Is This Popular Diabetes Drug the New Weight Loss Cure?
Ozempic, a drug traditionally reserved to help diabetic people lower their blood sugar and control long-term weight management has become the topic of controversy in recent weeks when it went viral on social media due to it’s weight loss side effect — causing people to clamber for a prescription, even without the disease.
The sudden high demand has cause a shortage of the Semaglutide, sold under the brand name Ozempic, creating issues for diabetics who actually need their prescriptions filled to ensure that their bodies can release insulin.
“There is a lot of anxiety in the community right now over the Ozempic shortage,” said Zoe Wiit, who lives with insulin-dependent diabetes and works as a spokesperson for MAD, or Mutual Aid Diabetes. MAD helps diabetics secure hard to come by medicines and supplies. “Social media is pushing this, there’s so many pressures on people to lose weight.”
Patti Stanger, businesswoman and host of “Millionaire Matchmaker,” tweeted that “Everybody I know is on it.” A thought echoed by fellow television host Andy Cohen. He said, “Everyone is suddenly showing up 25 pounds lighter. What happens when they stop taking #Ozempic ?????”
Excerpted from MSN
