Dog the Bounty Hunter’s Daughter Bonnie Chapman, 25, Lost Nearly 60 Pounds On Tirzepatide— The New Data On Long-Term Benefits of Blockbuster Weight Loss Drugs

Chapman took to Instagram this month to reveal her health news, saying in a video clip, “Tirzepatide is a semaglutide and a lot of people are going to semaglutide’s because the work. The thing is – I have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and it has made losing weight impossible my entire life.

“I probably have not weighed this much since I was prepubescent. I am really proud of how I got hear. Tirzepatide also taught me how to make healthy weight decisions and healthy goals about what food I’m putting into my body.”

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A post shared by Bonnie Chapman (@bonniejoc)

After explaining how she didn’t feel so “great” after eating a lot of sugary treats, she added, “If I want to feel great all the time, I should be putting things into my body that I would be proud to say that I ate.

She praised her healthier eating habits and the anti-obesity drug for helping her “stay full longer.”

Bonnie continued, “Here I am, 10 months later. I am so in love with the results. I am able to look at myself in the mirror and feel so proud of where I’ve gotten.

“I am at my goal weight. I don’t know if I’d want to be any skinnier. If anything, I’d want to tone my new body and I want to make sure that if I do have any fat that’s residual, that I am able to get it off, but I wouldn’t be at this point without Tirzepatide and [the wellness company she is working with].”

Another recent video shared on both Bonnie’s Instagram and TikTok accounts shows the internet personality to be confidently revealing her weight loss while promoting a bodysuit that looks incredible on her.

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A post shared by Bonnie Chapman (@bonniejoc)

The Long-Term Benefits of Tirzepatide (Zepbound)

According to follow-up data of a randomized trial, presented at the ObesityWeek annual meeting, overweight or obese patients who lose an average of one-fifth of their body weight with tirzepatide (the highest dose) were able to keep the pounds off for more than three years.

Additionally, the three-year outcomes data of SURMOUNT-1 randomized trial found that anyone taking any dosage of Tirzepatide [a medication which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes, as an addition to diet and exercise] saw improvements in their blood pressure, quality of life, and and healthier blood glucose and lipids levels.

“Participants who received tirzepatide reported greater improvements in all domains of health-related quality of life compared to those who received placebo,” Dr. Ania Jastreboff, MD, PhD, of the Yale Obesity Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, said at the event, according to MedPage Today.

However, Dr. Jastreboff also noted that when the patients stopped taking the medication for four months, after the trial ended, they experienced weight gain.

Dr. Carel le Roux, MD, PhD, of University College Dublin in Ireland, also said that the trial shows that taking this type of medication can “achieve control of the disease but not a cure.”

Bonnie On Losing Her Mom To Lung Cancer

We’re delighted to Bonnie Chapman feeling good in her own skin, especially after experiencing tragic events like losing her mom and sister. In an earlier interview with SurvivorNet, in the wake of losing her mom to stage four lung cancer at age 51 in 2019, Beth Chapman spoke about several topics, including the extreme grief the family was dealing with — and how difficult it has been to handle that grief in the public eye.

“Everything we do right now is being publicized,” Bonnie explained. “And it’s hard sometimes, because we’re trying to keep it together. Right now is the most fragile time of our lives.”

RELATED: Bonnie Chapman Opens Up to SurvivorNet About the Raw and Painful Details of Losing Her Mother, Beth Chapman, to Lung Cancer

Bonnie is the youngest daughter of Beth Chapman and her famous bounty hunter husband, Duane “Dog” Chapman, and has lived her life in the public eye since age 4. Her family also experienced another tragedy when her older sister, Barbara Chapman, died in a car accident in 2006.

In a tribute post to her mom, shared this past summer on Instagram, Bonnie wrote, “The years go by and I still feel like it was yesterday. I lost someone who was my first debate partner, my first confidant and my first supporter.

“A piece of me will forever be missing and with you. I talk about you everyday and everyone around me– even those who didn’t have the pleasure of knowing you, loves you from the stories I tell.”

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She continued, “The glimpses we all saw of you on tv, you were so loved. You were born to be a star and I’m so glad you got to be one in your lifetime. So many take strength from you, I’m proud you were in my life and by my side.

“There’s no words that can bring you back or explain the pain I feel this day every year. My body has been dreading it the entire month, now that it’s here the flood gates have opened. I miss you mama, I wish you could come back home.”

Blockbuster Weight Loss Drugs – A Weight Loss Revolution

There’s a variety of drugs available right now for weight loss, like injections Ozempic (semaglutide), Wegovy, (semaglutide), and Zepbound (tirzepatide) injections, that are booming like nothing else.

