Learn about Ozempic’s weight loss benefits and ethical, health considerations. Understand the risks and implications.
Last Thursday, the state decided not to foot the bill anymore. Celebrities and figures like Elon Musk, who could afford monthly $1,000 bills for Ozempic and Wegovy, can still get them. However, a nurse in North Carolina told The New York Times that finding Wegovy is like winning the lottery.
These FDA-approved, plant-based injectable drugs were initially developed for treating diabetes but also aid in weight loss. However, demand for the weight-reducing properties of Ozempic and Wegovy soared, making it difficult for diabetes patients to find them. There’s a scarcity of chemicals to keep up with demand, leading to shortages.
Additionally, there are other concerns voiced by experts like Art Caplan from New York University. He likened this craze to the introduction of Viagra 25 years ago for treating high blood pressure. Pfizer, realizing Viagra users were experiencing erectile side effects, transformed it into a blockbuster drug. Competitors like Cialis emerged, and soon, a $2.46 billion market for erectile dysfunction was born.
Caplan says, “Initially, Pfizer and other companies tried to keep it medical, meaning it was really for people who had diabetes problems or circulatory problems or blood flow problems.” “But then it broke loose, and pretty soon, every guy from 30 to 80 started to think, ‘Okay, maybe I’ll take some of that stuff, and if anything goes wrong, I’ll keep it in my drawer.’ And I think that could happen with Ozempics and Wegovys and other injectableables.”
Caplan compares it to Viagra, which helps people attain erections but often signifies untreated issues like circulation problems, nerves, excessive drinking, or diabetes symptoms.
He says, “As soon as you stop [the weight-loss drugs], you’re going back because you haven’t made any changes.” “So to just sell it and say, ‘Here, it’s a magic bullet. You can use it as an injection, and it’s going to be great,’ It means you’re going to be on this drug for life until you do something basic.”
A major drug like Viagra being repurposed into a weight-loss solution underscores the potential for telemedicine companies like Teladoc to partner with weight-loss drug providers for direct-to-consumer advertising.
Caplan predicts that soon there will be online scams associated with weight-loss injections similar to fake Viagra being sold online. In America, 42% of adults are obese, and 30% are overweight. Caplan estimates that with injectable weight-loss drugs costing $1,000 a month, recommending them to 50 million people for life could incur a cost of around $500 billion – rivalling last year’s total spending on all medications, $700 billion.
Rather than removing them from the market, Caplan advocates for careful monitoring of these drugs, which could be a “godsend” for obese people grappling with serious health issues. However, he’s concerned about the risk-to-benefit ratio for consumers more worried about their appearance than health.
Long-term effects or effects on children due to prolonged use of injectable weight-loss medications are poorly understood.
He says, “Children – where obesity is also a horrific problem – can be put on this, and we don’t know what the effects are going to be.” “Maybe we’ll be lucky and there won’t be any, and then this drug will be very, very safe. But everyone needs to know that they’re going into an experiment.”
Caplan anticipates a cultural shift towards weight loss as these drugs become more accessible.
“We’ll see more thin people,” he says. “It will become less unusual if you want to be, to be heavy.” “On the other hand, we’re not doing anything to change our food industry, which is still stuffing us with sugar and giving us fast food and advertising kids all sorts of things that aren’t necessarily good for them.”
