From juice cleanses and diet pills the media has seen it all; it has become increasingly common today for celebrities to promote harmful substances as solutions to achieving weight loss. The newest fad on the market is the drug Ozempic. What exactly is this drug you may ask, Ozempic is used for type 2 diabetes in adults to improve blood sugar levels and is also used to lower the risk of major cardiovascular events like stroke, heart attack or death. This drug is mainly used for adults with type 2 diabetes. In recent clinical trials, Ozempic has also been shown to help with weight loss.
Although currently, Ozempic is not an FDA-approved weight loss medicine; celebrities such as mobile app “X” CEO, Elon musk and TV show host Andy Cohen have vouched for the results shown by the use of the drug which has garnered more attention towards this “magical” drug. Although studies have shown the effectiveness of weight less through Ozempic, celebrities are not talking about the harmful effects nearly as much. The Ozempic stores website states that common side effects include: Nausea, Stomach (abdominal pain), Constipation, Diarrhea and Vomiting. Not only that, an article by Mayo Clinic has written down a list of about 50 more side effects that may occur through the use of Ozempic. Other doctors have also said the side effects can be so severe that people are admitted to the ER.
Some may argue that most medications can cause severe side effects in patients but the other huge issue with this obsession of Ozempic is the shortages that are being caused. People are taking this medication away from their targeted patients and are using it for less necessary treatments. Adults with Type 2 diabetes are having to fight over access to this important medication. In the New York Times article: “What is Ozempic?, and why is it getting so much attention?” It states that , “the rise in people using Ozempic off-label may be exacerbating the shortage, Dr. Narang said, noting that patients with diabetes and obesity are struggling to access it.”
This is just another example of poor influence in our society, young girls are being subjected to having poor body images due to looking up to toxic influencers online; causing them to feel insecure about themselves and thinking that these diets or drugs are the right thing to do.
