The rise in popularity of medications like Ozempic and Wegovy has sparked considerable interest and debate regarding their effectiveness and safety for weight loss. These drugs, both containing the active ingredient semaglutide, have shown promise in helping individuals manage their weight and improve their health. However, it's crucial to understand both the potential benefits and risks associated with their use, as well as the psychological and social implications surrounding weight loss medications.
Understanding Ozempic and Semaglutide
Ozempic is a drug that can assist your pancreas to produce more insulin which helps people manage their blood sugar level which is particularly useful for those living with type 2 diabetes. Medical professionals know Ozempic by the drug class termed glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist (GLP1a). GLP1 is a hormone naturally produced in our gut whose action Ozempic effectively mimics. GLP1 is a hormone that helps regulate our appetite by telling our brain when we are full.
The active chemical compound semaglutide that is in Ozempic can cause weight loss by making a person feel full, keeping them from emptying their stomach longer than usual, and by lowering blood sugar, said Dr. Rekha B. Kumar, associate professor of medicine at Cornell and Chief Medical Officer at Found.
Ozempic is not approved for weight loss. However, semaglutide is approved for weight loss under the name Wegovy. It's important to note that if you start taking either of these drugs for weight loss, your body may get used to it, establishing a new normal. This can cause your weight to plateau.
Wegovy is a once-weekly injection approved by the FDA in 2021 for chronic weight management. Ozempic and Wegovy are made by the same company. They both contain the same active ingredient semaglutide. However, Wegovy contains higher doses of it and is designed for weight loss.
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Personal Experiences with Ozempic
Married couple Susan and Michael Dixon share how their experiences taking Ozempic have affected their health and changed their relationship with food. When 51-year-old Susan Dixon was diagnosed with prediabetes, meaning her blood sugar levels were higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes, her doctor prescribed Ozempic off-label.
“I have an [aortic aneurysm], so because of my heart condition and because I’m pre-diabetic, my doctor wanted me to get some weight off,” Susan told Healthline. Susan was already aware of Ozempic because her 54-year-old husband, Michael, began taking it about six months earlier to treat his type 2 diabetes and bring down his A1C to under 6. Within four months of taking the medication, his A1C lowered to 5. He also lost 15 pounds. “Seeing Michael’s success absolutely influenced me wanting to try it,” Susan said.
Over the years, she tried several weight loss programs, including Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig, which brought her some short-term success. In 2008, before her and Michael’s wedding, she also took the prescription phentermine, and as a result, lost 40 pounds. However, over the years, she found it hard to keep the weight off no matter what method she used. She said Ozempic has worked the best for weight management. After taking the medication for six weeks, she lost 14 pounds.
“[Ozempic] made me feel full and made my interest in food not really there. Michael would say, ‘What’s for dinner?’ and I thought, ‘I don’t really care.’ I’d have some cereal and a few bites of food, and I’d be okay. Food did not interest me,” she said.
Michael’s reason for trying Ozempic was solely to manage type 2 diabetes and lower his blood sugar rather than lose weight. In fact, he said for the 15 years he has lived with diabetes, he never tried to lose weight. “I’m not someone who follows a diet, so I wasn’t the best patient and didn’t watch carbs and sugar intake,” he told Healthline. “I’ve never had a desire or drive to lose weight. I have to get more into that mindset because I know I should lose more weight.”
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While taking Ozempic, he feels full faster. This makes him eat half of what he used to eat prior to being on the medication. “I eat half a sandwich and say ‘Oh, I’m full.’ That’s why I lost weight,” he said. After being on Ozempic for a few years, he became accustomed to responding to the full feeling. “I’m able to put that other half sandwich down and I try to stop eating when I realize I’m full,” Michael said.
