26 May 2024 , 07:00
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Celebrities have been urged to think again if they want to use Ozempic for weight loss.
The drug has seen a rapid rise in usage for people looking to shed the pounds with the active ingredient in Ozempic, semaglutide, used to fight against obesity.’ Among those admitting to have used the drug are Amy Schumer, Sharon Osbourne and Heather Gay.
Despite this being the case, Ozempic is only indicated for diabetes and it is only indicated for the treatment of adults with insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus as an adjunct to diet and exercise. Experts insist the use of Ozempic as a weight-management medication would be considered ‘off-label’.
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Amy Schumer opened up on her Ozempic use (Variety via Getty Images)
As did Sharon Osbourne (Dave Benett/Getty Images)Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, Dr Heather Hinshelwood, owner and chief medical officer for the Fraum Center, labelled Ozempic a "lifesaver" when used for the correct reasons. "For my patients with complicated medical issues such as cardiovascular disease, perimenopause, diabetes with chronic kidney disease, and even patients showing signs of early dementia, Ozempic, and the generic form of it, semaglutide, is literally a lifesaver," she said.
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"That being said, while I am not in the entertainment industry and do not care for any patients in that industry, it seems to me that celebrities who are using the medication are using it to maintain their weight at a very unhealthy level. That is not what the drug is intended for. Our food intake provides critical nutrients to maintain our bodies functioning at optimal levels. Without adequate nutritional intake, vitamin deficiencies, protein, deficiencies, fat deficiencies, and glucose deficiencies set in and lead to health issues that rival morbid obesity in their severity.
"Our bodies need vitamins, protein, healthy, carbohydrates, and healthy fats to maintain the function of our muscles, nerves, brains, etc. as a physician, it is my hope that all of us maintain a healthy lifestyle. Hopefully one day all of us can find some balance and joy in a healthy, functioning body, even if that does not meet the Hollywood beauty ideal standard."
PR expert to the stars Jane Owen agrees, but says the celebrity world is hellbent on gaining their confidence, with their appearance playing a huge fact. "I know a lot of people look at celebrities and think 'they are so beautiful or fit they must have amazing confidence' but that's only very rarely true," she confessed.
"Most celebrities are extremely unconfident and feel extreme pressure internally and externally to achieve an extreme version of themselves. It's common for agents and managers, even producers to put pressure on actresses and even actors to lose weight for roles, or to get roles. Additionally if you get photographed every day then you are going to be super conscious of how you look in photos (like we all are), it can be easy to become obsessed with how you appear and that can lead to things like plastic surgery and crazy diets."
She went on to explain her worries about using the drug, adding: "An 'easy fix' solution like Ozempic is all too attractive and it is no surprise that it's taken off like it has in the Hollywood circle, I'm extremely worried there will be more serious long term consequences that we don't know about yet. I hope that one day Hollywood will become more forgiving and people will learn to see flaws as beauty and accept all body types, but sadly it's not today."