According to Hollywood, Ozempic is the latest miracle drug
From movie stars to Elon Musk to social media influencers, Ozempic is being called “the worst kept secret in Hollywood.” Ozempic is being hailed as the magic answer to expanding waistlines. On TikTok alone, the hashtag #Ozempic already has over 600 million views and counting. The popularity of use has grown enough that the FDA currently has it listed as a medication in short supply. But the real question is: Should you take it? We know off-label drug use can have significant side effects, but that doesn’t always stop us from getting a prescription from our primary care doc. Adderall. Modafinil. Testosterone and HgH. All have been prescribed for off-label uses. Heck, even high profile speakers have been prescribed beta-blockers to help with anxiety before public speaking.
What is Ozempic?
Ozempic is an injectable Semaglutide developed by Novo Nordisk company in 2012. Approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2017, for the treatment of type 2 Diabetes by lowering blood sugar and hemoglobin A1C (the part of red blood cells with glucose attached). Ozempic is a administered via weekly injection in the stomach, thigh or arm. As of 2020, Ozempic is prescribed for over 4 million patients for diabetes, a disease that leads to approximately 2 million deaths per year in America. Ozempic is a life saving medication…and now it’s being used by Hollywood’s elite, and other affluent people looking to lose weight.
Before we start, let’s talk cost
Ozempic isn’t cheap to use as off label. We’re talking around $1400 a month for most people. Now you know why Hollywood and the rich celebrities are the ones making Ozempic famous. If you’re not too freaked out yet, read on.
The Good:
Ozempic for weight loss.
In 2021, people began taking Ozempic as its popularity soared as an off label weight loss drug. (Prescribing off-label medication is both legal and a common practice.) Ozempic contributes to weight loss by mimicking GLP-1, a natural hormone produced within the human body’s digestive in response to eating food. GLP-1 acts on both the brain and digestive system to create a feeling of fullness after one eats. GLP-1 also slows down the emptying of the stomach into the rest of the digestive system. Ozempic usage causes you to feel fuller faster and longer, due to the mimicking of the GLP-1 hormone.
So what does this mean in English?
It means a few things. One, if food takes longer to digest, it will delay the production of insulin in your body, which is released when the body eats carbs/sugar to curb the body’s blood sugar from getting too high–which would cause a diabetic coma and, more severely, death. When your body has more insulin in the blood stream, it will convert carbs/sugars to fat more easily. Reducing insulin in the blood will help control blood sugar and reduce your body’s desire to store sugars as fat. The other, more basic function is if the brain thinks the stomach is full, and feels full, you’re more likely to eat less. Overall caloric reduction leads to weight loss, especially if those calories were going to come from carbs, sugars, fats, and other unhealthy foods.
As shown in the chart, the use of a Semaglutide, like Ozempic, produces nearly 14% more body weight decrease than the placebo group.
Ozempic is not the sole cause of these weight loss numbers, though. Healthy lifestyle changes must also be included in your weight loss plan, though even without other lifestyle changes, Ozempic will help reduce body weight and body fat percentage in most people.
As with every other successful weight loss drug, a negative energy balance has to occur. For weight loss to happen the body must use more calories than it consumes. Negative energy balance happens in two ways. The first being diet–eating less calories than the body burns for daily function causes the body to burn calories stored as fat. The second is an increase in activity. As more physical activity occurs, the amount of energy(calories) the body uses increases. The general recommendation when using Ozempic is to gradually decrease daily caloric intake, with an optimal daily caloric intake of approximately 1200-1500. The lifestyle changes needed will also vary from person to person. Factors such as genetics, medical history, medications etc are factors in how and how much weight each individual person loses. This is true with any type of weight loss medication or program.
The Bad (Side Effects)
As it is with any medication Ozempic is not without side effects. The most common side effect reported in over 20% of Ozempic users is nausea. With it being described as the feeling of having a stomach flu. More than 5% of users experienced nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, with Ozempic.
But there’s a lesser talked about side effect: Ozempic Face
Ozempic face is what many people call the result of losing a lot of weight in a short amount of time. The drooping and sagging of the face, along with the sudden “sucked in” look, leads some people to look like they’ve aged 10-15 years in a few weeks. I’m not too egotistical, but 10-15 years seems like a lot!