Various drugs used for weight loss exist, including Nova Nordisk’s semaglutide—sold under brand names Ozempic, Weygovy, and Rybelsu—and Tirzepatide, sold under the brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound. Others include Phentermine (Adipex-P, Lomaira), a prescription medication which lessens one’s appetite, Contrave (naltrexone/bupropion), and bupropion (the generic form of Wellbutrin).

And while it’s widely understood that eating heathy and getting enough exercise has been linked to better living and a reduction in various health risks, it appears these weight loss drugs available to the public are offering the same type of benefits for people across the U.S.

Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide, the highly popular new drug known under the brand names Wegovy, Ozempic, and Rybelsu, has been shown to offer long-term weight loss effects for patients taking the injection, which is an FDA-approved prescription medication for adults with type 2 diabetes.

The drug, which is administered as a weekly injection, assists the body by helping the pancreas make more insulin, ultimately lowering blood sugar levels. Although the medication has not been FDA-approved for weight loss, the drug has been prescribed by some doctors.

Another weight loss drug on the market is also weekly injection, called tirzepatide, sold under brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound. Mountjaro was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in May 2022 to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes, as an addition to diet and exercise.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, Mounjaro works by increasing insulin levels in your body, which decreases your blood sugar (glucose). While you take this medication, you’ll undergo monitoring in the form of a simple blood test called the HbA1C (A1C) every 3 to 6 months. This test will measure your blood sugar control over the last 2 to 3 months.

Zepbound was later approved by the FDA in November 2023 for chronic weight loss management for adults with obesity. At the time of the approval, John Sharretts, M.D.,a director in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement, “Obesity and overweight are serious conditions that can be associated with some of the leading causes of death such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. In light of increasing rates of both obesity and overweight in the United States, today’s approval addresses an unmet medical need.”

RELATED: What You Need to Know About Obesity 

Meanwhile, prescription appetite suppressant Lomaira (phentermine) and Adipex-P (phentermine) are approved for people ages 17 and older for weight loss.

And back in September 2014, a naltrexone-extended release plus bupropion extended release was approved under the brand name Contrave as the fourth medication approved for long-term weight management in obese patients.

Other drugs approved for weight loss, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH), include orlistat (Xenical), phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia), liraglutide (Saxenda), and setmelanotide (IMCIVREE).

The Role of Diet and Exercise in Cancer Risk

The NIH explains on it’s website, “The FDA has approved five of these drugs—orlistat (Xenical, Alli), phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia), naltrexone-bupropion (Contrave), liraglutide (Saxenda), and semaglutide (Wegovy)—for long-term use. A sixth approved drug, setmelanotide (IMCIVREE), is limited to people who have been diagnosed with one of three specific rare genetic disorders, which must be confirmed by genetic testing. You can keep taking these medications as long as you are benefiting from treatment and not experiencing serious side effects.

“Some weight management medications that curb appetite are approved by the FDA for short-term use only, for up to 12 weeks. Although some health care professionals prescribe them for longer periods, not many research studies have looked at how safe and effective they are for long-term use. Never take weight management medications if you are pregnant. If you are planning to get pregnant, you should also avoid these medications, as some of them may harm the fetus.”

How Does Semaglutide Work?

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.

Modern studies on GLP-1 have shown that it has a role beyond glucose control. It modulates the immune system cells, including NK cells, in a way necessary for weight loss.

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.

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.

Cancer Risk and Obesity

Bodyweight can be a sensitive subject for many people on any given day. However, among cancer patients whose treatment and diagnosis may influence their weight, the numbers on the scale fuel an already emotional journey.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, “Being overweight or having obesity are linked with a higher risk of getting 13 types of cancer.”

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.”

Some of the cancers associated with being overweight or obese include:

• Colon
• Breast
• Ovarian
• Esophagus
• Pancreatic
• Multiple myeloma
• Endometrial
• Liver

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), fat tissue “produces excess amounts of estrogen,” which is associated with an increased risk of certain cancers, including breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancer. The NCI says a person who is severely obese is “7 times” more likely to be diagnosed with endometrial cancer.

Obesity is associated with high levels of insulin, which can lead to colon, kidney, prostate, and endometrial cancer.

Obesity can affect cancer survivors in various ways, including the chance of cancer recurrence and overall quality of life.

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 NCI analyzed several studies to observe physical activity’s impact 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 managing stress are some ways people can practice leading a healthy life. For cancer survivors, a healthier lifestyle alongside getting regular checks for recurrence may improve your quality of life.

WATCH: Living a healthy lifestyle.

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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