is sharing his philosophy on sustainable weight management—urging others to trust the process, develop lasting healthy habits, and recognize that GLP-1 medications alone aren’t a complete solution.
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, meaning that it mimics the effects of GLP-1 in the body. Given as weekly subcutaneous injections, it is normally prescribed to manage blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. It also leads to a significant amount of weight loss in these patients.
“Some of the benefits for using GLP-1 agonists can be weight loss, improvement in glycemic control or blood glucose, decreased risk of weight-related conditions such as various cancers, like breast cancer, endometrial cancer, colon cancer, liver disease,” Dr. Holly Lofton, director of the Medical Weight Management Program at NYU Langone, tells SurvivorNet.
If you’re considering taking a weight loss drug, talk with your care team about whether that’s a good option for you. And make sure you consider good diet and exercise practices as a part of your treatment plan.
If you have questions you want answered. Check out SurvivorNet’s proprietary AI tool “My Health Questions”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, “Being overweight or having obesity is linked with a higher risk of getting 13 types of cancer.” Some of these cancers include breast, colon, ovarian, and stomach (gastric).

Actor and podcast host Ethan Suplee, who played the intimidating yet big-hearted tough guy Fankie Stecchino Jr. on the sitcom “Boy Meets World” and Randy Hickey on the comedy series “My Name Is Earl,” is sharing the mindset that helped him lose 300 pounds and urging people to “learn to love the process” while warning that GLP-1 medications alone are not a “one-stop shop” for lasting weight loss.”

In a recent Instagram post, highlighting his strong chest in a few gym selfies, the 50-year-old TV star, who also played Louie Lastik in “Remember the Titans,” wrote, “Learn to love the process. Results have given me little satisfaction. There’s a moment of it, but I can’t carry it with me to tomorrow.”

He continued, “So for years now, I’ve spent time every single day finding ways to appreciate and enjoy the process. Today was hard, it was hot, I got worked. And I loved it.

“I’m gonna sit here a few minutes and enjoy that feeling. Because unlike a result, THIS is available to me again tomorrow.”

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Shortly after offering his weight-loss advice, Suplee, who has also had excess skin removal procedures, shared more thoughts on developing sustainable habits to support long-term health.

Speaking to Fox News Digital, Suplee said, “As a kid, I wanted a magical diet drug so badly. And now we have what is a magical diet drug. I think, unfortunately, it’s also not a one-stop shop.

“I think you can hop on a GLP-1 and experience weight loss. You can see the scale go down week over week for a long time without having to do anything else. I think when people imagine their ideal … I don’t think the GLP-1s get anyone to their ideal.”

Suplee then emphasized that even a modest amount of weight loss can lead to significant health benefits.

“So if you’re just going into it, going like, ‘I just want to be healthier. Let me hop on this GLP-1 agonist and improve my health.’ Bravo to you. You’re going to do that… I’m not criticizing those people,” he explained.

He added, “I think for those people, just hopping on a GLP-1 is not enough. I think it also will require some resistance training to preserve lean tissue… maybe increase protein a bit… I just think [they] aren’t a one-stop shop.”

Suplee also described weight-loss maintenance as more challenging than losing the weight itself, noting that he still experiences the same cravings and food temptations he had before his 300-pound transformation.

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He credits being “honest” with himself and others as a key factor that has made a “huge difference” in helping him maintain his weight loss over the long term.

Suplee said everyone has their own “ecosystem” shaped by their daily habits, mindset, lifestyle, and personal circumstances, all of which can influence their weight-loss journey—like his own has done for him.

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A post shared by Ethan Suplee (@ethansuplee)

Suplee, who turned 50 this year, admitted on his podcast LifeLONG with Ethan Suplee that he’s “enjoying it[this age] quite a bit and is happy to be here.”

Looking back on his younger years, he said he “never pictured myself as an older person.” He recalled weighing more than 500 pounds at just 21 years old, feeling trapped in his body and uncertain about his future. He hopes sharing his story can inspire others facing similar struggles.

In an earlier interview with the New York Post, Suplee said his heaviest weight was 536 pounds, and recounted, “I spent years going to the doctors and telling them their scale couldn’t weigh me. But the scales in doctors’ offices back then went to 350 pounds. So I’d say I was 360, and I just had no idea.”

As for how he balances his life, relationship with food, and weight management, he explained, “If I’m just hyper-focused too much on weight loss, my life suffers, my relationships suffer, my parenting suffers, my ability to work suffers.

“My goal today is how do I fit all this into my life so that it’s complementing all the aspects of my life rather than detracting from them.”

All About GLP-1 Receptor Agonists

GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are a group of medications primarily used to manage type 2 diabetes. They work by mimicking a natural hormone in the body that regulates insulin release and appetite. In recent years, these drugs — like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus) and liraglutide (Victoza, Saxenda) — have also gained popularity for their effectiveness in promoting weight loss.

In recent years, story after story has been published about the surprising effects these drugs can have. In addition to weight loss, there have been reports that the drugs can reduce people’s urge to drink, help them quit smoking, and even resolve certain fertility issues. They’ve been touted in the media as a sort of miracle drug — but much more research is needed before drawing firm conclusions.

