By Judy O’Gorman Alvarez
We’ve all seen the reports, the gossip shows and social media posts: movie stars, reality show celebrities and even the people next door are using the drug Ozempic – and not for type 2 diabetes.
The miracle drug, as some have called it, was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017 to treat diabetes. The drug aids in lowering blood sugar by helping the pancreas make more insulin. But doctors quickly discovered another benefit for those taking the weekly injections: weight loss.
Although not approved for weight loss, some physicians began prescribing it to those looking to shed enough pounds to reach a healthy weight.
Ozempic and Wegovy are brand names for semaglutide, which works by mimicking a naturally occurring hormone. As those hormone levels rise, the molecules go to your brain, telling it you’re full. Semaglutide also slows digestion by increasing the time it takes food to leave the body, similar to the effect of bariatric surgery. When used for weight loss, the drug is labeled Wegovy and contains higher doses of semaglutide. Both Ozempic and Wegovy are made by the same company, Novo Nordisk.
Buvana Sridar, M.D., an internal medicine doctor with RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group, is board-certified in obesity medicine and now prescribes Ozempic mostly for patients struggling with their weight.
“Obesity is basically a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 30 or more,” Sridar explained, but for those with a lower BMI who have other comorbidities, Ozempic or Wegovy can be prescribed.
Physicians view obesity the same as kidney disease, heart disease or cancer. It is a disease, Sridar said, and treating it is essential because it can lead to other serious issues. Obesity can also result in isolation and depression.
The advantages to taking a once-a-week injectable like Ozempic or Wegovy are plentiful, according to Sridar. The needles are small and patients can easily inject themselves and the drug is very effective.
“It just gives you the sense of fullness,” she said, suppressing the appetite so patients aren’t as tempted by high-calorie, sweet treats, a pitfall for those with diabetes and those trying to lose weight.
“It also decreases cravings,” Sridar said, noting there have also been studies indicating it decreases the cravings for alcohol as well.
All these factors have contributed to its popularity.
“Ideally, it will be good if (a patient) can be on it long term,” Sridar said. However, insurance companies, including Medicare, may not approve the drug for the treatment of obesity and problems can arise when someone has been taking Ozempic and transitions to an insurance that may not cover the cost.
Sridar is more concerned about people buying the medicine – which may be fake – “through Groupons and other mom-and-pop shops that have cropped up all over the country. I think there are 30 or 40 small pharmacies that are offering some sort of drug claiming weight loss. I don’t encourage that because we don’t know how safe these products are.”
But as with all weight loss issues, the most important part, according to Sridar, is patients have to adopt a healthy lifestyle – maintaining an exercise routine and eating a healthy diet.
Sridar said she counsels patients on what foods to avoid and what foods to include more of in their diet, even if she is also prescribing Ozempic or Wegovy.
Medication can help start patients on their journey to a healthy life. “I give them tools just to give them a kickstart. I’ve had patients who’ve lost almost 100 pounds,” she said.
But one common complaint from those who stop using Ozempic is weight gain.
“Sometimes they don’t follow the diet (and) the weight comes back,” Sridar said.
“Sometimes you lose the motivation to eat healthy.”
This article originally appeared in the November 2 – 8, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
