Ozempic: groundbreaking according to doctors, but still not for everyone?

An Ozempic pen. Photo: Unsplash

Ozempic: you hear about it more and more often. This special drug is used by many people these days to lose weight, legally or sometimes not. But who is Ozempic actually intended for and who is it not? That is still not clear to everyone.

The benefits of Ozempic are heard everywhere, in talk shows and via Dutch celebrities. But what does science say exactly? Do you really have to have diabetes to be allowed to use it, or are there other official reasons?

Ozempic contains semaglutide, which is similar to a natural hormone in your body. It helps you make insulin only when your blood sugar is too high, blocks another hormone that raises your blood sugar, slows down your stomach so you feel full longer, and makes you feel less hungry.

Because you have less appetite, you take in fewer calories. And because you take in fewer calories, you will also lose weight. For example, the 'snack cravings' also decrease. Gijs Goossens of Maastricht University says that all this happens after you take Ozempic. "But whether it works for everyone is still the question." He first mentions the disease diabetes. "In people who already have diabetes type 2, the diabetes can even be 'reversed'. So you can also get rid of it by using Ozempic."

The positive effects of Ozempic also seem to work for other diseases, such as Alzheimer's. Fat tissue produces many substances, including inflammatory substances, which end up in other organs via the bloodstream and can cause damage there. These inflammations can lead to cardiovascular diseases, but also to brain disorders. Ozempic therefore helps to reduce these inflammations in our body.

According to American research , people who are 'eligible' for slimming products are people with a BMI of thirty or higher, or a BMI of at least 27 combined with health problems such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure.

In America, research has shown that weight loss injections work well in both the short and long term. In a large study, people who used weight loss drugs such as Ozempic together with lifestyle changes lost as much as 10 to 15 percent of their original weight, while the placebo group lost 2 to 3 percent.

The effect of Ozempic could in principle be positive for many people. "Ozempic ensures that inflammatory cells release fewer inflammatory substances, which reduces the risk of certain diseases." But is it wise for people with a healthy weight to use Ozempic? "That has not yet been studied, so at this point it is not a good idea," says Goossens.

“Ozempic is the Danish export hit: a diabetes drug that coincidentally turned out to have a slimming effect by suppressing the feeling of hunger and ensuring a longer feeling of satiety: more than just useful for those who want to lose weight – it tackles a serious health problem, namely cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, kidney and liver problems, various types of cancer and even mental disorders such as depression and dementia,” writes the University of Maastricht . However: starting Ozempic yourself to quickly lose five kilos before the summer is certainly not the intention, the researcher warns. “It can even be dangerous and it is also expensive.”

What increases the risk of Ozempic use are mainly the side effects. For example, you can become nauseous. Inflammation of the pancreas can also occur. In addition, there are visible side effects, such as the so-called 'Ozempic face', where the face becomes sunken due to sagging skin. "This is not necessarily a side effect of Ozempic itself, but of rapid weight loss. In addition, muscle loss and hair loss often occur when using Ozempic."

Many doctors emphasize that Ozempic is 'groundbreaking' for health, but that it is really not suitable for everyone. It is often used as a 'rescue' for people with obesity, for example. For example, Goossens says: "I know people with obesity who exercise five times a week and eat healthy, but still struggle with their weight their whole lives. For this group, this medication can be a valuable addition to a healthy lifestyle."

Marian van der Schueren, professor of Dietetics, agrees. "For people who have been struggling with obesity for years, this is an important lifeline," she tells RTL Nieuws . According to Van der Schueren, obesity is difficult to break. That is why she thinks it is important that people who really need it have access to the medication.

Van der Schuren notes that there is currently too little focus on guiding people towards a healthy lifestyle, both before and during the use of Ozempic. Goossens also says: "These new agents have a lot of potential, but we must be careful that they are not seen as the solution for obesity and the chronic diseases that it can cause."

Whether more Ozempic can be made to prevent a shortage of the drug for diabetes patients is a frequently asked question according to the Medicines Evaluation Board. According to them, the manufacturer states that creating new production capacity is 'very complicated', but has at the same time announced that they are going to build and take over new factories to increase production.