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30
“It Is Cheating”: Before-And-After Post Sparks Backlash, As Ozempic Becomes The Flashpoint
If you’re not up to date on the latest Hollywood trends, many celebrities have admitted to using Ozempic. For the uninitiated, it’s an FDA-approved drug meant to treat Type 2 diabetes and kidney disease.
But because many renowned entertainment figures have made it their go-to solution for instant weight loss, it has started a widespread trend. This TikTok influencer is one of the many that followed suit, and she recently shared her transformation journey with the internet.
While many people showered her with compliments, many also didn’t hold back with their criticisms. Scroll through to see what they had to say.
RELATED:
Many Americans have turned to Ozempic as their go-to solution for instant weight loss
Image credits: amyinhalf
TikTok influencer Amyinhalf is one of them, and she recently responded to criticisms
You will find her full post below, along with some of her old photos and screenshots from a previous video
@amyinhalf congratulations. #glp#pcos#bodytransformation#beforeandafter#insulinresistance#diabetes#pcosawareness♬ original sound – amy
Image credits: amyinhalf
Image credits: amyinhalf
Image credits: amyinhalf
Image credits: amyinhalf
Image credits: amyinhalf
Image credits: amyinhalf
Image credits: amyinhalf
Image credits: amyinhalf
Ozempic misuse can lead to adverse societal impacts
Image credits: Chemist4U / flickr (not the actual photo)
Misusing a prescription drug intended for an illness you don’t have may carry health repercussions.
While the common and less severe side effects include nausea, gastrointestinal issues, and the “Ozempic face” (e.g, wrinkles, sunken eyes, and “hollowed” features), the rare, yet worse outcomes are pancreatitis, gallbladder diseases, and diabetic retinopathy (a.k.a diabetes that threatens eyesight).
Yet, what isn’t often discussed are the societal impacts of Ozempic misuse. As noted by Columbia University psychiatry professor and bioethics expert Dr. Robert Klitzman, worsening health disparities due to financial challenges are a possible outcome.
“There’s also a risk that the excitement about these new medications might overshadow crucial public health efforts focused on prevention and lifestyle changes,” Dr. Klitzman said in an interview with the university publication.
According to Dr. Klitzman, the monthly cost of using medication like Ozempic ranges from $900 to $1,400. The hefty price tag limits access to wealthy individuals, depriving those in lower socioeconomic brackets and those who are in dire need.
Then, there are the economic implications, which Dr. Klitzman says may cause a spike in healthcare spending.
“This might strain public health budgets and shift resources away from other crucial services,” he explained.
It’s reasonable to attribute the misuse of Ozempic to celebrity influence. Fortunately, some of them have begun to speak out against what many believe is a concerning trend.
But according to Dr. Klitzman, policymakers play a significant role in regulation. He urges implementation of public health campaigns to promote a healthy lifestyle, improving access to nutritious foods, and creating environments that encourage physical activity.
“Efforts should be made to ensure equitable access to these medications,” he said.
People in the comments didn’t hold back, with some calling out her “cheating”
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What do you think ?
Kristiina Männiste 7 months ago
Well considering her shape she could have had diabetes or prediabetes so I think Ozempic is properly used in her case. And I say that as a person with type II diabetes. I had a far worse method for weight loss - i decided that I did not deserve to eat. Lost 22 kgs and was hospitalized for 2,5 weeks LOL So considering that, Ozempic is a far more prudent method for weight loss :D
Asri 7 months ago
Ozempic makes you have no appetite, so it's similar if not as drastic.
Load More Replies...
Damira Balent 7 months ago
I'm glad for her. If Ozempic was sold in supermarket for the price of 10$ EVERYBODY would be on it. Life is hard enough, you have job or jobs, kid or 2 or 3 of them, house to clean, meals to cook, people often don't have time for themselves. And loosing weight is a huge phisical and mental strain. Even with the ozempic she had to put in the work, it's not magic a magic pill, and 160lbs is not small amount to loose.
Red Wyvern Emperor 7 months ago
Not everyone can or is able to lose weight the "traditional way". Some people may call it cheating, but I say, it is far better to lose weight the "cheating" way, than to stay fat. If someone has the mental fortitude to lose weight naturally, more power to ya, but that doesn't mean those that do not should suffer.
Asri 7 months ago
This is especially true once you pass menopause. My doc put me on a specific diet (Galveston) that seemed to work best for her older ladies, and said if my compliance was high and still hadn't lost weight in 6 months, we'd talk about d***s. Because without the new habits, most people gain everything back and more after quitting it.
Load More Replies...
CP 7 months ago
If someone stops drinking alcohol with the help of Naltrexone, are they cheating?
