TikTok Viral Weight Loss Drug Led to Shortage for Diabetics – SheKnows

Rachel Garrett Mercer remembers the day she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

“The first thing my doctor said was, ‘It didn’t look diabetic,'” she said. “Looking back, diabetes doesn’t seem like one thing for her, so it’s hard to imagine anyone saying that. Everyone is different.”

After her diagnosis, Mercer’s daily life changed completely. She put on her insulin pump and continuous glucose her monitor to help manage her insulin, but as she explains, the disease isn’t a “set and forget” type of thing. . She has to count carbs after every meal, snack, and vitamins, and adjust her insulin based on hormones at each stage of her cycle. You’ll need to look at your readings to determine if you need to eat or take insulin. should also be noted. But she also found that as her own life changed, so did her body.

“I was having mental health issues over my weight,” she said. As I adjusted myself, I put the weight back on and then put on a little more weight.

For people with diabetes, weight gain and negative body image can be devastating. The disease is blamed on the uneducated general public. But combined with the pressures of pop culture and dietary trends that favor a slim figure, the struggle is almost insurmountable.

“The shame that still surrounds diabetes is that I am personally very passionate about it,” Mercer said. “I see young girls withholding insulin because when they have type 1 diabetes and they don’t have enough insulin, they lose weight and literally starve themselves when they have diabetic ketoacidosis. This bulimia is incredibly dangerous.” .”

And she’s not alone. According to the International Journal of Eating Disorders, about 91% of all women are dissatisfied with their weight, and one in two teenage girls believe they have a weight problem. increase.

And these trends are being seen more and more among young girls, largely due to social media and celebrity-endorsed diets. One of his trends that gained considerable popularity last year is his use of Ozempic, a diabetes drug that increases insulin sensitivity and suppresses appetite. This allows weight loss. The trend manifested itself on TikTok (an app with a history of being home to content in favor of eating disorders), which coincided with the drug’s explosive notoriety as a sort of miracle drug for weight loss, leading to shortages. I’m facing

“Ozempic is an FDA-approved treatment for type 2 diabetes,” said Katherine Platolevkowitz, MBA, MSN, RN. “It is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, which means it lowers fasting and postprandial blood glucose levels by stimulating insulin secretion. Insulin helps blood sugar enter cells so it can be used for energy.”

The intended purpose of the drug is to help diabetics manage their insulin levels, and it is perfectly legal for health care providers to prescribe Ozempic off label for weight loss purposes. Celebrities who have lost weight show a direct correlation with a surge in Google searches for prescriptions. After the 2022 Met Gala, searches for “ozempic” hit an all-time high, followed by more in the week that followed. Kim Kardashian shared his body scan results, showing that he lost 7% of his body fat at the 2022 Met Gala. Last year he dropped to 18%.

While we rarely know for sure what exact methods celebrities use to look like themselves, most likely they use a combination of resources and means that most people don’t have financial access to. From liposuction to Botox to full-scale reconstructive surgery, there is little a plastic surgeon can’t do to change your appearance.

And while correlation isn’t the same as causation, the point is that more and more young women are trying to emulate celebrity body types, and are planning to do so through quick fixes or any means necessary. is.

“Weight loss takes time,” says Prato-Lefkowitz. “Everyone wishes there was a ‘magic pill’ they could take to lose weight. The safest way to lose weight is to talk with your healthcare provider, agree on a healthy eating plan for your body, and set small realistic and achievable goals. “

As of early October, #Ozempic on TikTok had 210.8 million views, up 155.2 million since the end of April. The hashtag #OzempicWeightLoss is his second with 78.6 million views and #OzempicChallenge mentions a weight loss challenge using the drug, with 2.2 million views.

Diabetics need drugs like Ozempic to regulate blood sugar levels. A doctor’s prescription can save your life. However, for non-diabetics, the use of this drug can cause side effects that can cause serious health problems and is worth avoiding altogether.

“All drugs have side effects, but with Ozempic, they can include gastrointestinal problems, headaches, dizziness and fatigue,” said Prato-Lefkowitz. “This drug can slow digestion, so absorption of other drugs may be affected.”

The drug is also known to cause pancreatitis, vision changes, hypoglycemia, and kidney failure.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the government have not released any information or guidance to health care providers on prioritizing medicines for people with diabetes, but Ozempic’s manufacturer says the shortage will last until the end of December 2022. . System Pharmacists and independent information site Drugs.com also report a shortage of Ozempic in the US due to increased demand.

There has always been a market for weight loss solutions, but as social media continues to thrive and celebrities fail to disclose the steps and resources they use to achieve their look, more and more young people are seeking risky options. increase.

“Society very often likes to say that people with diabetes are lazy and joking,” Mercer said. “But I think you’d be surprised how many people want to take care of their bodies and don’t have the tools and resources. If you want to take care of yourself and you have people doing it, and suddenly something like an Ozempic shortage happens, that’s a big problem.”

Before you go, check out our favorite quotes to inspire a positive attitude towards food and body image.