Never have the standards for what counts as beautiful been more exacting (and confusing) than they are today. On one hand we root for body positivity, trying to accept that the body can be many different shapes, to love ourselves for and in spite of its perceived flaws. On the other, we find ourselves bombarded with the subliminal message—from runway models and shopping apps, from celebrities and influencers, and filters that can give you a chiselled face and body in a second—that one kind of body actually is more preferable than all of the rest.
It’s no wonder then that Ozempic is a hot topic at the moment—the Kardashian flat tummy tea of current times, only more viral, and with way more legitimacy.
Reel is not real
Movies have conditioned us to love The Transformation. Nerdy girl turns pretty, a schoolgirl turns into a princess: we’ve been told that if we find a way to change ourselves, we’ll find our hearts’ true desire. Is this why weight loss pills, injections, tummy teas and such are so popular, this constant need to fix ourselves?
“I believe that we make these choices based on the relationship we have with ourselves. If that’s disturbed and we constantly feel the need to keep “fixing” things, “quick fixes” will always feel like a great idea,” says Rashi Chowdhary, nutritionist and founder at Nutrition in Sync and Plaay.
Ozempic treads a thin line between being a helpful aid for diabetics and miracle weight loss cure, making the conversation surrounding it that much more complicated. We try to get down to the brass tacks.
What is it
Ozempic is one of the brand names under which the drug semaglutide is sold. Semaglutide is prescribed to people with type 2 diabetes to manage blood sugar. Wegovy, another brand of the drug, is approved by the FDA for long-term weight management in adults with obesity (Ozempic isn’t, but off-label use is common, as evidenced by the recent headlines). Both need to be injected under the skin, usually as a weekly dose.
What it does
Without getting very technical, the drug mimics GLP-1, a hormone present naturally in our body and stimulates insulin secretion in the body, thus reducing blood sugar.
It also slows down the movement of food through your gut, making you feel full faster and keeping you satiated for longer. Additionally, it decreases appetite, which, along with the previous point, aids weight loss.
The good
In certain cases, type 2 diabetes and obesity can lead to life-threatening complications like heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. While medical sources underline that the drug is not a cure, semaglutide can be prescribed along with (and this is important) exercise and a healthy diet to manage these conditions and avert the risks. In a recent article titled ‘Mounjaro and me’ for The Cut, writer Samhita Mukhopadhyay beautifully captures the nuances of trying to reconcile body positivity with weight-related health concerns; her journey with Mounjaro, another weight loss injectable; and the guilt and eventual acceptance of her weight loss.
The bad
While it’s not without its merits, the concerns are with the popularity of its off-label usage. Variety called it the “worst kept secret in Hollywood”, in an article that detailed how easy it was to procure for non-diabetic users from doctors and nutritionists, and even at medical spas.
Using the drug is not without its issues. According to Chowdhary, drastically reducing your food intake also means a drastic decrease in nutrients. "Our body cannot run efficiently for too long without efficient and sufficient amounts of nutrients.” Your nervous system is affected too. “It can treat quick weight loss as stress and keep you in fight or flight mode, which will eventually lead to autoimmune conditions.” GI tract issues are another side effect of these drugs. You will see vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation and gas commonly listed alongside the benefits of semaglutide.
“Quick weight loss always comes with a price tag. You could be skinny, but what’s the point if you develop a thyroid abnormality or land up with alopecia, where you have unstoppable hair fall. You are essentially robbing off your body of essential nutrients that your body needs in the long run,” says Chowdhary.
No shortcut to health
Thanks to endorsements from celebrities, billionaire entrepreneurs and influencers on TikTok for its “miraculous” weight loss abilities, Ozempic has piqued the collective curiosity of everyone who has ever struggled with their body image, which in the age of Instagram, is most of us.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of an instant cure, but when it comes to the body, there rarely is one. Diseases don’t appear overnight; they affect your system gradually, and are best addressed through sustainable, long term changes. Medicines are vital—vaccines, insulin, and other products of modern medicine are life-saving—but they can’t erase what unhealthy habits can do to your body.
She concludes, “Whether it’s diabetes or weight loss or PCOS or issues with fertility, most often the answer lies in your lifestyle, what you choose to do on a daily basis, the way you think about yourself and your health, plus things like your belief system and the emotional gunk you don’t want to let go off. If we start understanding the deep connection all of these things have over our health, we will stop using medication as the first line of action.”