Everything you need to know about Ozempic and Wegovy, weight loss drugs

Sudden and extremely visible physical changes in celebrities have made people focus on Ozempic and Wegovy, certain diabetes and obesity medications that are used to lose weight quickly.

Semaglutide, the “secret ingredient” that helps you lose weight quickly, This first went viral during the Covid-19 pandemic, and since then, famous people who were obese or overweight have been seen with a renewed image.

Among them are Kelly Clarkson, Amy Schumer, Oprah Winfrey and Elon Musk.

But the experiences of “ordinary” people who used the drug and verified its results also began to circulate: They stopped feeling hungry during the day and therefore lost weight in a short time and consistently.

Thus, this visible phenomenon continues to be talked about on social networks on a daily basis. But, Do you know everything you need to know about Ozempic, Wegovy and semaglutide?

Semaglutide is a medication that mimics the natural hormone called GLP-1, which is produced after eating a food. It is the one who This tells our brain that we have already eaten and feel full.

In other words, when consuming or injecting semaglutide, The body stops feeling hungry and the digestion process slows down, leading to a calorie deficit which ultimately results in weight loss.

In addition, This medicine manages to lower blood sugar levels, This helps the pancreas produce more insulin.

Ozempic, from the company Nordisk was approved in 2017 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States for adults with type 2 diabetes, while Wegovy has been accepted for use in children 12 years and older and adults who are overweight or obese.

However, People who do not have diabetes or obesity take the drug to lose weight quickly, a habit that worries doctors and scientists.

As explained in an article from Deutsche Welle , Health experts are concerned that injections containing semaglutide are being misused. And it is made for the sick and not for those who want a “magic solution” to lose weight.

“It is not a medication that should be taken for cosmetic reasons” said the doctor Penny Ward from Kings College from London, to the same media.

Wegovy or Ozempic injection can cause various unwanted side effects as:

• Nausea.
• Vomiting.
• Stomach aches.
• Fatigue.
• Damage to kidney function.
• Gallstones.
• Pancreatitis.

According to the physiologist of Anglia Ruskin University in the United Kingdom, Simon Cork , Most symptoms a person may experience while using semaglutide are “mild and short-lived,” but some cases can become complicated.

So much so that Other, much more serious side effects, such as intestinal obstructions, pregnancy complications, and vision loss, have been reported.

For the doctor, most serious negative effects are due to people “take doses outside the clinical limits of medical prescription, either without authorization or by non-legitimate means”.

This is why Semaglutide-based medications “should only be taken by very obese patients at risk of major cardiovascular complications, and then only under close medical supervision.” » added Dr. Ward.

Ozempic and Wegovy have become extremely popular, but their price means few people can afford them. : in Chile at least, prices are between 200,000 and 300,000 dollars (sale only by medical prescription).

But following the boom in weight-loss drugs, THE World Health Organization (WHO) has already warned that fake versions of Ozempic and Wegovy are circulating, so you should be extremely careful when making your purchase.

In parallel, Other brands began filling physical and online stores with products, promising “fast” weight loss results. One of them was the company Kourtney Kardashian leave me who launched the GLP-1 Daily supplement containing lemon, saffron and orange.

However, at least this one does not contain the GLP-1 hormone in natural or synthetic form, so it does not have the same effects as Ozempic or Wegovy.

But it’s called that because it promises to “naturally increase the body’s production of GLP-1, reduce appetite, and promote healthy weight loss.”

Drs Cork and Ward warned that There is no evidence of its purported positive effects and they seem more “exaggerations” than “facts”.

“It is helpful to keep in mind that ‘brand ambassadors’ (or influencers) are often paid for their services in promoting a product,” Ward assured.

The specialist also added that “Many claims are being made, but none of them have been reviewed or approved by any regulatory authority and the studies cited are of limited quality. “There is no discussion of the safety profile, so it is not possible to know whether any side effects have been reported.”

The call from doctors is to consult a specialist if you suffer from obesity or diabetes, or even if you simply want to lose weight or reduce cardiovascular risk. AND Don’t “fall for” supplements that promise improvement but have little scientific backing.