For the past eight months, I have been getting injections of semaglutide, better known by its brand name, Ozempic. I haven’t been shy about it—I’ve written about my firsthand experience and discussed it with friends, family, and colleagues. Everyone I’ve spoken with has had follow-up questions and is curious to hear about my experience, with more than a handful of people booking their own consultation for the medication afterward. Some of these individuals were looking to shed their “COVID 15” weight gain, but most were people who, like me, had struggled to maintain their weight throughout their lives due to factors like preexisting medical conditions, disordered eating, and aging.
Despite the fact that GLP-1 agonist drugs like Ozempic have transformed lives, if you’ve read the news lately, you’d think that it was one of the most harmful medications ever to hit the market. Stories about “Ozempic face,” “Ozempic butt,” and even “Ozempic finger” are perpetually trending, as are those speculating about celebrities taking the medication. Remarks in these articles’ comment sections vilify Ozempic; I’ve even seen people writing that they “can’t wait for the horrible side effects of cancer to come out 10 years from now.” (Remember, this class of drugs has been on the market since 2014, when Saxenda aka liraglutide received FDA approval.) This drug is changing people’s lives for the better, but the shaming is unrelenting, so I asked both patients and providers (many of whom use Ozempic themselves) to share their experiences with the highly stigmatized medication.
Why do you think Ozempic is so stigmatized?
“Ozempic isn’t cheap, and perhaps there is a ‘haves and have-nots’ situation, which leads to some resentment. The first negative narrative was that Ozempic use by nondiabetics was somehow reducing supply for diabetics. But this was debunked, as any lack of supply was quickly corrected as market demands dictated. Next, it revolved around vanity, but there are always going to be naysayers or negative people. Some [stories] are laughable. A recent article said people’s rings are falling off because their fingers are now thinner. Is that person really concerned about this ‘side effect’—or, more accurately, is this a sign that the treatment is effective?” —Dr. David Shafer, a double board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City
“There’s a tendency in the media to somehow put down women on this medication who don’t have much weight to lose. There’s a sentiment of ‘these spoiled women have it all, they’re abusing these medications, taking them away from the diabetics who need them.’ My response to that is, don’t be sexist. When people frown upon this kind of behavior, they always speak about women—never men.” —Dr. Steven Batash, a board-certified gastroenterologist in Rego Park, New York
“The way that the media has portrayed semaglutide is that it is a drug for those who have the means to obtain it. That could be access to healthcare—in the USA, healthcare is portrayed as a privilege—or the funds to purchase the drug outright. People are so focused on the price tag, saying things like, ‘I wish I had an extra $900 a month to spend.’ It can seem like anyone with wealth is thin, and if they are not, they have the money and resources to ‘get skinny,’ be it via hiring private chefs or personal trainers. That almost creates a narrative of ‘in order to be thin, you have to be rich!’ This is the case with Ozempic—the rich, thin women of the world can access Ozempic because they can afford to buy it.” —Lala Sokolovic, Alberta, Canada
“The stigma surrounding semaglutide as a ‘cop-out’ on working hard to lose weight has been frustrating, to say the least. We live in a society where portion control of anything has always been an issue. We need more food, more drink, bigger TVs … we finally have something that helps curb the noise for food.” —Joe Baczewski, RN, founder of LIVation in Madison, Connecticut
“We’ve moralized weight and weight loss. If you’re overweight, it means you’re slovenly, lazy, you don’t take care of yourself, you have no self-control—and if you just fix these ‘bad’ behaviors, you’ll be thin or fit, and good. So if you take a medication that helps you lose weight, you haven’t ‘earned’ your goodness—you’ve cheated.” —Dana Omari-Harrell, RDN, Houston
“These drugs are stigmatized for the same reason obesity is stigmatized. We associate obesity with somebody who is lazy and not putting in the work—the same thing is happening with these medications. Unfortunately, we didn’t have anything to offer patients besides eating well and exercising more, but now, we have medications we can actually offer for treatment. Patients are still being stigmatized and blamed for ‘choosing the easy way out.’” —Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen, a board-certified endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist in New York City
How can losing weight with Ozempic affect overall health?
