Celebrities shared side effects of taking Ozempic as simulation shows true reality of what it does to your body
Ozempic this, Ozempic that, given how this drug has shot to prominence you'd be forgiven for thinking it was the second coming.
Then again, a quick jab of something to help with weight loss was always going to become immensely popular and the health benefits of losing weight are rather apparent.
A growing number of high-profile figures have also admitted to taking the drug, and the more it's being talked about the more people become aware of its existence and how it all works.
Of course there are some side effects and misconceptions about Ozempic, with the big one being that it's what you'll get prescribed for weight loss when it's actually not for that.
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Instead, you'll likely get some other drug with a name you don't recognise quite as much for that purpose.
What is Ozempic and how does it work?
Ozempic is a diabetes drug which contains semaglutide as its active ingredient, and that's a synthetic version of a hormone which your body produces to regulate blood sugar levels.
It helps your body produce more insulin and suppresses the amount of glucose the liver makes, it also slows down how quickly your food is digested which makes you feel fuller for longer and without as much of an appetite then you may feel inclined to eat less, thus losing weight.
While Ozempic has become the name most associated with weight loss drugs, it is actually not approved for that purpose.
Over in the US the FDA has not given Ozempic the thumbs up for use as a weight loss drug while in the UK the NHS does not prescribe it for that purpose.
At present they'd likely prescribe you with Wegovy (which is made by the same company as Ozempic), and in the future Mounjaro will become available for the same purpose.
If you're getting an Ozempic prescription then it'll be for Type 2 diabetes.
Which celebrities have spoken out about using Ozempic?
A whole host of famous faces have taken Ozempic for weight loss, with varying results.
Jeremy Clarkson took it for a while but admitted he wasn't much of a fan of Ozempic, as he explained it made him extremely nauseous and he was quite often sick.
After six months of this he gave up on Ozempic and switched to Mounjaro, which he seems to have had a much better time with.
James Corden was another who took Ozempic and admitted it 'didn't really work' for him, as he said it made him feel 'not hungry' but had him realising that his eating habits weren't about whether he was hungry or not.
Amy Schumer is another who took Ozempic and didn't have a great time, saying she was 'bedridden' from the drug and had since switched to Mounjaro like Clarkson, saying it was 'great'.
One more positive celebrity endorsement comes from Sharon Osbourne, who said she lost a lot of weight thanks to Ozempic but had stopped taking it as she didn't want to lose any more.
What are the side effects of Ozempic?
Pretty much every drug comes with side effects, some of which you've already read about here.
Feeling nauseous is one of the potential side effects of Ozempic, while that can also turn into full fledged vomiting as Clarkson experienced during his time on the drug.
Diarrhoea is also on the table as a possibility.
Losing a lot of weight in a short amount of time can also have a pronounced effect on your physical appearance.
Joe Harker