Ozempic the Weight Loss Jab – Pros & Cons
Ozempic is a weight-loss injection which abruptly end your food cravings meaning you will lose weight at the unfortunate cost of our sacred diet. But how much do you know about this miraculous drug? Can it help reverse type2 diabetes, is it harmful, will the weight stay gone, is it even legal?
In this blog post we will have a critical look at Ozempic and see what the benefits are as well as the draw backs and consider if this is something we should all be using to tackle diabetes.
What is Ozempic?
Ozempic is a medication that helps your pancreas produce more insulin which can be a boon to people with diabetes by helping them manage their blood sugar level. Within the medical industry, Ozempic medication is known as a glucagon-like peptide-1-agonist (GLP1a). GLP1 is a hormone produced in our gut which Ozempic aims to replicate. GLP1 regulates our appetite by telling our brains when we are full. This is why people who are not diabetic use it to help manage their weight. Detrimentally, this only solves the problem for a time because Ozempic can only be prescribed for a max of two years. This means that suppressing your appetite with Ozempic is only a temporary fix.
Moreover, if you were thinking that this could be an option to help manage your weight and you are not diabetic, in the UK it is only prescribed to people who have type 2 diabetes. Equally we need to ask ourselves are there any concerns as to what the long-term effects could before rushing head-on towards using this drug.
Is Ozempic a “quick fix”?
It can be a quick fix for someone wanting to commit the minimum 2 months of treatment before noticing significant weight loss. So, it would be more applicable to call it a “slow fix”. Yes, you will find improvements, but it won’t be instant. But much more importantly you can get more beneficial and longer-lasting results without any need for drugs like Ozempic at all! Just take a look at the success stories of our clients:
How is Ozempic administered?
Similar, to WEGOVY, Ozempic is administered through an auto-injector once a week, which is injected into either your stomach, the front of your thigh or your upper arm. Normally this injection will be given by a medical professional such as a nurse.
The benefits of a reduced appetite
Despite the short-term nature of this drug, it will almost certainly help you lose weight for a while. Suppressing your appetite will mean you consume fewer calories which in turn will mean you lose weight if you maintain your normal routine. If you do not maintain a similar routine and level of activity you might simply maintain the same weight. However, the reduced calorie intake might also affect your energy meaning you won’t have as much energy to do the things you want to do.
The disadvantages of losing your appetite
Having a reduced appetite can do harm as well as good. Yes, Ozempic will help you lose weight but it could also impact your nutrition: if you do not have a diverse and nutrient rich diet, your already-poor nutrition could be further effected by eating less. Which could lead to further health issues.
You will lose weight
As we have suggested above you will likely notice weight loss after 8 weeks of using Ozempic. This absolutely can be a positive. Nevertheless, there is a “good” type of weight loss and a “bad” type. When weight is lost it is generally a combination of muscle and fat loss. Retaining as much muscle mass as possible throughout our life is one of the top predictors of heath. If you lose too much muscle mass later in life you put yourself at risk of other illnesses like Sarcopenia (muscle loss meaning there is nothing holding your skeleton in place and eventually making you frail). So, if you are prescribed Ozempic you must aim to keep active in the hope that when you lose weight you aren’t losing more muscle.
Specifically, we recommend resistance or strength exercise and to increase the protein content in your diet. Dr Peter Attia (a world authority on longevity) discussed Ozempic when he was invited to the Megyn Kelly show recently. He commented that about 2/3 of the weight lost using the drug is muscle mass. So, you might weigh less but actually get fatter overall.
Peter Attia’s Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cq3qieTLHDD/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D
Is Ozempic an insulin shot?
No Ozempic does not contain insulin, you will still need to take regular insulin shots if it’s prescribed for you. Ozempic is a Glucagon-like-peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor antagonist. This means that it mimics your body’s naturally occurring hormone Glucagon-like-peptide-1 which is released in our bodies when we eat food so helping to regulate blood sugar and appetite.
What are the side effects of Ozempic?
The most common side effects of Ozempic are Nausea (a feeling that you are about to vomit) diarrhoea and/or constipation together with stomach pain. Although these are the most common symptoms you also run the risk of other less common side-effects including:
- Pancreatitis which is where the pancreas is inflamed which can lead to further health problems and can become life-threatening in few cases.
- Changing vision Ozempic can cause blurred vision and people with diabetic retinopathy can have this condition worsen because of the drug.
- Kidney disease, Ozempic can have a substantial impact on your kidneys leading to kidney damage, disease or in the worst-case cause kidney failure.
- Hypoglycaemia this is when your blood sugar drops to low.
- Thyroid cancer Ozempic has been shown to increase the chances of a person developing thyroid cancer.
- Gallbladder disease Ozempic can increase your risk of gallbladder diseases.
- Allergic reaction some people might have an allergic reaction to this drug which is why it is important that you speak to a medical professional before using Ozempic, this is something you should consider before using any new drug not just Ozempic.
Conclusion
For most people the drawbacks of Ozempic are greater than the benefits. The nature of the weight loss can is key because you lose muscle mass rather than excess fat. This is a disaster when there are so many healthier, cheaper and simpler ways to obtain the weight-loss benefits without the side effects of using medication.
Given the potential side effects and limited benefits, drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are simply not the logical step first when trying to improve your health whether or not you have type 2 diabetes.
If you are concerned about weight gain, type2 diabetes or prediabetes why not book a FREE 15-minute consultation with one of our clinical team. We will talk you through your symptoms and address your health concerns.
Book a free 15-minute consultation here:
https://www.prolongevity.co.uk/booking-form/
Download a free e-book about Prediabetes here:
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