Ozempic is a game-changer. Here’s how it works.

There's a lot about Ozempic we didn't have time to get into in this video, including more about medical discrimination around obesity and more context around recent drug shortages. This article from our website, written by Julia Belluz, provides more info: www.vox.com/science-and-health/23584679/ozempic-we…

“Maybe you’ve heard the jingle” no, because medication isn’t advertised in my country!

You guys should really bring on a credentialed source like a doctor or pharmacist for videos like this

As someone who works in a pharmacy, I have seen how this hurts many patients who need this medication to control their diabetes. For almost 3 months straight we could barely receive this drug to dispense due to the unexpected increase in demand. I completely understand the want to lose weight and ozempic does help with this, but people with diabetes need medications like these to live their lives.

I’ve been trying to lose weight after my dad ended up in the hospital due to diabetes, I had been hearing that ozempic from this is a quick fix to life long commitment but in the end the hype is causing a shortage for the people like my dad, who’s still here only thanks to his able to have access to these meds. I really hope that the supply issues improve but also doesn’t become out of reach due to expense too.

I used to be 280 pounds, going blind due to a rare obesity complication called Intercranial Hypertension, but was able to take Ozempic for just 4 months and for the first time in my life felt full. I’ve kept up the initial weight loss and so far lost 80 pounds. Without this medication, I believe without a doubt I would be blind in my left eye by now.

Mila here! Thanks to everyone for your supportive comments and Vox for letting me share my experience. When I started Ozempic for diabetes management, few people talked about the effects, so I decided to document my progress. I'm so grateful that it has made diabetes management easier for me but disheartened that vanity weight loss has made it out of reach for patients who need it. Jimmy Kimmel even made a joke about it at the Oscars – that's what I meant by vanity weight loss and trivializing the medication. I hope this is a good solution for people living with diabetes and obesity, but even more so, that the long-term effects don't cause additional health challenges. That remains to be seen, and I'll be documenting it for as long as I need it (or can afford it or access it).

I've heard A LOT that challenges Ozempic as "safe". I'm a little wary of how we grazed over Mila's heart palpitations... I understand many drugs have side effects and for those living with diabetes, Ozempic really is a game changer BUT as we see it presented more and more as a weight management tool, I just worry about how positively it's framed in this video. I'm not gonna lie, this feels like an Ozempic promotion to me :(

Vox, I’m disappointed that the abuse of this drug by Hollywood and influencers for a “quick-fix” to weight loss wasn’t emphasized as much as it should be. I have a family member that is dependent on it to stay healthy, yet shortages are making it difficult for them to obtain and afford it. And what about the long-term side effects for those just wanting to drop weight quickly? This video should have been a lot more cautionary.

In Australia diabetics are missing out on this medication due to the weight loss crowd creating shortages.

I have type 2 diabetes but I am far from obese, and my doctor put me on Ozempic for a while. It did a good job with what it's supposed to do, but I HAD to stop. I was felt nauseated CONSTANTLY and I finally decided that life on Ozempic wasn't worth it. Those side effects are just too much.

I lost 75 pounds on ozempic in 12 weeks!! I love it and I am a big guy with a type 2 diabetic this has been a life-saving game changer!!!!!

I want to point out that this drug has been a game changer for several people I know in terms of weight loss. It's not just a few pounds - we're talking about 40-50 pounds on someone who used to be 200-210 pounds. It's a life changing amount that suddenly takes a lot of load off your body.

This sounds too good to be true, and when you take into consideration the long history of pharmaceutical companies' predation on the most vulnerable, the whole thing makes me very skeptical.

who else got recommended this video after listening to the drake kendrick disses

In Canada they're not allowed to advertise the specific use of medications or use jingles, so we get a lot of extremely vague "[drug name]: ask your doctor" commercials and I never knew what Ozempic was used for

In case people are wondering why the natural GLP-1 molecule has been changed, it is because in the body it has a very short half-life, to be used as a medication it would need to be in a permanently attached pump device, impractical and expensive. Hence longer acting forms were developed that resist DPP-IV the enzyme that breaks it down.

I was prescribed Ozempic for diabetes 2. I loved it because I no longer had to take 3 pills a day. The side effects for me were horrible ..stomach pains, gas, diarrhea, constant burping, heartburn ..but I did lose 15 pounds in 2 months. My Doctor took me off medication because it also had negative impact on my kidney functions. The downside was as soon as I stopped using the medication, my food cravings came back and I gained all the weight back within 4 weeks.

Weight loss is not a trivial or superficial desire, it is a medical need that can drastically improve people's lives and save lives. We should not be pitting T2D against obesity, we should be asking for additional production of this drug.

I struggled with my weight most of my adult life and finally had an solution with the Gastric Bypass. It’s important to understand obesity has a physical and mental aspect, so being in therapy for almost 4 years as well. So many people change one addiction to another or worse don’t follow all medical protocols and end up sometimes in a worse shape.