Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker revealed Monday that he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes two years ago, a medical scare that led him to insulin and then a GLP-1 medication as part of a major health overhaul.

The 61-year-old Democrat says he has now lost roughly 80 pounds, is no longer taking insulin and feels dramatically better. It is the first time he has publicly disclosed the diagnosis behind the transformation that has fueled months of speculation.

The timing is hard to separate from politics. Pritzker is seeking a third term as governor, has built a national profile as a combative opponent of President Trump and continues to field questions about a possible White House run in 2028.

The governor described the medication as a new tool in a struggle with weight that began when he was a child.

CBS News reports that Pritzker’s doctors had long monitored his blood work because his father died of a heart attack at 39. After the diabetes diagnosis, his physician warned that insulin could become a lifelong requirement and recommended a GLP-1 medication.

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Pritzker said he injects the medication weekly and noticed his appetite change within days. He paired the treatment with dietary changes and a nearly four-mile walk on most mornings along Chicago’s lakefront.

His office says he is now off insulin and his blood-sugar readings have fallen out of the diabetic and prediabetic ranges. Pritzker also said the weight loss has left him feeling “a whole lot different and a whole lot better.”

The disclosure also revives the political history around his weight, including President Trump’s public jabs and the growing belief that Pritzker wants a place in the Democrats’ 2028 field.

Pritzker rejected the suggestion that a presidential makeover drove the decision. He said he has wanted to lose weight throughout his life and credited the availability of GLP-1 medication with making sustained progress possible.

But when CBS pressed him on whether he would run for president in 2028, he did not close the door. Pritzker said he had made no decision about his future and was focused on winning reelection and continuing to serve Illinois.

NBC Chicago adds that Pritzker has used the GLP-1 for more than 18 months and would not identify the specific drug. He said Illinois covers the medications for qualifying state employees because he believes preventing diabetes and other obesity-related disease will save taxpayers money over time.

There is no reason to sneer at anyone for taking a doctor-recommended treatment and improving his health. Pritzker’s record as governor remains fair game, and Illinois voters will judge it soon enough.

Still, the political question is not going away. An 80-pound transformation, a carefully timed public disclosure and an answer that stopped well short of ruling out 2028 will only intensify speculation about what Pritzker is preparing to do next.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.

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