Susan also learned to eat smaller-sized portions due to Ozempic, and said it affected her desire to drink alcohol, too. “I wasn’t a big drinker and drank socially before, but now if I have a second glass of wine or drink, it makes me feel ill, so I’ve cut down,” she said. Since the Dixons are both on Ozempic, they said it helps them manage their weight together. “Michael not wanting to eat makes me not want to eat. We try very hard not to snack between meals. If I say, ‘it’s time for dessert or popcorn before bed,’ and I notice he hasn’t eaten them, then I don’t have anything,” said Susan.
The Ozempic Shortage and Its Impact
In 2022, the Food and Drug Administration reported shortages of Ozempic. This created controversy due to some people taking the medication off-label to lose weight. The shortage affected the Dixons in different ways.
For the entire time Michael has been on Ozempic, he was able to get the medication filled. However, for the past three months, his insurance stopped allowing a 90-day supply, which means he no longer gets the discount (which was paying for two months’ supply and getting one month’s supply free.) He now is only able to fill one month at a time.
“Michael didn’t have an issue because his dosage is lower than mine. At the time of the shortage, my dosage was at 1mg and I couldn’t find that 1mg anywhere,” said Susan. Due to the shortage, she was unable to fill Ozempic for two-and-a-half months, and during that time, she regained 10 to 12 pounds.
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This is common and expected, said Dr. Sethu Reddy, president of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology. If people lose access to Ozempic like Susan did or their insurance coverage changes and they can’t afford it, this could set back their health progress.
“The effects of GLP-1 analogs are not permanent and if the therapy is discontinued, their therapeutic effects dissipate,” Reddy told Healthline. “Theoretically, these medications will be taken for several years, but it is well known that those with type 2 diabetes eventually lose their ability to make insulin and eventually will need insulin therapy.”
Kumar added that a long-term commitment should be considered when starting any medication for a chronic condition, such as diabetes and obesity. “If someone is taking Ozempic off-label or Wegovy on-label, those would need to be continued for weight maintenance as well,” said Kumar. “Long-term use of medicine for weight management is not unique to the GLP-1 class of medicines, but is true for all medicines used for weight management.”
By the time Susan was able to get Ozempic filled again in February 2023, her doctor increased her medication dose. Since then, she lost 5 pounds. “I don’t feel as successful as I used to feel before I had to stop taking it. It’s working still but not as well as it did in the beginning. My appetite is not as suppressed, but like before, food doesn’t excite me,” said Susan. Ozempic has been successful at lowering her blood sugar, though.
Weighing the Pros and Cons of Ozempic for Weight Loss
Ozempic can help people lose weight, which can reduce the risk for many other serious health conditions, such as heart problems. Semaglutide treatments can also be used as an alternative to bariatric surgery for some patients who are obese. Experts still recommend that people avoid using Ozempic unless they have type 2 diabetes.
Pros:
- Effective Weight Loss: Ozempic is an injection which will stunt your appetite, which in turn helps you lose weight.
- Blood Sugar Control: Ozempic is a drug that can assist your pancreas to produce more insulin which helps people manage their blood sugar level which is particularly useful for those living with type 2 diabetes.
- Reduced Risk of Health Conditions: Ozempic can help people lose weight, which can reduce the risk for many other serious health conditions, such as heart problems.
Cons:
- Side Effects: Most common side effects of Ozempic are Nausea, Diarrhoea/constipation and stomach pain. Fortunately, not too serious but you still are at risk of the less common symptoms which can be much more serious: Pancreatitis which is where the pancreas becomes inflamed which can lead to further health complications and can become life-threatening in some cases.Vision issues Ozempic can cause blurred vision and people with diabetic retinopathy can have the condition worsen because of this drug.Kidney disease Ozempic can have a massive impact on your kidneys leading to kidney damage, disease or in the worst cases cause kidney failure.Hypoglycaemia this is when your blood sugar drops to low.Thyroid cancer Ozempic can increase the chances of a person developing thyroid cancer.Gallbladder disease Ozempic can increase your risk of gallbladder diseases.Allergic reaction some people might have an allergic reaction to this drug which is why it is important that you speak to a medical professional before using Ozempic.
