Is Ozempic Safe? Seattle Eating Disorder Clinicians Weigh In.
Is Ozempic safe?
Written by Rebecca Mendelson & Grace Lautman
We don’t advise our clients to use drugs like Ozempic due to the severity of side effects/risks, the disruption of normal appetite signals, and due to our strong committment to advocate on behalf of body diversity and normalize all body sizes.
Our clients know that we will talk to you all day about the real impacts of weight stigmatizing health care, and the challenges of letting go of weight control and the pursuit of a thinner body especially if you’re in a larger body to begin with. So while we have boatloads of empathy around why someone would want to use weight loss drugs, we don’t subscribe to the notion that pursuing diets or weight loss is in people’s best interest.
What is Ozempic?
Ozempic, or Semaglutide, recently gained public attention and is a medication used to treat adults with type 2 diabetes in order to improve blood sugar control through a weekly injectable. Ozempic mimics a natural hormone in the body that stimulates insulin secretion (a hormone that helps reduce blood sugar levels). This drug can be beneficial in helping diabetic patients manage blood sugar, as research shows long-term benefits within a comprehensive diabetes management plan…so why is it being used for weight loss?!
As the medication has gained popularity it’s been dangerously twisted into a weight-loss drug due to some of its appetite-suppressing effects. To someone eager to lose weight in order to feel better about themselves and/or to adhere to their doctor’s recommendations to lose weight (we have a course for you), an appetite suppressant is incredibly enticing. But just like drinking water when you’re hungry (we don’t recommend this), this is confusing to the body and only further exacerbates disordered eating patterns…including binge eating!
In this article, we explore the most common side effects and risks associated with Ozempic, highlighting how society's obsession with weight loss has dangerously rebranded it as a diet drug. Additionally, we delve into a medication created based off of Ozempic known as Wegovy: a drug that reflects the pervasive influence of diet culture.
What are common side effects of taking ozempic?
It is not uncommon for an individual taking Ozempic to experience side effects of nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain, and vomiting–but they can be as harmful as thyroid tumors, including cancer.
These are important to note, because taking this drug has major risks and can have seriously harmful impacts to health. But within the conversation of side effects is one more that has made Ozempic the drug it is today: weight loss.
Using Ozempic for its appetite suppressing side effect is a dangerous idea as it was never intended to be a weight loss drug and still isn’t to this day.
Beyond the several risky side effects that come with taking Ozempic, it's critical to also consider that the weight loss side effect is impermanent (as is ~97% of all weight loss). A study out of Columbia University highlights that treatment with medication such as Ozempic is a lifelong commitment, and discontinuation of the drug will lead to weight regain. Using this medication as a weight loss drug lifelong puts you at great risk for developing one of the side effects mentioned above and potentially developing much more severe diseases.
What are the risks of taking ozempic?
Using Ozempic puts you at risk for pancreatitis (inflammation of your pancreas), vision loss, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), kidney failure, serious allergic reactions, and gallbladder problems. Many of these complications are irreversible and require urgent medical attention. Ozempic also alters appetite in a way that can make it very challenging to meet nutritional needs, and stay out of the restrict-binge cycle. We work hard with our clients to get them back in touch with their hunger signals, and to learn to trust their body and feed it appropriately. Drugs like Ozempic completely go against the process of re-building body trust.
The risks of taking ozempic are all the above, plus eating disorder development or relapse! One should only take Ozempic if prescribed by their healthcare provider for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and physicians should be well tuned into the serious risks (not “beneficial side effect”) of appetite suppression, weight loss, and disordered eating.
What is the difference between Ozempic and Wegovy?
As discussed earlier, the main ingredient, Semaglutide, slows digestion, making individuals feel full for longer periods of time and many individuals using this medication have experienced weight loss as a side effect. Since this sparked society's interest it led to the creation of another medication mimicking that of Ozempic: Wegovy.
In simple terms, Wegovy uses the same active ingredient, Semaglutide, just in higher dosages, and has been rebranded specifically for weight loss rather than diabetes treatment. This is very problematic–by removing the focus of type 2 diabetes treatment the diet industry has allowed yet again, higher weight individuals to be marketed to in an unhealthy and stigmatizing way. Wegovy has simply emphasized the need for unnecessary weight loss. It is easy to say that the production of this medication is purely a product of diet culture. It is critical to remember that individuals using Wegovy are just as prone to risks as those taking Ozempic, as one is not a better alternative.
Do not let the media's glamorization of these medications make you believe either is right for you without having had a proper discussion with a healthcare provider who understands the risks of appetite suppression and who is working to actually ensure food intake is appropriate and consistent and the goal ISN’T weight loss. Society has once again perpetuated a menacing notion that living in a larger body is negative. The truth is that society and the medical and pharmaceutical industry perpetuate weight stigma and continue to perpetuate the harmful idea that achieving a lower weight is of the utmost importance in life and in health. We disagree and are fatigued at seeing our larger bodied/ fat identifying clients go to the doctor for support with a sinus infection only to find themselves caught in a conversation about weight loss.
Should someone with an eating disorder history take Ozempic?
We do not recommend taking Ozempic if you have disordered eating or an eating disorder, including binge eating disorder. These drugs are being glamorized by the media when they were not intended for weight loss and they come with serious risks. Not to mention they are contributing to an industry that preys on body insecurity and larger bodied individuals.
For individuals living with an eating disorder, these drugs and the media attention around them can be very triggering. If you are thinking about using Ozempic to lose weight, remember it was never intended for this purpose, and there are serious side effects. Using these drugs for weight loss puts a body through so much unnecessary stress and puts your wellbeing and eating disorder recovery in jeopardy. Engaging with a drug like this involves engaging an extremely restrictive eating cycle due to appetite suppressing effects that can lead to hormone disruption, bone loss, organ damage and much more.
Within eating disorder recovery, we take a pivotal step as we challenge diet culture, and remove the focus of weight loss and the idealization of a thinner body. Even though Ozempic may seem like the right option this is yet another diet drug (that could very likely be pulled from the market years from now like so many others!) colluding with society's false narrative around the prioritization of weight loss.
We encourage you to take a step back and prioritize the bigger picture of your health and wellbeing. If you or your loved one is living with an eating disorder and considering using Ozempic, or struggling with off-label drug use, you are not alone! Talk to your eating disorder clinician if you are wondering about Ozempic, or seek support/find care.
Here are some of the first resources you can look toward to begin your recovery journey:
National Eating Disorders Association: Call or text the helpline at (800) 931-2237, or visit the website to chat online / or click here for local treatment options.
National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders: Call the helpline at (888) 375-7767. Visit the website to learn about support groups and local resources.
211: Call 211 to speak to someone who can give you a referral for help. Visit the website to learn more.
Sources
https://www.ozempic.com/how-to-take/side-effects.html
https://columbiasurgery.org/news/ozempic-effect-everything-you-need-know-about-medical-weight-loss
https://weightandhealthcare.substack.com/p/weight-loss-drugs-part-3-wegovy-and
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/ozempic-and-eating-disorder-risks#How-to-cope-with-triggers-
