As Dry January has some people putting down the bottle for the first month of the year, the health benefits of eliminating alcohol are in the spotlight.

But TV personality Kelly Ripa, host of ABC’s "Live with Kelly and Mark," revealed that giving up alcohol had an unexpected effect on her.

On Wednesday’s episode, when Andy Cohen co-hosted alongside Ripa, he brought up that he is "in the middle of dry January."

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"Usually, a little weight loss comes my way after," he commented. "That’s not really happening yet."

Ripa responded that when she quit drinking in 2017, she expected there to be a "windfall of weight loss."

"Because everybody’s like, ‘Well you are going to get too skinny … you can’t afford to lose it,’" she said. "I gained 12 pounds!"

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"I don’t understand this ‘magical weight loss’ that people [imply]," she continued. "I think I just took to eating the sugars … because apparently, alcohol is like a lot of sugar."

In 2020, Ripa revealed to People Magazine that she and her friends decided to try a sober month back in 2017, and that she "liked the way [she] felt."

"Not that I was a heavy drinker — I wasn’t someone who got drunk — but even like two glasses of wine at a girl’s night out dinner, I would feel it the next morning," she said.

"I just didn’t really feel the need or desire to go back to it," Ripa went on. "It wasn’t really a choice or a thought, it was just, ‘Yeah, I guess I don’t drink anymore.’"

Dr. Kathleen Jordan, Midi Health chief medical officer and women’s health and weight management specialist, shared some health benefits of eliminating or limiting alcohol, including reduced cancer risk and weight loss.

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"Less drinking eliminates the hundreds of calories in the drinks themselves (anywhere from 160 to 400 or more calories per drink) and less drinking is often accompanied by less late-night snacking," the California-based doctor told Fox News Digital.

"Less alcohol also helps your body get a good night’s sleep, while bad sleep is associated with weight gain. Alcohol interferes with the ability to reach a deep sleep, which then contributes to daytime fatigue and sluggishness – and ultimately to weight gain."

But limiting alcohol might not pose these benefits for everyone, Jordan noted.

If low or moderate drinkers experience weight gain after eliminating alcohol, the expert said that’s most likely due to substituting drinking with snacking or sugary mocktails.

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Jordan recommended replacing alcohol with different variations of water instead, including bubbly, flat or garnished water, which will satiate "nervous eating" and the habit of drinking.

Dry January also occurs when the climate is cold and dark, with most Americans tending to spend more time indoors. 

To support the benefits of not drinking and prevent weight gain, Jordan advised keeping up with physical activity even during the winter months.

Kendra Wilkinson will not tolerate people body-shaming her for her weight gain and alcohol intake.

Wilkinson, a former Playboy model, took to Instagram on Sunday to share a video and photo of herself in the mirror while telling a hater to "leave me alone."

"Yes, I’ve gained weight. Yes, im aging. Yes, I’m not that girl i was before (playboy girl)," she wrote, adding a laughing face emoji. "but for once in a long time I feel good and mentally healthy. Kids are my everything. Feeling pretty balanced. Working out and cooking a lot more. Golf, work. No housekeeper or nanny."

Wilkinson, who turns 40 this year, explained that she's "finally" at peace in her life and would appreciate it if fans online would stop criticizing her appearance. 

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"For those of you hating on my new weight, 40 yr old face please know that I’m happy, healthy and at peace in life finally. Leave me alone and respect that I’m where I actually want to be finally all together," she wrote. 

"Almost 40 is feeling amazing and yes to the people criticizing my alcohol intake…I hear you and that will be monitored better. Drinking too much is definitely drinking too much but you know what’s coming up in JUNE…. Shots."

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Wilkinson concluded her caption with "Love ya."

Back in September, Wilkinson opened up about her past, including when she first met Hugh Hefner.

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Wilkinson starred on the E! reality television series, "The Girls Next Door."

Wilkinson became one of Hefner's girlfriends at the age of 18. She met Hefner at his 78th birthday party after a modeling photo caught the magazine publisher's eye.

"I'm just a single mom who's just making it in real estate now," Wilkinson said on an episode of "The Kyle and Jackie O Show."

"There, at that time, at the mansion... It was a blessing for me because I had already come from this teenage world — this horrible, horrible teenage world — of being sexualized and grown men harassing me and stuff like that. So, when I entered the mansion, it felt actually safe for me."