Scientists have long known that obesity is linked to higher cancer risk, but whether GLP-1RAs could reduce this risk had not been extensively studied—until now.

These drugs, like semaglutide, work by impacting the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP) GLP-1 hormone.

Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, meaning that it mimics the effects of GLP-1 in the body. Given as weekly subcutaneous injections, it is normally prescribed to manage blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. It also leads to a significant amount of weight loss in these patients.

What to Know About Diet and Exercise if You Have Cancer

Integral to blood sugar control, GLP-1 is a hormone released by the gut in response to food. It causes the pancreas to release insulin. A rising blood insulin level causes all the body tissues to start absorbing glucose (blood sugar) from the bloodstream, thereby lowering blood glucose levels. GLP-1 also prevents the release of glucagon, which is a hormone that raises blood sugar levels by stimulating liver cells to release glucose and helps people feel full for longer. These effects can also cause people to lose weight.

Although semaglutide has been approved for blood sugar control in people with type II diabetes, under the brand name Ozempic, and for weight loss under the brand name Wegovy, it has not been approved for use as an immune booster and cancer preventative. Thus, it should not be prescribed for that purpose. Those taking it to control their diabetes or weight, however, can expect the additional benefit of improving their immunity. as per a recent study, and lowering their cancer risk, as a link between weight and cancer does exist.

There are several drugs currently available for weight loss, not all of which work the same way:

Semaglutide (Novo Nordisk) — a GLP-1 receptor agonist, sold as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus
Tirzepatide — sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound; this is a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist, meaning it acts on two different gut hormone receptors, not just the GLP-1 pathway
Phentermine (Adipex-P, Lomaira) — a prescription appetite suppressant that works through a different mechanism entirely (stimulating the central nervous system)
Contrave (naltrexone/bupropion) — a combination drug that acts on opioid and dopamine/norepinephrine pathways in the brain to reduce appetite and cravings
Bupropion (generic Wellbutrin) — an antidepressant sometimes used off-label or in combination for weight management

Cancer Risk and Obesity

A study published in JAMA adds evidence to a long‑standing concern: obesity can be linked to roughly 10% of all new cancer diagnoses in the United States each year, and for certain cancers, it may account for up to half of all cases.

“One of the biggest takeaways from this paper is that people with classical obesity often need to lose more than 10% of their body weight to meaningfully reduce cancer risk,” Dr. Neil Iyengar, Associate Professor, and Co-director of Breast Medical Oncology, and Director of Cancer Survivorship at Emory Winship Cancer Institute, previously told Survivornet.

“Diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes are essential for maintaining a healthy weight, but reaching that level of weight loss can be incredibly difficult for many. That’s why the discussion also includes tools like GLP‑1 receptor agonists and bariatric surgery, which can help support the kind of significant weight loss associated with lowering cancer risk,” Dr. Iyengar said.

For years, scientists have warned that carrying excess body weight creates a biological environment where cancer can thrive. According to the study’s authors, obesity is associated with a higher incidence of cancers, including:

Endometrial
Esophageal
Gastric
Renal
Colorectal
Liver, gallbladder, and bile duct (hepatobiliary cancers)
Pancreatic
Prostate
Postmenopausal breast
Ovarian
Thyroid
Multiple myeloma

The researchers estimate that overweight and obesity contribute to 10% of new cancer diagnoses annually, and up to 50% of endometrial and hepatobiliary cancers, such as liver, gallbladder, and bile ducts.

Research published in the journal “Cancers” says that “Obesity also increases the risk of dying from cancer and may influence the treatment choices. About 4–8% of all cancers are attributed to obesity.”

WATCH: Obesity and Cancer Risk

To learn more about your ideal healthy weight, determine your body mass index (BMI).

Body weight that exceeds what the body mass index deems appropriate for your weight and height can help determine body fat content. Although your BMI can help you learn if you are at a healthy weight, underweight, overweight, or obese, other factors may contribute to your overall health.

The National Cancer Institute analyzed several studies to observe the impact of physical activity on overall cancer risk. The NCI says that “higher levels of physical activity are linked to lower risk of several types of cancer.”

Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and stress management are some ways people can lead a healthy life. For cancer survivors, a healthier lifestyle alongside getting regular checks for recurrence may improve their quality of life.

“Excess weight is one of the most important causes of cancer, second only to smoking, which it may even overtake in the coming years,” Dr. Graham Colditz, Director, Division of Public Health Sciences at WashU Medicine and Siteman Cancer Center.

“As rates of overweight and obesity continue to rise, we need to invest in effective systemic changes to help prevent weight gain and to help with weight loss. This can include better infrastructure that promotes activity, better access to affordable, healthy foods, and insurance that covers weight and diet counseling,” Dr. Colditz adds.

Tips to Living a Healthier Life

Dr. Ken Miller, the director of outpatient oncology at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center, recommends these four things for cancer survivors to do to try to avoid another cancer diagnosis:

Exercise at least two hours a week; walking counts
Eat a low-fat diet
Eat a colorful diet with lots of fruits and vegetables; doctors recommend two to three cups a day
Maintain a healthy weight