Celebrities Are Apparently Taking Ozempic, a Drug Intended for Diabetes, to Help Them Lose Weight Rapidly—But Is That Safe? - EatingWell

Every year, we look to beryllium presented with new solutions for value loss that committedness to assistance radical shed pounds rapidly. From the old-school grapefruit fare to the ever-popular keto diet, there's nary shortage of trendy diets to suffer weight—especially successful Hollywood. 

But now, alternatively of proceeding astir a trendy fare craze oregon an costly shingle that celebs and social-media influencers curse by to trim their tummies (many of whom conveniently permission retired the cardinal item that they enactment retired each time with trainers and person idiosyncratic chefs whipping up their meals), a medicine injectable medicine is present being touted arsenic a surefire solution for radical who privation to shed value with small effort. In fact, it is becoming truthful popular, that the hashtag "Ozempic" has been viewed astir 350 cardinal times connected TikTok. And it is rumored that galore celebrities, from Kim Kardashian to Mindy Kaling, are turning to this medication, too—although sources won't spill the beverage connected precisely which celebs person really utilized this injectable. It's important summation successful popularity has adjacent caused a shortage of the drug, perchance preventing radical who truly request it from accessing it, which is an contented successful itself.

Yet, portion this buzzy solution is taking the net and definite societal circles by storm, galore of america whitethorn beryllium unclear connected what Ozempic really is, and if it genuinely is the champion solution for value loss. 

What is Ozempic?

Ozempic is an FDA-approved medication that falls into a class called glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, oregon GLP-1 agonists, for short. This benignant of medicine activates GLP-1 receptors successful the pancreas, which leads to an summation successful insulin merchandise and reduced glucagon release, helping the assemblage spot little humor glucose levels. People are instructed to instrumentality this medicine erstwhile a week, arsenic prescribed by a wellness attraction provider. 

But this medicine doesn't lone impact the body's secretion complaint of insulin and glucagon—two hormones that interaction humor sugars. GLP-1 agonists, similar Ozempic, tin besides origin a reduced appetite and delayed glucose absorption owed to slower gastric emptying. And due to the fact that slower digestion keeps radical fuller for a longer time, that effect is wherever the value nonaccomplishment buzz comes into play. 

This people of medicine is meant to beryllium recommended successful operation with metformin, sulfonylureas, thiazolidinediones oregon basal insulin to heighten glucose control, portion offsetting the weight summation associated with utilizing supplemental insulin and immoderate of these different medicine options. Many wellness conditions thin to co-occur, and having obesity and diabetes are 2 hazard factors for cardiovascular disease, tackling these 2 factors with 1 medicine is simply a extremity galore radical person to assistance support their wellness in-check. 

According to the Ozempic website, "in adults with benignant 2 diabetes and known bosom disease, Ozempic reduces the hazard of large cardiovascular events specified arsenic stroke, bosom attack, oregon death".

So, Ozempic was designed to assistance radical negociate their humor sugars portion helping them debar excessive value summation erstwhile taking different medications. But, what if you don't person diabetes and you request to suffer weight? Can taking this medicine beryllium a solution for this colonisation too? 

"Obesity by itself (defined arsenic having a assemblage wide scale implicit 30 mg/kg2) is simply a chronic illness requiring lifelong management," Nina Crowley, Ph.D., RD, Professional Affiliations and Education Manager for Seca Medical Body Composition Division, shared. "So, portion radical who person a fewer pounds to suffer whitethorn beryllium attracted to a medicine similar Ozempic, determination is simply a wide favoritism betwixt desiring value nonaccomplishment and having the aesculapian information of obesity. And owed to FDA guidelines, Ozempic is simply a cause indicated for diabetes."

Is Using Ozempic Safe for Weight Loss?

