Cover Medical equipment for diabetes patients (Photo: CR / Getty Images)
Medical equipment for diabetes patients (Photo: CR / Getty Images)
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What is Ozempic and why is it trending these days? Tatler takes a deep dive into this weight loss craze
“Everybody looks so great,” starts American television host Jimmy Kimmel in his opening speech at the 95th Oscars. “When I look around this room, I can’t help but wonder, ‘Is Ozempic right for me?’” It was March 2023 then, and the hype surrounding the famed drug made even more noise. Social media sites and trends had a field day and now, the Ozempic hashtag has accumulated 1.2 billion views (and counting) on TikTok alone.
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For some people who are conscious about their looks, a drug like Ozempic is a dream come true. Doctors are quick to rebut this, however, and insist that it is no “miracle” weight loss drug. According to a Filipino endocrinologist from St Luke’s Medical Center, Dr Aoo Felipe, the semaglutide, marketed as Ozempic, is a drug made for patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) to control their blood sugar. Weight loss is just a side effect, particularly due to its suppressive effects on appetite, which reduces hunger and increases satiety by slowing down digestion and creating the “feeling” of fullness.
“The Ozempic is one of the most talked-about injectable medications for diabetes nowadays. It’s used to control blood glucose in adult patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus, prompting the body to produce more insulin and reduce blood sugar,” Dr Antonio Pescador, a diplomate of the Philippine College of Endocrinology Diabetes and Metabolism and current chief of Victoriano Luna Medical Center’s Endocrinology Service, explains to Tatler.
Above Taking a shot (Photo: Getty Images)
Taking a shot (Photo: Getty Images)
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It is no surprise that the masses would be quick to conclude that it’s solely a weight loss hack though. Since time immemorial, society has labelled unrealistic body standards—which got worse when the era of social media, together with all the criticisms and hate—came. Suddenly knowing a drug can have a side effect of weight loss sounds too good to be true; it’s an instant solution to the weight problem!
Others ignore the side effects. The comedian Amy Schumer, in an episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, confessed that she hadn’t been able to cope with Ozempic’s side effects. “I felt sick,” she said, adding that she did get “so skinny” but felt also so ill that she couldn’t even throw a ball with her son.
In the Philippines, Ozempic is approved only for patients diagnosed with diabetes. “Another form of semaglutide available in the United States is Wegovy—which is approved for managing obesity even for the non-diabetic population. As of date, however, Wegovy is not yet available here in our country,” says Pescador.
These drugs (whether they may be Ozempic, Wevogy, or even Saxenda) do not entirely mean that you can use them just for the sake of losing weight, especially if you take them without the advice of a health professional. “People taking Ozempic for weight loss should be cautious and consult their endocrinologist first to make sure they are not at risk for any metabolic complications,” says Felipe. “How well these drugs work depends greatly on the mechanism of the drug and the person using the drug,” adds Pescador. “What works for others might not work for you.”
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“How well these drugs work depends greatly on the mechanism of the drug and the person using [it]. What works for others might not work for you.”
Additionally, not all patients who are overweight should take said meds. “For mildly overweight patients, we advise them of the advantages of modest weight loss and warn them against additional weight gain; for those with Body Mass Index [BMI] of >27 (or 25 for Asians) or those with comorbidities, we encourage them to be attentive to weight, provide dietary advice and offer access to nutritionists; we also give an approach to behavioural modification,” explains Pescador. “But for those with a BMI of >35 [32.5 for Asians], only then do we start pharmacotherapy through the use of weight loss drugs, especially if they have comorbidities and risk factors.”
A recent article in CNN reported a new study led by Dr Mahyar Etminan (an epidemiologist at the University of British Columbia), which suggests people taking Wegovy, Ozempic, Saxenda and Victoza may be at higher risk for serious digestive problems. This includes stomach paralysis, pancreatitis and bowel obstructions. The authors of the study also reiterate that these problems are not mild. Bowel obstructions, for example, can be medical emergencies.
At the end of the day, the best way to lose weight is to watch your food intake. “The core of weight loss still lies in the kitchen. Eighty per cent of weight loss happens in it, while the other 20 per cent happens through exercise,” says Felipe encouragingly.
“The core of weight loss still lies in the kitchen. Eighty per cent of weight loss happens in it, while the other 20 per cent happens through exercise.”
Maintaining a negative energy balance would definitely help you in the process. You have to focus on proper nutrition—eat slowly, drink lots of water and avoid sweetened food and beverages. “Consuming a higher fibre diet can make you satiate your hunger easily and keep you full longer, too. You also have to increase your energy expenditure by doing exercises, engaging in sports and living a more active lifestyle,” shares Pescador. Do something that makes you busy so that you don’t always think about eating. And, although an active lifestyle will help, adequate sleep and rest are necessary as well. Studies, after all, found that lack of sleep creates a hormonal imbalance that can eventually lead to weight gain.
“Weight loss drugs are safe, yes, provided you take them the right way and you have consulted your endocrinologist first,” advises Felipe. But it will also not happen without you exerting effort to attain it. Just like in every journey, you have to have the proper attitude and discipline to be able to reach your goal. It does not happen overnight.
“No matter what regimen you are in for weight loss, remember that it is not something that you get right and used to the first time. It is something you get better every time you do it—with or without these weight-loss drugs,” Pescador concludes.
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Angela Nicole Regis Guiral is the assistant digital editor of Tatler Philippines. She studied journalism and has since written features that look closely at how culture, lifestyle and social impact converge, while occasionally wandering into the worlds of style and travel.
