Man preparing semaglutide Ozempic injection.Photo: Getty
A doctor is warning people to steer clear of a TikTok trend that’s also popular in Hollywood circles which involves off-label use of prescription diabetes drugs for fast weight loss.
Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic, makes several brand-name drugs containing semaglutide, including Wegovy, which is FDA-approved for weight loss in people with obesity.
Recently, Ozempic and Wegovy have started trending across social media after TikTok users learned a number of celebrities have used the drugs for weight loss, even though they don’t have diabetes or clinical obesity.
Notably,Elon Musktweetedearlier this month that he used Wegovy for his recent slimdown. Bravo’sAndy Cohenalsotweetedabout the growing popularity of the drugs for weight loss.
However, Dr. Caroline Apovian, co-director of the Center for Weight Management and Wellness at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, warns that use of the Ozempic and Wegovy strictly for weight loss is causing less availability for “underserved” diabetic patients whose lives are at risk without the drugs.
“The Hollywood trend is concerning,” Apovian tells PEOPLE. “We’re not talking about stars who need to lose 10 pounds. We’re talking about people who are dying of obesity, are going to die of obesity.”
“You’re taking away from patients with diabetes,” she continues. “We have lifesaving drugs… and the United States public that really needs these drugs can’t get them.”
Apovian also notes that although “a third of obese patients will lose 20% of their body weight [on the drug],” using Ozempic or Wegovy for moderate weight loss is only a quick fix. “If you lose weight with a drug and you stop the drug, you’ll gain it back,” she adds.
The medications can also cause a number of side effects, including headaches, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, pancreatitis and kidney failure.
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source: people.com