While radical are leaning connected Ozempic for value nonaccomplishment and are seeing results, the Ozempic website intelligibly states that portion it whitethorn assistance you suffer immoderate weight, it is not for value loss. It besides contains the connection that "Ozempic is not a value nonaccomplishment drug." Clearly, the makers of this cause are not promoting the off-label usage of this medicine that has been the weight-loss solution galore radical are loving. 

Anecdotal and immoderate objective grounds suggests that radical without diabetes who instrumentality Ozempic thin to suffer weight. In fact, 1 survey published successful the New England Journal of Medicine evaluating astir 2,000 adults with a BMI of 30 oregon greater recovered that those who received this medicine portion pursuing definite steadfast manner interventions had an mean value nonaccomplishment of 14.9% from baseline, compared with an mean value nonaccomplishment of 2.4% successful the placebo group. It needs to beryllium mentioned that this survey was funded by Novo Nordisk, the shaper of Ozempic.

There is simply a batch of chatter successful the wellness satellite regarding the issues with and inaccuracies of the BMI scale, truthful its usage successful the supra study, and arsenic a measurement successful which healthcare providers prescribe medications specified arsenic Ozempic and Wegovy is concerning.

While the FDA has not approved Ozempic for value nonaccomplishment specifically, it has authorized Wegovy, a medicine made with a higher dose of the aforesaid chemical, for value nonaccomplishment enactment successful radical who are successful the overweight BMI class and person 1 weight-related aliment (like precocious humor pressure) and radical who are successful the obese BMI category. "Both usage pens to inject semagulatide, and gradually summation to a higher sustained dose based connected the idiosyncratic and tolerance," Crowley explained. 

Until the FDA authorizes Ozempic arsenic a harmless medicine for radical who bash not person diabetes and determination are much objective trials conducted to show this effect, wellness attraction providers tin not definitively accidental that this medicine is harmless for this population. 

It should besides beryllium noted that an April 2022 study showed that aft stopping Ozempic, astir radical regained two-thirds of the value they had initially lost. Blood pressure, cholesterin levels and different measures of wellness besides returned to what they were anterior to starting the drug. This survey suggests that successful bid to spot the wellness benefits of this cause successful the longterm, you request to enactment connected it indefinitely. As this cause was lone approved by the FDA successful 2017, determination isn't capable longterm probe showing if extended usage of this cause is safe.

Are There Side Effects Linked to Ozempic?

Every medicine we enactment successful our assemblage comes with imaginable broadside effects, immoderate being much concerning than others. 

Per the Ozempic website, utilizing this medication may origin superior broadside effects, including imaginable thyroid tumors, including cancer. Other superior broadside effects see pancreatitis, imaginativeness changes, debased humor sugar, kidney nonaccomplishment and gallbladder problems. 

The astir communal broadside effects of Ozempic may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, tummy (abdominal) symptom and constipation.

"Health attraction providers tin pb discussions connected hazard payment investigation of medications versus surviving with untreated diabetes oregon obesity oregon both," Crowley added. 

Bottom Line: How to Achieve Weight Loss Healthfully

High-profile celebs whitethorn beryllium amusive to ticker connected our screens and successful the tabloids, but leaning connected non-medical professionals isn't the mode to negociate your ain healthcare decisions. If your healthcare supplier recommends taking Ozempic for value nonaccomplishment support, portion managing a diabetes diagnosis and you are successful favour of pursuing suit, it is important to beryllium crystal wide of the imaginable broadside effects of doing truthful and weighting the risks versus the benefits earlier you instrumentality your archetypal shot. 

Whether you person diabetes oregon not and are trying to suffer value oregon amended you wellness successful immoderate way, cognize that determination are research-backed (and delicious) methods to assistance you beryllium steadfast for life, that don't necessitate medication. Focusing connected definite nutrients, eating anti-inflammatory foods and including exercise successful your regular habits tin assistance radical negociate their value successful a steadfast way, though it whitethorn instrumentality a longer clip to spot results than leaning connected the almighty and fashionable medication.