“There are so many medical benefits of this category of medication beyond simple weight loss—decreasing inflammation, improving cholesterol and blood pressure, managing PCOS—and now there are clinical studies for addiction, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and even for boosting the immune system, in hopes of fighting cancer.” —Dr. Salas-Whalen
“These medications change patients’ physical and mental health. The majority of my patients have struggled with their weight for most of their lives. For the first time, they feel that they don’t have to control every aspect of their life in regards to their weight. This can prevent more than 30 types of cancers, type 2 diabetes, and many chronic diseases like hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and arthritis. There are significant short and long-term improvements with these medications.” —Dr. Jessie Cheung, a board-certified dermatologist and regenerative medicine specialist in Chicago
“Studies suggest that reducing visceral belly fat, even by small amounts, drastically cuts down the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension, and the list goes on. Anecdotally, we have seen a number of our patients move from prediabetes blood values to normal values, being able to cut down or come off their blood pressure meds, and reductions in cholesterol lab work from using carnitine with our injections. If we are able to encourage better behavior by using a peptide that has no apparent adversity in the body, this will lead to better outcomes for patients losing weight—semaglutide provides an opportunity to galvanize better habits.” —Baczewski
How can we change the conversation about Ozempic and obesity?
“Obesity is not a lifestyle problem—it’s many different components, including genetics, hormones, aging, and environmental factors that can contribute to a person gaining weight or having difficulty with weight loss. We have to accept obesity as a true disease. In 1942, the World Health Organization classified obesity as a chronic disease, and it wasn’t until 2013 that the American Medical Association classified obesity as a chronic disease.” —Dr. Salas-Whalen
“What people refuse to understand, especially men, is that when it comes to weight management, it’s much harder for women. Hormone levels constantly fluctuate, after women have children, their metabolism slows down—and once they hit perimenopause, their metabolism completely falls off the cliff. You have a lot of women who lived at a BMI of 19 or 20, then after having kids, their BMI goes to 25, which is considered almost normal. But for her, the difference between a BMI of 19 and 25 is 40 pounds. An outsider may say her BMI is fine, but she feels overweight in her body. We shouldn’t be so rash to judge people. If a person is using Ozempic, it’s because for whatever reason, they’re not comfortable in their bodies and they want to lose a little weight.” —Dr. Batash
What has your experience been like with Ozempic?
“As far as side effects go and as a patient on Ozempic myself, I can say that Ozempic, by far, has the least side effects and most positive effects over any other diet medication I have tried. As someone who loves to eat and craves rich foods, Ozempic has been a godsend. While previously I could easily consume an entire large pizza, now I have a persistent full sensation after just a few bites. I have more time for my kids and things I enjoy doing as I spend less time eating. The financial benefits are substantial, as I spend significantly less money on food and deliveries. Interestingly, my cravings have switched from heavy, greasy foods to healthier ones, like salads and vegetables. I was never a salad person before taking Ozempic, and now I am. I am careful about balancing my diet, supplementing with vitamins, and staying well hydrated.” —Dr. Shafer
“Here in Canada, semaglutide prescriptions are not yet covered for weight loss, and because I am using it to lose weight, I have to pay out of pocket. I am using the drug to get myself back to a healthy body weight after having a baby, not to be a size 0. My weight loss has not been linear while on Ozempic. It definitely has helped, but it is not the cure for obesity or a quick fix to lose a large amount of weight. I see it as a tool I can use to help with cravings and overeating. I feel sick when I ingest sugar because it tastes so weird. This reminds me that when it is time to stop the weekly shot, I will have to continue to be strict in my routine or the weight will come back on.” —Sokolovic
“I tested semaglutide prior to offering it to patients, and I experienced a 30-pound weight loss over three months that did not require anything other than being mindful of food behavior. Six months later, I am down a total of 42 pounds and am able to maintain it taking the medication every two weeks. My wife and cofounder, Cindy, was able to lose over 30 pounds after plateauing from healthy eating and exercise alone.” —Baczewski
