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American father of four Brad Roberts, 44, once celebrated his dramatic weight loss in a commercial promoting the very treatment he now claims devastated his health. Roberts reportedly went from approximately 300 pounds to 157 pounds, shedding nearly half his body weight. But what began as a remarkable transformation allegedly became a medical nightmare. The former Chief Operating Officer of telehealth company LifeMD claims he developed severe hearing problems, blurred and multiple vision, memory loss, slurred speech, tremors and difficulty walking. He reportedly underwent at least six corrective surgeries and claimed to spend up to 18 hours a day in bed. Now Roberts and his wife, Stacey, are pursuing a US$35.8 million medical malpractice claim. Their lawsuit alleges that Dr. Anthony Puopolo prescribed overlapping doses of GLP-1 weight-loss medications and unapproved synthetic peptides without adequate monitoring or warnings about potential risks. The couple has also linked his rapid weight loss to damage affecting his Eustachian tubes, hearing and balance. However, the allegations have not established that Ozempic alone caused his condition. LifeMD has disputed the claims, and no final finding of medical malpractice has been established. BREAKING: FDA ORDERS NEW WARNINGS OVER POSSIBLE PERMANENT VISION LOSS In a significant development on November 9, 2026, the US Food and Drug Administration ordered new warning labels for GLP-1 medications, including Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound, over a rare eye condition that can cause sudden, potentially permanent vision loss. The condition, known as non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), occurs when blood flow to the optic nerve is reduced. After reviewing 126 clinical trials involving 134,253 patients, the FDA identified a 68% higher observed rate of the condition among GLP-1 users compared with patients receiving other treatments or placebos. The actual occurrence remained rare: 6.4 cases per 100,000 patient-years, compared with 3.8 in the comparison group. The FDA cautioned that the findings do not prove the medications cause the condition. There is currently no proven treatment to reverse the resulting vision loss. Symptoms patients should watch for include: Sudden, painless vision loss, particularly in one eye Blurred vision, blind spots or tunnel vision Distorted colour perception Hazy or missing portions of vision, sometimes noticed upon waking Anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek urgent medical attention. The FDA warning is a separate safety development and does not establish that Roberts developed NAION. A WARNING FOR TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO The weight-loss craze has reached T&T, but are consumers checking what they’re injecting? In January 2025, the Pharmacy Board reported that Ozempic was not registered for sale locally, despite being advertised through Instagram, gyms and beauty establishments. In February 2026, the Ministry of Health issued another alert concerning potentially falsified Wegovy tablets, which were not authorised for use locally. These medications can provide substantial medical benefits when properly prescribed and monitored. However, unregistered products, incorrect dosages and unsupervised injections expose patients to additional risks. Before chasing a slimmer waistline, verify what you’re taking, where it came from and who is administering it. Roberts once became the face of successful medical weight loss. Today, his lawsuit, alongside the FDA’s latest warning, raises an important question: When the pounds disappear but serious health complications emerge, are patients fully informed about the risks of their weight-loss treatment?
American father of four Brad Roberts, 44, once celebrated his dramatic weight loss in a commercial promoting the very treatment he now claims devastated his health.
Roberts reportedly went from approximately 300 pounds to 157 pounds, shedding nearly half his body weight. But what began as a remarkable transformation allegedly became a medical nightmare.
The former Chief Operating Officer of telehealth company LifeMD claims he developed severe hearing problems, blurred and multiple vision, memory loss, slurred speech, tremors and difficulty walking. He reportedly underwent at least six corrective surgeries and claimed to spend up to 18 hours a day in bed.
Now Roberts and his wife, Stacey, are pursuing a US$35.8 million medical malpractice claim.
Their lawsuit alleges that Dr. Anthony Puopolo prescribed overlapping doses of GLP-1 weight-loss medications and unapproved synthetic peptides without adequate monitoring or warnings about potential risks.
The couple has also linked his rapid weight loss to damage affecting his Eustachian tubes, hearing and balance.
However, the allegations have not established that Ozempic alone caused his condition. LifeMD has disputed the claims, and no final finding of medical malpractice has been established.
BREAKING: FDA ORDERS NEW WARNINGS OVER POSSIBLE PERMANENT VISION LOSS
In a significant development on November 9, 2026, the US Food and Drug Administration ordered new warning labels for GLP-1 medications, including Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound, over a rare eye condition that can cause sudden, potentially permanent vision loss.
The condition, known as non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), occurs when blood flow to the optic nerve is reduced.
After reviewing 126 clinical trials involving 134,253 patients, the FDA identified a 68% higher observed rate of the condition among GLP-1 users compared with patients receiving other treatments or placebos.
The actual occurrence remained rare: 6.4 cases per 100,000 patient-years, compared with 3.8 in the comparison group.
The FDA cautioned that the findings do not prove the medications cause the condition. There is currently no proven treatment to reverse the resulting vision loss.
Symptoms patients should watch for include: Sudden, painless vision loss, particularly in one eye Blurred vision, blind spots or tunnel vision Distorted colour perception Hazy or missing portions of vision, sometimes noticed upon waking
Anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek urgent medical attention.
The FDA warning is a separate safety development and does not establish that Roberts developed NAION.
A WARNING FOR TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
The weight-loss craze has reached T&T, but are consumers checking what they’re injecting?
In January 2025, the Pharmacy Board reported that Ozempic was not registered for sale locally, despite being advertised through Instagram, gyms and beauty establishments.
In February 2026, the Ministry of Health issued another alert concerning potentially falsified Wegovy tablets, which were not authorised for use locally.
These medications can provide substantial medical benefits when properly prescribed and monitored. However, unregistered products, incorrect dosages and unsupervised injections expose patients to additional risks.
Before chasing a slimmer waistline, verify what you’re taking, where it came from and who is administering it.
Roberts once became the face of successful medical weight loss. Today, his lawsuit, alongside the FDA’s latest warning, raises an important question:
When the pounds disappear but serious health complications emerge, are patients fully informed about the risks of their weight-loss treatment?
News Desk is the editorial publishing account for Tringlobe Media News, covering breaking news, public affairs, entertainment, community developments and regional stories across Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean and internationally.