Wilkinson recalled breaking a lot of the rules, including the curfew that most of the Playboy Playmates adhered to. The TV star also entertained other boyfriends besides Hefner.

"These choices that I made definitely took a toll on my life," Wilkinson acknowledged. "I fell into a major depression because of the choices that I did make. So, do I blame someone for that? I don't. That's just not my way of doing that. So I blame myself. I'm like, ‘What did I do? How did I get here? How did I get to this point in my life? What do I need to change in myself to grow? What do I need to do to not put myself in the same position?’ That's all you can basically do."

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"I don't like to live in that victimhood," she noted. "I'm not saying that there are no victims out there. I'm sure there are victims out there. And I'm hearing their stories and I have complete empathy for them. For me, I had a different perspective on it."

Wilkinson added, "I enjoyed my time while living at the mansion. And who you saw is what you got. I was just a fun, wild, young, dumb blond. And I own it. Nothing ever bad happened to me. I'm not saying that nothing bad happened to anybody else."

A new trend gaining popularity among people trying to lose weight is microdosing the diabetes medication Ozempic.

With approximately 70% of American adults meeting the criteria for being obese or overweight, more people are turning to weight loss medications to help them shed pounds.

Ozempic is approved for type 2 diabetes, while its counterpart, Wegovy, is approved for treating obesity. Both are made by Novo Nordisk.

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Eli Lilly also offers a diabetes medication, Mounjaro, as well as a version for weight loss, Zepbound.

"Ozempic is the only version among the weekly injectables — Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound and Mounjaro — that has the option to ‘hack’ the pen for a smaller dose," Dr. Alexandra Sowa, an obesity medicine specialist and founder of SoWell in New York, told Fox News Digital.

She is also the author of the book "The Ozempic Revolution" that is set to be released on Jan. 7.

Fox News Digital spoke to the experts to get the skinny on this latest trend.

Microdosing Ozempic refers to using smaller amounts compared to the standard therapeutic doses that are traditionally prescribed for managing type 2 diabetes and aiding weight loss, experts say. 

This practice is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

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"Health care clinicians do not typically recommend this approach, as the standard dosing regimen is based on clinical trials determining the most effective and safe amount for these conditions," noted Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, obesity medicine physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

There are no established guidelines for microdosing – although there are reports on social media of using 10 to 100 times lower than standard prescriptions, added Dr. Christopher McGowan, a gastroenterologist and obesity specialist who runs True You Weight Loss in Cary, North Carolina.

Some people get confused by the terminology, the doctors noted.

"I think there's a little bit of a misconception, as some people say ‘I'm microdosing’ when they're just on the starting doses or don’t go all the way up in the escalation titration dosing of the medication," Sowa said.

The primary reason for microdosing is to reduce costs, according to McGowan.

For example, he said, a patient might think that if a full prescription costs over $250 per week, they may be able to achieve some benefit with just $25 worth of the medication.

The average monthly retail price of Ozempic ranges from $1,000 or more without insurance, per GoodRx.

People may also pursue microdosing to reduce the incidence or severity of side effects such as nausea, vomiting or stomach discomfort, according to Stanford.

"Some individuals might start with microdoses to gradually acclimate their body to the medication, potentially easing into the full therapeutic dose over time," she said.

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Any potential benefit of the medication, however, will likely wane proportionally with lower doses, experts noted.

Individuals may also microdose due to supply challenges, according to Dr. Amy Rothberg, clinical professor of medicine in the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes at the University of Michigan. 

"Some feel they may derive a benefit from microdosing by being able to extend their supply and may perceive an effect," Rothberg, who is also the medical director of Rewind, a lifestyle program for type 2 diabetes patients, told Fox News Digital. "As we know, the placebo effect may have a strong impact."

The most likely risk of microdosing is a lack of effectiveness, McGowan noted.

"Microdosing Ozempic or other [weight-loss] medications is entirely off-label and unproven, with no supporting clinical studies," he cautioned.

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Stanford also warned that smaller doses may not provide adequate blood sugar management, leading to uncontrolled diabetes and associated complications.

It can also lead to suboptimal weight loss and unpredictable results, as well as the potential for misuse, she added.

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People who microdose often use a "compounded" version of the medication, which the FDA does not regulate.