“A couple of months ago, I set up an appointment with a primary care doctor to talk about preventive health, since I have a family history of heart disease, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. When I spoke to her, I was 70 pounds overweight, with a cholesterol of 273. She suggested I start taking Wegovy. After six weeks at the lowest dosage, I’ve lost 16 pounds—and my cholesterol has dropped 40 points since my blood work last year. I’ve struggled with my weight my entire life and especially since having a child. In the past year, despite working with a personal trainer twice a week, averaging 12,000 steps a day, and watching my diet, I was only able to lose a few pounds. However, it has been remarkably easy to lose weight on Wegovy. I am a very open person, but I haven’t told my friends or posted online about taking the medication. I do think I have valid reasons for taking this medication to improve my health, but I don’t feel like having to explain those reasons.” —Jennifer D.*, New York City
“When I tried Ozempic, I was like the women who are most vilified in the media. I just wanted to lose 10 to 15 pounds—not obese but at a weight that wasn’t comfortable. I took it for about a month and got the desired effect. So many people said to me, ‘I can’t believe you’re losing weight. You don’t need to. You look fine.’ But I didn’t feel fine. Now that I’m lighter, I feel much better. Even though I’ve stopped taking Ozempic, my brain is a little bit more in tune with what’s happening in my stomach, whereas it wasn’t before. It’s also comforting to know that if I gain another 10 to 20 pounds, I have something that will help me get me back to where I want to be.” —Batash
“Honestly, I had absolutely nothing standing in the way of losing my COVID weight the ‘normal’ way, but Ozepmic helped me not feel hungry and therefore not focus on the fact that I was depriving myself of calories in order to lose weight. Once the weight started coming off, it truly motivated me to exercise more, eat better, and get back to my pre-COVID lifestyle. The confidence I gained getting back to my normal is worth any and every criticism I’ve faced doing this.” —Omari-Harrell
“I’ve struggled to manage my weight my entire life due to PCOS and genetic factors, which in turn has complicated my relationship with food. I’ve been on compounded semaglutide for eight months, and I can say without hesitation that this drug transformed my life and how I think about eating. I had a decent cardio routine well before I started semaglutide and saw no improvements to my weight, but since incorporating the medication into my life, I’ve lost over 25 pounds and have a new shape to my body, which has inspired me to take up barre to improve muscle tone and enhance my results. In addition to quieting food noise—I used to think about food for several hours a day—I’ve found that semaglutide has completely stabilized my mood. For a while, I thought I was imagining this, but I felt vindicated when I saw there is a clinical study underway regarding the treatment of cognitive dysfunction in those with major depressive disorder using semaglutide. While I do worry about what could happen when I wean off the medication when I get to the family planning stage of my life, it is a relief to know that semaglutide will be at my disposal in the future.” —Orofino
What are your followers saying and asking about Ozempic?
“The feedback I have gotten is very mixed—some people have outright accused me of taking away medication from those who needed it for their diabetes. Most have questions about cost and where to get it, and many people have thanked me for being open and honest, asking how I’ve dealt with nausea or expressing how helpful my videos have been.” —Sokolovic
“I have had numerous strangers contact me after reading my RealSelf articles about my experience with semaglutide, and I’m pleased to say that all the interactions have been very positive. Most have asked me for more information and my current progress, and I know of several who have gone on to try the drug themselves. It’s been refreshing to see that, despite all the clickbait published online, many people see the actual value in semaglutide. I’ve also made friends throughout this journey, and I know that others on the drug have too—weight loss is a struggle for so many, and to have a supportive community is invaluable for making lasting changes.” —Orofino
“Most of the feedback is positive, especially surrounding the transparency and resources I try to provide … as for the negative, many who were against it tended to come around. I had a very honest follower who said, ‘I was talking shit about it because I didn’t understand it and was jealous of everyone using it. But now that I’m on it, I see its value and love it. I was a hater just because I didn’t have access or knowledge.’ Other negatives tend to be what they’ve seen from dramatic article headlines without any nuance or understanding or they resort to good old-fashioned fatphobia, like, ‘just work out,’ as if I didn’t and don’t already. My favorites are the ones who have said they hope that I gain all the weight back. I’ve been completely off semaglutide for nearly six months and can proudly say I’ve very much maintained my weight.” —Omari-Harrell
