TikTok influencer Remi Bader has detailed her experience with Ozempic, a type 2 diabetes medicine, as the injectable becomes the internet’s next diet craze.
The 27-year-old TikTok celebrity, who has 2.2 million followers, recently featured on Amanda Hirsch’s Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast, where she discussed being prescribed the diabetic medicine “before it was trendy.”
“I’m, like, almost annoyed that it’s this trendy thing now, when I went on it for actual issues,” Bader told Hirsch.
- Khloe Kardashian denies using diabetes drug for weight loss after TikTok posts sparked shortages
- Negative diet culture and unrealistic body images promoted on TikTok, study suggests
The plus-size model explained that her doctor had recommended she try Ozempic, shortly after it was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2020, for her prediabetes, insulin resistance, and weight gain.
Bader has mixed views regarding Ozempic since her binge eating intensified when she stopped taking the once-weekly injection.
“I saw a doctor and they were like, ‘It’s 100% because you went on Ozempic,’ because it was making me think I wasn’t hungry,” she explained. “I lost some weight. I didn’t want to be obsessed with being on it long-term, and I was like, ‘I bet the second I go off, I’m going to get starving again,’ and I did.”
“I gained double the weight back after.”
Ozempic is a relatively new drug that has been shown to be just as effective at reducing body weight as certain weight loss surgeries in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Ozempic, which is the brand name for semaglutide, works by mimicking a hormone that regulates appetite to create the feeling of fullness.
Ozempic has been trending on social media platforms, particularly TikTok, as many celebrities have been rumoured to use the diabetes medication as a quick weight loss fix.
Because of its popularity as a “off-prescription” diet pill, there is a global scarcity of Ozempic, leaving those with diabetes who require the prescription without it.
- Experts concerned TikTok glorifies eating disorders
- Man puts type 2 diabetes into remission 23 years since diagnosis
The usage of Ozempic as a weight reduction supplement is worrisome, as it is not intended for that purpose. The drug is meant for persons with Type 2 diabetes, and patients should contact with their healthcare professional before taking any prescription, especially if they have pre-existing health concerns.
Furthermore, utilising Ozempic in this manner raises ethical concerns since it takes medication away from individuals who actually require it.