"This introduces risks such as contamination, inconsistent formulations and uncertainty about the actual strength of the product being injected," McGowan stated.

Additionally, these compounded versions are usually dispensed in vials, which requires a syringe to draw it up, in contrast to the FDA-approved versions that are simpler to use.

Using the compounded versions through vials runs the risk of drawing up too much medication — so instead of microdosing, it's possible to macrodose, Sowa warned. 

Some providers are still comfortable offering microdosing for select patients with one caveat — that people should always consult a health care clinician before altering their medication regimen. 

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"As long as it is being dispensed and monitored by a physician, I don’t see how anybody is going to overdose, especially when we are giving such small amounts," Dr. Suzanne A. Trott, a double board-certified plastic and general surgeon in Beverly Hills, told Fox News Digital.

"I have seen a lot of patients who are given metformin for weight loss — I don’t see how this is any different," said Trott, who runs her own microdosing clinic.

Trott pointed out that there are many "off-label" practices offered to patients.

"Botox and fillers are not even FDA-approved for most of the places we use them," she noted.

Experts agree that sustained weight loss will not occur with medication alone.

"I think people find that it’s easier to take a drug, but neglect concomitant behavioral changes," Rothberg said.

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In the absence of changes to diet and physical activity patterns, the long-term benefits will disappear once the drug is stopped, she noted.

Trott also recommends maintaining consistent exercise, strength training, hydration and high protein intake to maintain muscle mass.

Fox News Digital reached out to Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic, for comment.

A Durham, North Carolina, man has turned his life around after receiving grave medical news. 

Derek Barnett, 55, was diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease 10 years ago, according to a report from SWNS.

At his heaviest, Barnett weighed 240 pounds and was a size 38.

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Barnett, a construction worker who is currently unemployed due to health issues, brushed off his diagnosis, telling SWNS that he "didn’t think anything of it."

"Everybody’s got a type of thing," he said.

But the man's condition worsened, progressing into cirrhosis and eventually hepatocellular carcinoma, also known as liver cancer.

In January 2024, Barnett was given a letter from his doctor that broke some bad news – he potentially had only six months to live if the cancer continued to grow.

"When they gave me that letter last year, it got real," he reflected.

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"That note said, 'If the cancer gets aggressive, you have six months to live.' I saved it, looked at it every day, and it beat me up."

Barnett’s doctors informed him that the best way to regain his health would be to lose weight – and he knew it was time to get motivated and act.

"I was like, ‘OK, we can do this,’" he told SWNS. "I’m a fruit-aholic. I went on a major fruit diet basically."

Barnett began limiting his diet to "very tiny meals" throughout the day, involving lots of his favorite fruits.

"I can eat a whole watermelon in a day, but I also eat apples, oranges and grapes — whatever’s in season," he said.

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"I do protein shakes, too. I’m not a vegetarian, but I don’t eat meat much, because it’s too filling for me."

Barnett recently hit a record-low weight of 164 pounds. He reported that he dropped the pounds by following this diet, and that his "scores are looking fantastic."

"I haven’t weighed this since I was probably 15 years old," he said.

Barnett said he still has work to do in toning his muscles to "catch up to the skin loss," but he continues to push forward.

"My clothes are a little too big and baggy, and it’s hard to afford clothing when you lose weight so quickly, but I feel fantastic," he said.

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Barnett has also kept the weight off by staying active, despite his physical limitations.

"I have osteoarthritis in my right knee and need a knee replacement," he revealed. "I can’t go jogging or do stairs, but I do what I can."

He reported that his workouts usually involve sitting in chairs and "using little dumbbells."

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"I’m nonstop, but I do it without hurting myself," he added. "Losing weight is just [about] staying active, finding anything you can possibly do to get off a couch."

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Barnett told SWNS that he will find out the status of his prognosis in February, and that he hopes to inspire others with his successful weight-loss journey.

 "If I can do this, anyone can," he said. "I’ve done everything the doctors told me to do. It’s about eating right, staying active and never giving up."

"I was 55 going on 90," he went on. "Now I’m 55, going back on 20 again."

Barnett hopes to return to work and live a "full, active life," according to SWNS.

"I want to ring that bell next time I see my doctors and tell them I’ve done it," he said. "This is just the beginning."