Ozempic: 'a life-long commitment, the moment you stop, you will regain that weight' - Doctor

Lester Kiewit speaks to Dr Marius Wasserfall, Specialist Physician at Mediclinic.

Listen below.

Semaglutide better known as Ozempic was approved in 2017 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in adults with type 2 diabetes to lower blood sugar thereby helping the pancreas make more insulin.

A possible side effect of Ozempic in the correct dose is around 10 to 15 percent weight loss - an effect which has been enticing people wanting to lose weight.

Some people have accessed the drug for its 'off-label use' and unintended purpose of managing type 2 diabetes and using it for weight loss instead -  so much so that it has become 'trending' on social media with various people telling their weight loss stories using Ozempic on apps like X, Instagram and TikTok. 

However, doctors are warning against the use of Ozempic as a 'silver bullet' or a 'magic' way to lose weight quickly, says Wasserfall.

"People are a little bit misinformed about how Ozempic should be used."

- Dr Marius Wasserfall, Specialist Physician - Mediclinic

"It can be used to treat diabetes and it is also correct that it has a secondary weight loss effect... so it might be appealing to some people struggling to lose weight... so if there's a potential drug to assist, one can understand why people are trying to get hold of this medication."

- Dr Marius Wasserfall, Specialist Physician - Mediclinic

Wasserfall warns that the Ozempic found in South Africa is currently only available in the dose used to treat diabetes.

To treat obesity and weight loss, a higher dose is needed which is called 'Wegovy.'

"Ozempic as the dose we have in South Africa currently is not the semaglutide dose that has the 10 to 15 percent weight loss effect. That higher dose of Ozempic is called Wegovy - it's a 2.4 milligram and it is not yet in South Africa."

- Dr Marius Wasserfall, Specialist Physician - Mediclinic

"...Ozempic is being prescribed off-label and on the black market to treat people who are overweight so the demand has outstripped supply - affecting those who need the drug to treat their diabetes."

- Dr Marius Wasserfall, Specialist Physician - Mediclinic

If you are considering taking Ozempic for weight loss, it should be prescribed by a medical professional after you have undergone a medical evaluation because it is a 'life-long' commitment which is something most people aren't informed about, explains Wasserfall. 

"This medication works by regulating your appetite so if you inject this medication, you do decrease your hunger hormones and reduce gastric emptying so you feel fuller faster and longer but the moment you stop, you will regain more than 70% of that weight studies have shown - so you're in for the long haul should you decide to do it."

- Dr Marius Wasserfall, Specialist Physician - Mediclinic

Wasserfall notes that using Ozempic can have 'life-threatening risks,' especially if you are getting it from someone who is not a doctor or on the black market because you don't know what you're getting.

"If you take a chance buying Ozempic off-label or from someone who is not a doctor, you do not know what you're getting which can have short and long term effects on your physical health."

- Dr Marius Wasserfall, Specialist Physician - Mediclinic

It is important to be fully informed about the risks of Ozempic because there are risks.

Funding Ozempic is also done out of your own pocket because it's not covered by medical aid which can set you back about R2500 a month life-long.

"People need to be fully informed before going on this life-long journey."

- Dr Marius Wasserfall, Specialist Physician - Mediclinic