Toxic diet culture
What Parents Need to Know About Ozempic for Weight Loss
Parents Magazine - January 2023
The type 2 diabetes drug, Ozempic, has become a household name for weight loss because of social media. Here's what you should know about this dangerous trend and example of toxic diet culture.
Social media trends come and go, and sadly, so do weight loss trends. Allied Market Research valued weight loss sales in 2019 at $192.2 billion, with projections set to reach $295.3 billion by 2027. The diabetic medication Ozempic, developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, is currently making headway in the weight loss category with an average retail price of over a $1,000 a month for the weekly injection.
Sales of Ozempic recently shot up after market shortages and back orders of Wegovy, the FDA approved drug for long term weight management. Wegovy and Ozempic are both brand names for semaglutide, which suppresses the appetite, lowers glucagon and can lead to 15-20% loss of one's body weight. Both of these drugs have been the weight loss topic trend from TikTok influencers to celebrities, and these promotions across social media have led many young people to seek out a seemingly quick fix to lose weight. The rise in the drug's use for weight loss has resulted in a shortage of the drug for those who need it for their diabetes.