“Weight Loss TikTok Trend Triggers Shortage of Diabetic Medication”, 2022-10-31 ():
…All over TikTok, you’ll see weight loss journeys with exciting claims, and stunning before-and-after pictures. Influencers are bragging about losing weight thanks to a prescription medication that’s become a viral trend.
Ozempic is FDA approved for type two diabetes. The medication can improve blood sugar and manage the risk of major cardiovascular events. But it’s getting attention because it can also cause weight loss.
Pat Roach was prescribed Ozempic for her diabetes in March of last year. “I started as 188 pounds. I’m down to 154 now”, she says.
Another prescription medication called Wegovy contains the same compound as Ozempic, semaglutide. And last year, the FDA approved Wegovy for chronic weight management in adults with obesity. When recently asked about the secret to his fitter figure, billionaire Elon Musk tweeted “fasting and Wegovy.”
“I would ask everybody to take this with a grain of salt”, says Dr. Sadaf Mustafa of MedStar Health. “This medication should be used after you have a proper discussion with your provider.” Dr. Mustafa is an obesity specialist and says off-label prescriptions have gone up. That’s the unapproved use of an approved drug. Right now, there is a worldwide shortage of both Ozempic and Wegovy, which is expected to last into next year. “Manufacturing went down”, Dr. Mustafa says. “Usage went up, not only in diabetic population but also non-diabetic population. And also people with other metabolic problems, not diabetes.”
Dr. Mustafa says Ozempic can, at most, cause a 14-pound weight loss, while Wegovy can help shed 35 pounds. [Wrong. Mustafa is confusing the reports from the clinical trials of weight loss to date with an upper bound; it is a lower bound because of course the patients will keep taking it…] And you must also make lifestyle changes, diet and exercise.