A doctor has explained what 'Ozempic Butt' is and how to avoid it.
Although Ozempic is considered to be a weight-loss drug, the company that manufactures it says it's actually supposed to be 'a medicine for adults with Type-2 diabetes.'
It's meant to be consumed 'along with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar (glucose) in adults with type 2 diabetes.'
Novo Nordisk, Ozempic's manufacturer, told LADbible Group that Ozempic is a 'prescription only medicine and requires a healthcare professional to prescribe under strict supervision'.
How Ozempic works
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So when Ozempic is in your bloodstream, it basically reduces your appetite and makes you feel full.
It then stabilises blood sugar and curbs cravings, making you feel fuller for longer.
Essentially, it reduces your food intake and when you eat less, exercise more and consume a nutritious diet, you can lose more weight.
What is 'Ozempic butt'?
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'Ozempic butt' refers to sagging skin in the buttocks area due to rapid weight loss from Ozempic use.
As Dr Mike Israetel points out, just using Ozempic without taking other measures, can lead to reduced skin elasticity in that area.
So fitness influencer and health expert Dr Israetel told Dr Mike Varshavski (yes, two Dr Mikes) on his podcast what can happen if you take Ozempic and don't exercise.
"That's the thing I'm sure you're aware of, like, 'Ozempic butt' or whatever, where housewives who had no interest in resistance training or building muscularity, no interest in controlling their diets or eating healthier," he said.
"They just take a crap load of Ozempic and they're like, 'Oh, I've lost a ton of weight, but now I'm sarcopenic'.
"That's definitely a bad outcome, but I would say that's more of a slight misapplication of pharmaceutical technology, and there is such a thing as proper application."
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“While the term ‘Ozempic Butt’ may be new, the concept of being left with sagging skin after rapidly losing a large amount of weight is not,” Jana Abelovska, superintendent pharmacist at Click Pharmacy, added to Healthline.
“Our skin is actually surprisingly elasticated, thanks to its elastin and collagen makeup, which is what makes it able to revert back to normal after stretching to accommodate a pregnancy, for example,” she said.
“But if you lose weight too quickly, your skin will remain at its looser state, rather than instantly returning to its pre-weight gain state, particularly if you have been overweight for several years.”
Novo Nordisk told LADbible in a statement: "Ozempic® (semaglutide injection) is a prescription only medicine and requires a healthcare professional to prescribe under strict supervision. Treatment decisions should be made together with a healthcare provider who can evaluate the appropriateness of using a GLP-1 based on assessment of a patient’s individual medical profile.
"We stand behind the safety profile of all of our medicines when they are used as indicated and when taken under the care of a licensed healthcare professional. The known risks associated with use of these medicines are reflected in their current approved product labelling.
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"Patient safety is of the utmost importance to Novo Nordisk. We continuously collect safety data on our marketed GLP-1 RA medicines and work closely with the authorities to ensure patient safety. As part of this work we continue to monitor reports of adverse drug reactions through routine pharmacovigilance.
"We recommend that any patients experiencing side effects while taking a Novo Nordisk GLP-1 receptor agonists report them to their healthcare provider and via the MHRA Yellow Card scheme: https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/. Adverse events should also be reported to Novo Nordisk via the Customer Care Centre by calling 0800 023 2573."
Anish Vij