Alexandra 7 months ago
My husband is a diabetic and uses Ozempic to battle his urge to binge. It works beautifully: he doesn't lose weight, he just doesn't gain anything. The downside is that Ozempic is being used for non-medical conditions, making it harder to obtain and the fact that you have to use it for the rest of your life. If you don't, for any reason, the weight will come back with a vengeance. As with any medicine, Ozempic has it's good sides and it's bad ones. As for this person losing so much weight, I never understood why you have to brag about that. Why not just lose the weight and just live your life?
Kate Jones 7 months ago (edited)
If you have depression and take anti-depressants, it's not 'cheating'. People who are 2-300lbs overweight-you don't get that way just because you have a lack of discipline, okay? I'm incredibly disciplined in every aspect except this. It's a crippling add-iction that affects your brain. It's not cheating to correct that imbalance. I think there's a misunderstanding about Ozempic being some kind of 'magic' shot. It doesn't burn the fat away. It simply turns off the constant thought of food. This is not something that a regular person/someone 20lbs overweight can understand. The people taking it who don't really need to are really the problem.(1)
Kate Jones 7 months ago (edited)
I think about food at all times. It's neverending. I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about food. Diet and exercise doesn't change *that*. NOTHING has ever changed that. Think of it as the difference between someone who can drink all the time--but isn't actually an alcoholic. I started taking Ozempic on a friend's rec and it simply turns off that nonstop thought. You end up losing a little bit of weight-like 10-20 pounds- simply because you aren't constantly feeding that voice in your head telling you to eat. But bigger weight loss comes from working out and exercising. It's not due to the shot. People look the way they do because it's the first time in their lives they don't have that intense need to eat in their minds that a lot of people can't understand. So they stop eating and their body reacts by dropping weight fast. But it isn't a drastic amount. That still takes the work. I don't care if you think it's cheating- it's the first relief some of us have ever gotten from that neverending need. (2)
Load More Replies...
Bookworm 7 months ago (edited)
Anyone who thinks ozempic is cheating is uneducated on this medication. GLP-1 meds change your digestive system causing side effects of varying strength, is very individualized so no one can predict how you'll respond, you have to jump through hoops to get it covered by insurance, and if it's not you pay a lot for it. Not to mention it doesn't work on its own. You have to change your diet (see side effects), exercise, stay away from sugary/fatty/spicy foods, increase your protein and fiber etc. it's not cheating. It's a tool when other methods have failed. And obesity is a disease just like diabetes. Many diabetics need to lose weight to help control diabetes so it's used for both. Anyone criticizing how another person, under their doctor's guidance, loses weight can f#ck off. So sick of people making weight loss a competition rather than the health issue it is.
Shannon Donnelly 7 months ago
The problem with these meds is that they aren’t being prescribed fairly in the US. They should be available to anyone whose doctor agrees that because of diabetes, kidney disease, or because or severe obesity, they would benefit from them and that would be enough. But it isn’t. People without health insurance or on Medicaid and other crappy insurance are being denied these meds because they’re expensive, while celebrities and wealthy individuals who DON’T need them for medical reasons but who have the money and unethical doctors willing to prescribe just so they can drop a few lbs are getting whatever they want. That’s where this sense of cheating and competition comes into play. It’s also why we have a hard time giving credit to people who lose weight with the help of medication. Because unless you’ve gone through that struggle yourself and know that even with medication it’s still an incredibly difficult process, in the United States, it’s still something that’s tied to being lucky enough to having the wealth/insurance to do so.
JenniB 7 months ago
I am a fence sitter here. I have two older family members on Ozempic for diabetes and neither has lost significant amounts of weight "magically" so the people losing so much must be putting in some work (i.e. dietary and fitness changes). On the other hand I hate that people are taking literal life saving prescriptions away from those who actually need it.
Lauren Wilder 7 months ago
The dosage is increased in people trying to loose weight.
Load More Replies... Kristiina Männiste 7 months ago
Well considering her shape she could have had diabetes or prediabetes so I think Ozempic is properly used in her case. And I say that as a person with type II diabetes. I had a far worse method for weight loss - i decided that I did not deserve to eat. Lost 22 kgs and was hospitalized for 2,5 weeks LOL So considering that, Ozempic is a far more prudent method for weight loss :D
Asri 7 months ago
Ozempic makes you have no appetite, so it's similar if not as drastic.
Load More Replies... Damira Balent 7 months ago
I'm glad for her. If Ozempic was sold in supermarket for the price of 10$ EVERYBODY would be on it. Life is hard enough, you have job or jobs, kid or 2 or 3 of them, house to clean, meals to cook, people often don't have time for themselves. And loosing weight is a huge phisical and mental strain. Even with the ozempic she had to put in the work, it's not magic a magic pill, and 160lbs is not small amount to loose.
