What people get wrong about Ozempic
We debunk some common misconceptions about GLP1 drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and others.
Ozempic and other GLP1 Receptor Agonist drugs are being unfairly demonized in the media these days.
Check out our quick explainer
People are likening it to "cheating" or taking a shortcut to weight loss, and emphasizing the known and well documented side effects of the drug as if they're surprises or often life-threatening.
Even the famous "Ozempic Face" phenomenon is mostly a smoke screen – loss of facial fat is common for anyone who undergoes rapid weight loss. Pardoxically, it's a sign of Ozempic doing it's job a little too well.
If using Ozempic for weight loss is “cheating”
— Brady Holmer (@B_Holmer) July 12, 2024
then using nicotine or caffeine to enhance your productivity is too.
Luckily, some people are following the evidence and making sure to critically think about the benefits and drawbacks of GLP1 Receptor Agonists. They're not miracle drugs, but they do work, for many people.
There's a great article from Time written by Yoni Freedhof out there that sums up what people get wrong. It was written in 2023 but it still rings true today.
We're going to cover the top things people get wrong about Ozempic
You do not have to take Ozempic/GLP1 drugs forever
This is emphatically not true. People have been recorded to lose 15% or more of their weight while on the drugs, but most people do not regain all the weight (or more) back.
This is such a prevalent misconception that we wrote about it:
GLP1.Guide Staff
Here, common sense is required – if GLP1 drugs like Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, Zepbound and others help you control cravings and lose weight more than you would otherwise be able to, if you stop taking them you will need to change your lifestyle habits to continue to maintain your weight loss.
GLP1 Receptor Agonists are not miracle cures – they can only help in your weight loss journey.
Some GLP1s are prescribed for weight loss
Yes, there is a GLP1 receptor agonist prescribed for weight loss right now (and likely more in the future), Wegovy:
Later Wegovy was also approved for reducing heart disease risk (which we wrote about):
GLP1.Guide Staff
These are huge indirect endorsements of the efficacy of the drug, and in particular the method of action of the class of drugs that this represents. The FDA is slow to move and usually quite considered in it's decision-making.
GLP1s will cause eating disorders
GLP1s are not the cause of eating disorders – they were created to treat eating disorders (of the overeating kind) in one sense.
Of course, the refrain is that the eating disorders that may be exacerbated by GLP1 drugs are Anorexia, Bulimia and the sort. This is not different to any other weight loss avenue, the problem can only be solved at the root cause.
There is not yet any extensive research done into the effects of GLP1s on people with eating disorders or those who are likely to develop one:
The best we can say is "we don't know", at this point in time.
Until we can get the output of proper research, all we can do is put on our common sense hats – excessive exercise can also exacerbate eating disorders (not to speak of external aggravations like excessive use of social media) – we generally don't look to outlaw it.
That said, it's reasonable to prevent prescribing of these drugs to people who are already underweight – and that is a problem left to qualified medical professionals.
