Billie Jean King Says She Has 'Taken a Few Injections' to Quiet the Noise of Her Binge Eating Disorder

Billie Jean King is opening up about using weight loss injections to help "quiet the noise" of her eating disorder.

The tennis legend, 80, appeared on the April 24 episode of Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ podcast Wiser Than Me, where she discussed her decision to try the popular weight loss aid.  

“I'm a binge eater. Every morning I wake up, I tell myself I have an eating disorder. I still go to therapy. I still think about it,” she said on the show. “It's interesting with the new injections, you know, with the Ozempics of the world. It's very interesting because my doctor wants me to try it.”

Ozempic is an FDA-approved prescription medication for people with type 2 diabetes. It's one of the brand names for semaglutide — also known as Wegovy (FDA-approved for chronic obesity) — which works in the brain to impact satiety. Ozempic and Wegovy’s competitors are Mounjaro and Zepbound — brand names for tirzepatide, which works by reducing appetite and improving how the body breaks down sugar and fat.

The four medications — taken by injection in the thigh, stomach or arm — have been trending in Hollywood due to celebrities using it for weight loss when not medically necessary.

King, a longtime advocate for women’s and LGBTQ+ rights, revealed that she's actually “taken a few injections now.” However, she said she doesn’t want to lose weight fast because she thinks it’s unhealthy.

“My therapist asked me, ‘Has it quieted your mind?’ With an eating disorder, I have two voices in my head sometimes that argue,” she explained. “Let's say I want a quart of ice cream. One side will say, ‘Yeah, baby, I'm going to have that ice cream no matter what.’ And the other side says, ‘No, don't do that. It's not healthy. You don't need it.’ So I have this discussion that goes on in my head and sometimes it's very elevated.” 

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“It was such a great question because if [weight loss medication] does quiet the voices – if that's a part of it – now I’m [interested in] it because that would be really great,” she added. “Because that gets exhausting and tiring. And I don't wanna fight over these things.” 

In addition to going to therapy and trying the weight loss injections, King said on the podcast that in the past, she went to The Renfrew Center, an inpatient eating disorder clinic, for help.

“When I was around 50 and I was going through all my sexuality, oh my God, it was a mess. And that I think caused a lot of my eating disorder as well,” she said. “I went to Renfrew in Philadelphia back in ‘95-ish. I went to therapy and I lived there for six weeks. I would go to therapy three times a week.”

Although she still deals with a few health struggles, King said getting older has allowed her to be happier than ever. 

“[Aging] is tough physically, there's no question, and also for your mind. I don't want to get dementia, for instance. I'm scared of that because my parents had it,” she said. “But I'll tell you, what’s really been fantastic, and that is that, emotionally, I am so happy compared to my young days. I've worked at it through therapy, through thinking, through just going through tough times. But I just emotionally am in such a great place now.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with  an eating disorder, please go to NationalEatingDisorders.org.