A complete list of common side effects are:
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Gastrointestinal symptoms: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, excessive burping, abdominal pain, stomach pain, indigestion, abdominal distension, GERD, excessive flatulence, gastritis Inflammation of the lining of the stomach
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Metabolic derangements: hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), increased amylase (potential pancreas issues), increased lipase (potential pancreas issues)
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Injection site reactions: soreness, swelling and irritation
Although the above listed are considered common and less serious side effects, it is recommended to speak with your doctor if any of the side effects occur.
Ozempic does have less common but more serious and life threatening side effects: Vision loss and blindness, Thyroid tumors, Hypersensitivity or serious allergic reactions including anaphylaxis, Swelling of tissues in the face, eyes, and lips, Acute kidney injury, Worsening of kidney disease, Inflammation of the pancreas, Gallstones, Inflammation of the gallbladder, Fainting and loss of consciousness
If any of the above occur while taking Ozempic immediately stop the use of the medications and seek emergency medical treatment.
The Ugly
Some bigger implications
Although they aren’t official “side effects,” one major “macro” side effect of Ozempic’s popularity as a weight loss drug is its need for others as an actual diabetic drug. As more and more people use Ozempic off-label for weight loss, pharmacies are seeing shortages for those who need it to stay healthy and alive. The FDA has even issued some warnings that there is a shortage of supply, and it could become more of an issue if something’s not done to satiate both those who need it and those who want it. You need to ask yourself, “am I being selfish here?”
Another issue with Ozempic’s newfound popularity is the black market
Wait. What? That’s right, blackmarket sales present another set of potential harms. Finding a doctor to prescribe Ozempic for weight loss may not always easy. This leads to people searching the Internet for Ozempic, which is technically illegal. But more than illegal, it’s unsafe. Are you purchasing American FDA approved Ozempic or a weaker/stronger version? Is it old? Was it made in a lab from Breaking Bad? Ingesting drugs from the Internet is a risky business. I wouldn’t advise that, nor would any respectable medical professional.
Not all weight loss is good weight loss.
When working towards losing body fat, people tend to pay the most attention to the number on the scale, which isn’t always the best barometer for measuring body fat or a healthy body, for that matter. Outside of a very small group of people (wrestlers and boxers who have a maximum weight for their class.) The goal should be a change in body composition. Maintaining or increasing lean body mass, such as muscle, while also lowering non essential body fat should be the main objective of a healthy lifestyle and body. On average, with a diet and exercise plan, 25% of weight loss occurs in lean body mass. Using Ozempic for weight loss increases the loss of lean body mass up to 40 percent. So, two-fifths, or nearly half, of the weight lost on Ozempic is weight you don’t want to lose.
The best recipe
We know the best recipe is not one answer, but multi-faceted, and your weight management routine should include aerobic workouts (running, walking) to improve your cardiovascular system as well as burn calories; a weight training portion to help build muscle, and improve strength; and a nutritional plan of reducing calories ingested versus calories burned. All should be part of your weight loss plan, even if you decide to take Ozempic or another weight loss drug.
What if you stop taking Ozempic?
Further complicating the use of Ozempic for weight loss, are the issues that occur once you stop taking it. Rebound, as it is called, is the weight gained back once the medication is stopped. The average weight gain after ending Ozempic usage is a third to two-thirds of what was lost within two months. If you lost fifteen pounds, welp, expect to gain five to ten of those pounds back.
The social media influencer Remi Bader has even reported gaining double the weight back she lost while using Ozempic.
There is no miracle drug for healthy weight loss, well kind of.
No medication nor surgery is a magic weight loss solution in isolation. As of this writing, only six drugs have been approved for use in weight loss by the FDA, so you may find yourself seeking alternative possibilities like natural supplements. But walking into your local pharmacy, or even browsing Amazon isn’t quite as easy as it may seem, either. There are thousands of “weight loss” supplements on the market–some more and less effective as the next. Most are some sort of stimulant, which acts as an appetite suppressant, similar to the effects of coffee (though many are much stronger).
So, what’s the final verdict?
Ozempic will help you lose weight, we think that’s a given. Can you afford it? Do you want to endure the side effects? Do you want to look old or want to deal with the rebound effect and long term implications? Well, that’s up to you. I’m not here to make the decision for you. I’m here to help educate you on your options., in your