- Muscle Loss: Dr Peter Attia who is a world leading authority on longevity spoke about Ozempic when he was invited to the Megyn Kelly show. He commented that 2/3 of the weight lost by people using the drug is loss of muscle mass. This illustrates how ineffective Ozempic actually is: you end up becoming lighter but fatter overall.
- Weight Regain: When the drug is stopped, the weight will likely pile back on and the initial benefits will be lost.
- Underlying Issues: In this case, being prescribed Ozempic or Wegovy may assist in weight loss for those who are in a higher-weight body, but it won’t address the underlying factors that can lead to binge eating disorder in the first place. This medication may also perpetuate weight cycling since research has shown that stopping use tends to result in regaining the lost weight.
Potential Side Effects of Ozempic
There are many side effects of taking Ozempic as a weight loss medication, including:
- Gastrointestinal issues like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
- Constipation
- Stomach pain
- Headache
- Excessive burping
- Heartburn
- Fatigue
- Flatulence
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease
These most common side effects of Ozempic aren’t usually dangerous and may dissipate as you grow used to the medication. However, there is potential for more serious adverse effects, such as:
- Vision problems
- Swelling in the extremities
- Dizziness or fainting
- Reduced urination
- Rash
- Rapid heart rate
- Swelling of the throat, tongue, mouth, face, or eyes
- Problems swallowing or breathing
- Fever
- Yellow eyes or skin
- Chronic upper stomach pain
Wegovy, another brand name for semaglutide, may also cause damage to the retina, suicidal ideation, gallstones, pancreatitis, and acute kidney damage. Moreover, taking semaglutide can increase the chance of developing thyroid tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma. Speak with your doctor if you are experiencing any of the side effects listed above.
Ozempic Overdose: What to Know
The maximum recommended dose of Ozempic is 1 mg, injected once per week. Using too much Ozempic or taking it too frequently can lead to an overdose and increase the risk of harmful side effects. Taking another glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist can increase the risk of an overdose and dangerously low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia.
Signs of low blood sugar may include:
- Dizziness
- Weakness
- Confusion
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Excessive sweating
- Trembling
- Rapid heartbeat
- Hunger
Severe hypoglycemia may result in vision or coordination problems, extreme confusion, and even seizures. If you suspect someone has overdosed on semaglutide, call 911 immediately and stay by their side until first responders arrive. In the event of an Ozempic overdose, the person may need to be supervised and treated for an extended period since Ozempic’s half-life is about one week (meaning that’s how long it takes for the medication levels to be reduced to 50%).
The Connection Between Ozempic and Disordered Eating
Wegovy and Ozempic are everywhere, from catchy commercials and news articles to statements from celebrities like Elon Musk, Chelsea Handler, and Kim Kardashian, who have taken them for weight loss and publicly sung their praises. And if they can’t get a prescription, they may turn to social media to buy semaglutide from dealers, which can be dangerous since individuals can’t be sure what they’re buying and putting in their bodies.
This uptick in semaglutide popularity can be triggering for those who have struggled with disordered eating or full-blown eating disorders. Research has shown that media exposure, such as the trend and glorification of taking Ozempic as a weight loss drug, can increase the risk of disordered eating behaviors and symptoms.
Some people with eating disorders or patterns of disordered eating may misuse semaglutide (and other weight loss medications) for weight management since this medication can reduce appetite and caloric intake. However, this can be risky, especially for those with anorexia nervosa who may already significantly restrict their food intake-it could increase the likelihood of undernutrition and its many dangerous consequences, such as:
- Reduced muscle functioning
- Electrolyte disturbances
- Reduced kidney functioning
- Chronic gastrointestinal issues
- Colon malfunctioning
- Increased risk of infection
- Depression and anxiety
Furthermore, Ozempic is commonly prescribed for people with type 2 diabetes, and type 2 diabetes is associated with eating disorders, especially binge eating disorder (BED). Research indicates that binge eating disorder is found in up to 20% of people with type 2 diabetes.6 In this case, while being prescribed Ozempic or Wegovy may help people lose weight, it won’t address the underlying factors that can lead to binge eating disorder in the first place. This medication may also perpetuate weight cycling since research has shown that stopping use tends to result in regaining the lost weight.7 It's important to get therapy in order to address the underlying causes of an eating disorder.
