Actor and fitness enthusiast Kunal Kapoor, who has also ventured into crowdfunding and the health and wellness space, recently sat down for an exclusive interview with NDTV.
From the stigma around weight-loss medications such as Ozempic and Mounjaro to his weight-management programme MetaGo and crowdfunding platform Ketto, Kapoor spoke about a range of subjects.
Speaking about the growing conversation around weight-loss medications such as Ozempic and Mounjaro and the questions that often come with them, Kapoor explained why he believes these drugs can be powerful tools but need to be used responsibly and under proper medical guidance.
Kunal told NDTV, "Well, these are very powerful medications. The results that we've seen from all the research that's come out show that they not only help you with weight loss, but these are drugs that obviously make very positive metabolic changes. There's research showing that they help with the heart, they help with inflammation, and, obviously, diabetes markers, which is what they were initially kind of created for."
"So, a lot of metabolic changes besides the weight loss, right? But I think it's very important that you treat something that's so powerful with a certain kind of respect as well. What happens now is that you get a prescription from the doctor, you go and get the medication, and you start using it. But it's not a one-size-fits-all."
The Rang De Basanti star then added, "And what you really need is a support system. You need somebody who guides you through the process because you will, or you might, encounter obstacles. You might have side effects, and you might need to change your dosing. While you're on the drug, you have to make sure that you're eating enough protein and you're going to the gym."
"So, it's very important that you sort of have a team around you that's guiding you in the best possible kind of way. And that's what we're trying to do with MetaGo. You know, when you sign up on the platform, first and foremost, you obviously go through a metabolic test. We decide whether you need GLP or not, along with the endocrinologists and the doctors. Once they've decided on the course of treatment, the doctors are constantly involved. You have a nutritionist, you have a coach, you have a person on WhatsApp whom you can constantly reach out to," said Kunal.
"It's about making sure that the drug is used with some kind of responsibility and that you have a system around you when you're using the drug."
Kapoor also addressed the stigma surrounding weight-loss medications, particularly the tendency to view medication as a quick fix and the stigma around its use in weight management.
Kapoor said, "Well, I think the problem is a deeper problem. Because for years, we've shamed people for their weight. We've treated it like a character flaw. We tell people, 'Oh, you're not working hard enough,' 'You know, you're eating too much, you need to eat less,' 'You need to try this kind of thing that's just come out in the market.'"
"And the thing is that I have friends of mine who work out harder than I do, who eat less than I do, but they still don't lose weight. Because now it's very clear that being overweight or being obese is not a character flaw; it's a biological problem."
"So, you have to treat it like a biological problem, not a character flaw. And, you know, we've shamed people for putting on weight, we've shamed people for not losing weight, we've shamed people for not working hard enough, and now we're shaming people for using a drug that can really help them."
"So, I think you've got to put the stigma aside, and you've got to see that this is something that can really make a difference, and that this is not a character flaw. You're not somebody who hasn't worked hard enough. You've tried everything; it hasn't worked for you. It's time to look at it in a deeper kind of way and see whether your metabolism and your body are actually aligned with what you want to do or not. And if they're not, then how can this help you?"
On Ketto And Crowdfunding
Moving beyond health and fitness, Kapoor also spoke about his journey with Ketto and what inspired him to enter the crowdfunding space. According to the actor, the basic idea was to use technology to connect people willing to help with those who needed support.
Kapoor said, "Well, the idea was really simple: how do you use technology to bring together people who want to help and people who need help, right? And there were so many people who wanted to help, but they were not getting together with these people who needed the help."
"And besides that, I think what was really important for us was that we were all working in the social space, and we found that there were a lot of gaps in the social space. One of them was that, you know, these NGOs were raising money, having fundraisers, a charity ball, a marathon, but their relationship with the donor was very limited. So, the donor would donate once, and then it was over and done with. We felt like that relationship needed more consistency, and that could only happen if there was a constant connection between the donor and the NGO."
"And the third thing was that India just has so many young people, and these people want to make a difference, but there was no avenue for these people to make a difference. So, there were multiple thoughts that came together, and we decided that this was what we wanted to build."
On whether being a public figure helped bring greater visibility to the platform, Kapoor drew an unusual analogy between celebrity involvement in a start-up and bodybuilding with steroids.
He said, "A friend of mine put it really well. He said that having a celebrity or somebody who's a known face in a start-up is like bodybuilding with steroids."
Explaining further, he said, "So, you still have to put in the hard work. You still have to get to the gym every day. You have to make sure that your diet is right, but it just happens much faster. So, I think that's what a celebrity or a known face does, right? Whether it's the start-up or the cause that the start-up is promoting, it just provides visibility. And in today's time, you know, I think as important as it is to build a product, what's equally important is the distribution of that product. So, yeah, it's... it's really like bodybuilding with steroids."
Why Kunal Kapoor Entered The Health And Wellness Space
Kapoor also opened up about why he chose to venture into health and wellness at a time when celebrity-backed businesses are often associated with categories such as beauty, fashion, skincare, and lifestyle. In his characteristic humorous style, the actor said he tends to choose areas that make his life "difficult", pointing to how crowdfunding was still a relatively unfamiliar concept when Ketto was launched.
Kapoor said, "Because I like to make my life difficult! I always choose something that is... I mean, even with Ketto, when we started Ketto, crowdfunding was something nobody was talking about. And everybody said, 'Look, this can't work in a country like India.' And it was nice to look back on that journey and realise that, you know, we've built something that was very successful."
The Ramayana actor added, "Similarly, with MetaGo, we're trying to build a metabolic-first company. Metabolism is not something that is spoken about a lot in India, but we believe that it will be the future of medication. And even though they seem very different, Ketto and MetaGo, I think they're two companies on the same journey, just at a different point in the journey."
"So, in Ketto, what happens is somebody comes to us in an emergency. They need to raise money because a relative is sick or somebody needs surgery. And it's great that we can help them do that. But we've been thinking about what if we met this individual 10 years ago, when his problem was not an emergency but a metabolic disease? We could have helped this individual at that point in time, right? So that never became an emergency. So, MetaGo is about meeting that individual in year one as opposed to Ketto, which is meeting that individual in year 15. So, I think it's part of the same journey," said Kunal.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
Also Read: "Time For The Return Of Daddy Cool": At 53, Arjun Rampal Flaunts Chiselled Abs In New Gym Post
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
