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Ozempic is 🔥
Obesity is a Disease. Weight Loss is the Cure!
Avi Jayaprabalan
April 02, 2025
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“Body positivity is dead” - Dr. Jon Schram
Summary 📝
Oprah Winfrey called Ozempic a “gift” 🎁✨
Ozempic became the most searched weight loss drug, outpacing its nearest competitor by 300% 🔍📊
Will my genetics make it harder to lose weight? 🧬🤔
How does Ozempic work? 💉
Benefits of Ozempic - Diabetes 🩺, Obesity ⚖️, Anti-aging ⏳, Addictions 🚫
Oprah Winfrey called Ozempic a “Gift”. Is it really?
The science behind weight loss drugs and why they matter:
For decades we were told that losing weight was simple: eat less, move more. This is not true anymore. Obesity isn’t just willpower. It’s deeply rooted in GENETICS!
Some people struggle with weight no matter how much they diet or exercise. This is because our bodies fight back against weight loss. Evolution has designed us to maintain a stable weight, even when we cut calories. This is why losing weight and maintaining our figure is incredibly difficult.
And that’s where GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic come in.
The struggle to lose weight has always been challenging, but the COVID-19 pandemic intensified the urgency. With obesity increasing the risk of death, the demand for effective weight-loss drugs surged. This, coupled with supply shortages, made GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic scarce on pharmacy selves.
Ozempic is not the first weight-loss drug, nor is it the only one. Weight loss drugs have been around for over 2 decades. But what set Ozempic apart was the ‘Tiktok Effect’ and celebrity endorsements. When high-profile figures like Oprah Winfrey shared their dramatic weight-loss transformations, demand for Ozempic skyrocketed, giving the Danish pharmaceutical giant, Novo Nordisk, billions in free publicity.
This hype caused Novo Nordisk’s valuation to rise to over USD500 billion at its peak, which was higher than the entire GDP of Denmark, the country where the company was based.
How Does Ozempic work?
Ozempic is a GLP-1 receptor agonist injected weekly. It affects multiple systems in the body to:
✅ Suppress Hunger
✅ Increase Satiety
✅ Boost Metabolism
In the brain, the drug reduces cravings and enhances the feeling of fullness, which naturally leads to lower calorie intake.
Ozempic’s Unexpected Benefits
Ozempic is not just a weight loss drug. It is changing medicine in surprising ways.
🚀 Diabetes Prevention - Originally developed as a first-line therapy for type 2 diabetes, Ozempic lowers blood glucose levels. Ozempic works by increasing insulin secretion while simultaneously blocking glucagon production, helping lower blood sugar levels.
Interestingly, one of Ozempic’s unintended side effects was appetite suppression. This led to widespread use among non-diabetics with obesity, who saw it as a powerful weight-loss tool.
🧬 Anti-Aging Potential - Some doctors prescribe Ozempic for its anti-aging effects. A recent (yet to be peer-reviewed) study on mice found it enhanced physical and cognitive function. But could it slow aging in humans? We don’t know. These findings are preliminary and further research is needed.
As people age, the rate of autophagy (the body’s process of clearing out old and damaged cells) slows down. The cellular overgrowth contributes to wrinkles and sagging skin. GLP-1 agonists, like Ozempic, have been found to upregulate cell turnover, promoting the removal of older cells and potentially improving skin appearance.
This potential anti-aging effect has led some doctors to prescribe Ozempic to otherwise healthy patients, not for weight loss, but as a longevity treatment.
It is important to note these studies have only been done on mice, not humans. The long-term effects of taking the drug for its anti-aging effects are also not yet fully known.
🔥 Inflammation and Cancer - Research suggests that Ozempic helps lower inflammation, which may contribute to improved kidney and heart function. As a result, scientists are also looking into its potential role in limiting tumour growth, as inflammation is a key factor in cancer progression.
🍷 Addiction Control - Clinical trials show that Ozempic can reduce alcohol cravings and overall consumption by almost 30%. Ozempic has been found to influence decision-making and impulse control, which may explain its benefits for addiction treatment.
By altering brain chemistry, it helps reduce cravings, not just for food, but also for substances like sugar, nicotine, and even opioids. This cognitive shift is why Ozempic and similar drugs are being explored as potential treatments for addiction.
🏥 Other Uses - Beyond its well-known effects, Ozempic has also shown promise in treating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and polycystic ovary syndrome (POCS). However, research in these areas is still in its early phases.
The Price of a Miracle Drug 💰
Ozempic’s price varies widely by country. In Australia, 4 shots (for a month), costs around $80. In the US? Almost $1000. Why?
Because the US does not negotiate drug prices like other countries do.
The same injection costs more than 10X as much in the US compared to Australia.
In 2022, nearly 65% of Novo Nordisk’s revenue came from Ozempic sales in the US alone.
This significant price difference is partly due to the high demand for Ozempic in the US. Around 10% of the US population is using Ozempic, and the country also has a higher obesity rate compared to most other nations, 33% of Americans are obese, far above the global average of 17.1%.
This increased demand, combined with the widespread need for the drug, contributes to the steep price difference. The drug’s success is largely driven by the growing obesity epidemic. There are now twice as many people who are obese as those who are starving worldwide.
The Downside: Side Effects & Risks
Ozempic is not perfect. People who’d like to lose a lot of weight might need to take weight loss drugs for a long time. This is concerning because the long term effects of Ozempic are not known.
Some physicians still debate its usefulness. This is because of its side effects.
These side effects are typically mild and include:
😖 Nausea (15-20%)
🤢 Vomiting (10%)
💩 Diarrhoea/Constipation (15%)
🚰 Dehydration
More serious (but rarer) risks include:
⚠️ Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar)
⚠️ Pancreatitis
⚠️ Kidney Problems
Athletes in weight-sensitive sports may misuse Ozempic to lower body weight for a competitive advantage, especially in sports like boxing and gymnastics, where a lower weight is beneficial. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has added semaglutide, Ozempic’s active ingredient, to its 2025 monitoring list due to concerns about potential misuse in sports.
Should You Take it?
Ozempic is not a magic pill (or injection). Even if you use it, maintaining a healthy diet and exercise is key to long-term weight loss.
This can be done by:
➡️ High-fiber diets that help reduce cholesterol absorption in the gut.
➡️ Strength training to prevent muscle loss while losing fat.
In summary, while Ozempic is generally safe for its approved uses, it can cause some serious side effects in some individuals. If you’re considering Ozempic, consult a doctor.
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