Alternative Approaches to Weight Loss
But there are so many other ways to lose weight (and improve the outlook for people with pre-diabetes and type2 diabetes) without the need for medications like Ozempic.
The side effects and long-term health problems that Ozempic can cause are in our opinion too many and the benefits too few for us to recommend it for MOST people. Yes you’ll lose weight in the short term but you are storing up health problems in the long term due to the loss of muscle. Ultimately Ozempic will leave most people worse off (less healthy over all) than if they had never started it in the first place. You want to lose weight, you want to look good and feel good. Of course we get that. But the meagre benefits of this drug can so easily be replicated without the need for medication.
Hailey's journey with weight loss proved challenging, leading her to seek professional help. That’s when a doctor introduced her to a medication that helps control appetite and reset one’s relationship with food.She found it easy to lose weight in her teens and early twenties but not anymore. She realised that she needed to do something so she could get fitter and enjoy time with her son - and also for herself as well. Having seen some elderly relatives with pretty significant health problems related to weight, she decided that she needed to address it now, and not when it was too late. So she went to a doctor and they recommended a treatment. That was the turning point in her weight loss journey. It was brilliant.
She’s got an app that she uses to log her weight, get meal plans, and workout videos. It’s good because she don’t want to just be focussing on the injection as at some point, she’s going to stop taking it. She’s got to use it to help me change my habits and lifestyle. It’s not a quick fix. The treatment helps her to curb her cravings and drop the weight so it’s easier to exercise. But she’s got to use those changes to rewire her eating and exercise habits if she want to keep the weight off long-term.
In terms of actual appetite, it was the next day. In terms of physical health, and losing weight, it was around a month later. She went to put something on and realised it was feeling loose. Her husband pointed out that she wasn’t snoring at night anymore and she was feeling lighter just walking around. It was little bits like that over 4 to 8 weeks that she noticed the weight loss. Over the last nine months, she’ve dropped around 26 kilos which is a good three dress sizes.
She’s always used food as a coping mechanism and she think the best thing to come out of using the medication has been the way it’s changed her relationship with food. She still enjoy it but she don’t get fixated on it anymore. If she’s had a stressful day at work, she don’t come home and straight away binge on junk food. Instead, she might get a small snack, feel full, and then she’s not thinking about eating more. This is the first time she’s ever felt like that. Now, if she’s stressed out but not hungry, she’ll go to the gym, for a walk, or find something to do that’s not food-related to decompress. It’s been helpful to learn how to manage her emotions without binge eating. It’s rewired her relationship with food where now she eat to stay alive rather than to fill a massive void.
It’s been really good to go out and do things that she couldn’t bring herself to do when she was overweight - like going to the park or pool with her son. He gets really excited because he sees that his mum wants to go out and do stuff with him. Her social life is better too. She actually want to go out and see her friends. Weirdly enough, feeling more confident has helped with work too, even though her actual weight has nothing to do with it (she just sit at a desk and type numbers), she just feel more confident overall. It’s also helped her sleep because she’s not snoring as much and waking herself up. Her throat doesn’t hurt and her joints aren’t as painful throughout the night. She’s waking up feeling more refreshed which has a positive impact on the rest of her day.
There have been times when she’s been frustrated, mostly about the cost and doing the shots, but she just remind herself why she’s doing it. She has a piece of clothing from when she was at her starting weight and she ask herself do she want to get back to that - absolutely not! When it comes to the cost, it sucks but it’s cheaper than ending up with the whole array of health issues that come with being overweight. She sometimes have to remind herself that she’s not just doing this to look nicer in clothes, it’s to prolong her life and be able to go out and do things and be healthier as a whole.