Side-By-Side Pics Highlight Kathy Bates' Wild 'Ozempic Face' Transformation

"Ozempic face" is everywhere, and as various GLP-1 medicines continue to dominate Hollywood, the internet is going wild over jarring side-by-side photos of celebrity transformations. Among them is Kathy Bates, who has lost around 100 pounds over the course of several years. And while her inspiring weight loss transformation was far from an overnight occurrence and unfolded gradually, people are shocked at just how dramatically her appearance has changed. Many fans attribute the shift in her appearance to "Ozempic face."

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A drastically slimmer jawline, hollowed cheeks, more defined features, and sharper lines have taken the place of the soft, rounded features and fuller face that Bates once had. However, it's also worth noting that the photos are from 2016 and 2025, nearly a decade apart. Bates has also naturally aged in that time, which could have influenced changes in facial features and structure.

As observers, it's easy to just focus on the visible differences and draw conclusions from side-by-side images alone. But for someone like Bates, who has struggled with her health and weight for most of her adult life, comparison photos and being coined as having an "Ozempic face" only capture a small part of a larger story. In an interview with People in late 2024, the "Matlock" star hoped people wouldn't reduce her weight loss to being easy and just due to Ozempic. She wanted to be clear that she put forth "hard work" to make changes to better herself.

Kathy Bates is often one of the celebrities named as having fallen victim to "Ozempic face," a simplified label that has been used to describe major facial changes that often accompany significant weight loss. While Bates has been candid about the use of Ozempic to lose the last 20 pounds of her 100-pound weight loss, her journey wasn't just about looking different. It was deeply centered on improving her health and longevity.

The actor shared that, despite diabetes running in her family, she used food as a way to hide. "I ate because I was afraid, and I ate because it was a FU to my self-esteem," she told People. After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes herself in 2017, she knew couldn't continue living the way she was doing so. The "Misery" actor implemented lifestyle changes, listened to her body, and prioritized staying active, which is crucial for someone in their 60s and beyond to be healthy.

Today, her weight loss has completely transformed her inside and out. While it feels great for her to wear stunning dresses she never imagined wearing, Bates is simply happy that she can "stand up all day long and walk and move and breathe and do so many things that [she] couldn't before." Bates can continue to work and do what she loves most, acting, in a body that feels stronger and healthier.