Red Wyvern Emperor 7 months ago
Not everyone can or is able to lose weight the "traditional way". Some people may call it cheating, but I say, it is far better to lose weight the "cheating" way, than to stay fat. If someone has the mental fortitude to lose weight naturally, more power to ya, but that doesn't mean those that do not should suffer.
Asri 7 months ago
This is especially true once you pass menopause. My doc put me on a specific diet (Galveston) that seemed to work best for her older ladies, and said if my compliance was high and still hadn't lost weight in 6 months, we'd talk about d***s. Because without the new habits, most people gain everything back and more after quitting it.
Load More Replies... CP 7 months ago
If someone stops drinking alcohol with the help of Naltrexone, are they cheating?
Alexandra 7 months ago
My husband is a diabetic and uses Ozempic to battle his urge to binge. It works beautifully: he doesn't lose weight, he just doesn't gain anything. The downside is that Ozempic is being used for non-medical conditions, making it harder to obtain and the fact that you have to use it for the rest of your life. If you don't, for any reason, the weight will come back with a vengeance. As with any medicine, Ozempic has it's good sides and it's bad ones. As for this person losing so much weight, I never understood why you have to brag about that. Why not just lose the weight and just live your life?
Kate Jones 7 months ago (edited)
If you have depression and take anti-depressants, it's not 'cheating'. People who are 2-300lbs overweight-you don't get that way just because you have a lack of discipline, okay? I'm incredibly disciplined in every aspect except this. It's a crippling add-iction that affects your brain. It's not cheating to correct that imbalance. I think there's a misunderstanding about Ozempic being some kind of 'magic' shot. It doesn't burn the fat away. It simply turns off the constant thought of food. This is not something that a regular person/someone 20lbs overweight can understand. The people taking it who don't really need to are really the problem.(1)
Kate Jones 7 months ago (edited)
I think about food at all times. It's neverending. I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about food. Diet and exercise doesn't change *that*. NOTHING has ever changed that. Think of it as the difference between someone who can drink all the time--but isn't actually an alcoholic. I started taking Ozempic on a friend's rec and it simply turns off that nonstop thought. You end up losing a little bit of weight-like 10-20 pounds- simply because you aren't constantly feeding that voice in your head telling you to eat. But bigger weight loss comes from working out and exercising. It's not due to the shot. People look the way they do because it's the first time in their lives they don't have that intense need to eat in their minds that a lot of people can't understand. So they stop eating and their body reacts by dropping weight fast. But it isn't a drastic amount. That still takes the work. I don't care if you think it's cheating- it's the first relief some of us have ever gotten from that neverending need. (2)
Load More Replies... Bookworm 7 months ago (edited)
Anyone who thinks ozempic is cheating is uneducated on this medication. GLP-1 meds change your digestive system causing side effects of varying strength, is very individualized so no one can predict how you'll respond, you have to jump through hoops to get it covered by insurance, and if it's not you pay a lot for it. Not to mention it doesn't work on its own. You have to change your diet (see side effects), exercise, stay away from sugary/fatty/spicy foods, increase your protein and fiber etc. it's not cheating. It's a tool when other methods have failed. And obesity is a disease just like diabetes. Many diabetics need to lose weight to help control diabetes so it's used for both. Anyone criticizing how another person, under their doctor's guidance, loses weight can f#ck off. So sick of people making weight loss a competition rather than the health issue it is.
Shannon Donnelly 7 months ago
The problem with these meds is that they aren’t being prescribed fairly in the US. They should be available to anyone whose doctor agrees that because of diabetes, kidney disease, or because or severe obesity, they would benefit from them and that would be enough. But it isn’t. People without health insurance or on Medicaid and other crappy insurance are being denied these meds because they’re expensive, while celebrities and wealthy individuals who DON’T need them for medical reasons but who have the money and unethical doctors willing to prescribe just so they can drop a few lbs are getting whatever they want. That’s where this sense of cheating and competition comes into play. It’s also why we have a hard time giving credit to people who lose weight with the help of medication. Because unless you’ve gone through that struggle yourself and know that even with medication it’s still an incredibly difficult process, in the United States, it’s still something that’s tied to being lucky enough to having the wealth/insurance to do so.
JenniB 7 months ago
I am a fence sitter here. I have two older family members on Ozempic for diabetes and neither has lost significant amounts of weight "magically" so the people losing so much must be putting in some work (i.e. dietary and fitness changes). On the other hand I hate that people are taking literal life saving prescriptions away from those who actually need it.
Lauren Wilder 7 months ago
The dosage is increased in people trying to loose weight.
Load More Replies...
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