Weight loss drugs are a hit in the US despite their price and side effects

4 Jul (EFE).- An injectable drug called Ozempic, the brand name of a product originally intended to treat type 2 diabetes, has gained enormous popularity for its weight-loss effects among both the Hollywood elite and the rest of us, despite its high price and possible side effects that have not yet been sufficiently studied.

One of the effects of this drug, which belongs to a group known as GLP-1 agonists, is that it transmits the feeling of satiety after eating.

Ozempic, which has to be injected once a week, is the best known, but there are other similar drugs, such as Mounjaro or Wegovy, the latter approved for the specific purpose of combating obesity.

Defenders among the famous

Celebrities who have claimed to use this type of medication include the richest person in the world, Elon Musk, actress Rebel Wilson – who has lost more than 35 kilos – and presenter Oprah Winfrey. They have all said that they have achieved their ideal weight by combining this medication with a healthy diet and exercise.

“In my entire life, I never dreamed we’d be talking about medications that bring hope to people like me who have struggled for years with overweight and obesity,” the host said in March on an ABC show titled “Oprah: Shame, Guilt and the Weight Loss Revolution.”
Other celebrities who have lost a lot of weight deny having used this drug to slim down their figure. This is the case of Khloe Kardashian who said on Instagram at the beginning of the year: “Let’s not discredit my years of exercise. I get up 5 days a week at 6 to work out. Please stop making assumptions.”

From $900 to $1,400 a month

The effects of these drugs are not only visible on magazine covers. On the social network TikTok, there are more than 92,000 videos with the hashtag #Ozempic.

Without insurance to cover the cost – which is difficult to obtain if the user does not have diabetes or obesity, since some insurers consider these drugs to be cosmetic medications – these medications cost between $900 and $1,400 a month.

Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, warned the New York Times that these drugs could increase healthcare spending in the country by 50%.

Does Ozempic increase fertility?

Side effects include diarrhea and nausea, although some experts warn that, as it is a new drug, over time, other effects could be discovered in some patients.

Some women have taken to social media to say they have become pregnant while taking these types of drugs, even while on the contraceptive pill or after being diagnosed with infertility.

Several scientists told Nature that the reports are plausible and that they have different hypotheses about why the drugs boost fertility, but until more data is available, the exact mechanism remains unknown.

Eli Lilly, one of the companies behind these types of medications, advises people taking oral contraceptives to use back-up birth control for four weeks after starting their medication or if they increase the dose.
Sarah Yanez-Richards