Barone, 37, represents a new kind of Ozempic user, who gets the drug off-label from a medical spa that also provides Botox, fillers, and hair loss treatments—taking the drug far away from its medical roots and deep into the cosmetic sphere.
Ozempic, taken once a week as a shot in the arm, stomach, or thigh, was first approved by the FDA in 2017 to lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. But the drug came with an incredible side effect: rapid weight loss. In 2021, the FDA greenlit a higher dose semaglutide product, Wegovy—made by the same Danish manufacturer, Novo Nordisk—as an obesity treatment.
Meanwhile, over the past year, the world has watched as some of our most famous celebrities started to shrink. Khloé Kardashian, who once called herself the “fat sister,” now has abs. Rebel Wilson and Mindy Kaling, who for years have admitted to struggles with their weight, are suddenly the smallest they’ve ever been. While all credited their new shape to exercise and foods like grilled salmon, unfounded rumors on social media alleged that the real cause was Ozempic.
[I’m not entirely opposed to the use of Type II diabetes medicine like Ozempic and Trulicity as a therapeutic treatment for obesity. However, it should be prescribed for clinical reasons rather than just fads and style. These injectables do have some side effects — technically speaking, appetite suppression is a side effect rather than a primary purpose — and it’s not been thoroughly tested for use specific to obesity, either. I have used Trulicity for the last five years and it has done wonders for both my weight and my blood-sugar levels, but it’s not perfect either. Plus, the faddish use of these medicines will drive up costs for those who need it for actual diabetic therapy. — Ed]
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