Ozempic has become one of the most popular words in our society. I have been a trainer for 17 years. I was certain years ago that at some point there would be a weight loss pill or injection that would make people go crazy. It would make it easier for people to drop unwanted lbs without having to exercise frequently or practice sound nutrition. Here we are….Ozempic. Is it worth the weight?
Ozempic is the trade name for Semaglutide. Like Motrin is the trade name for Ibuprofen, and Tylenol is the trade name for Acetaminophen. Other trade names for Semaglutide are Wegovy, and Rybelsus. People in the medical industry know that I should use the term Semaglutide in my blogs, posts and videos when addressing this topic, but because the average person uses “Ozempic,” so will I.
According to WebMD, “Ozempic is used to treat type 2 diabetes by helping to lower blood sugar levels, and to lower the risk of heart attack, stroke and death in people who also have heart disease.”
Ozempic works to improve blood sugar in 3 different ways. It stimulates your pancreas to release more insulin after you eat, prevents your liver from releasing stored sugars, and slows down the movement of food through your body.
Let’s look at 5 fun facts about insulin, and a bonus:
1. In order for fat to be stored in the body insulin must be released from the pancreas, to drive fat into fat cells. When you ingest dietary fat, insulin remains stable and is not released from the pancreas, therefore, fat cells remain closed and will not take in fat. I bring this up because my whole lifetime fat has been labeled as an evil food. The American media has taught us that consuming fat will make us fat, and that’s not accurate.
2. Insulin is a hormone that causes the transport of amino acids into muscle cells. It prevents breakdown of muscle and reduces the use of amino acids as fuel in the liver.
3. Your pancreas releases insulin to remove excess sugar from your bloodstream, typically after eating.
4. Insulin allows sugar to enter the cell where it can be used as energy, or stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles.
5. Type 1 diabetes is when your pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin, type 2 diabetes is when your cells become resistant to insulin’s effects. Both lead to high blood sugar levels.
6. Too much insulin causes dysfunction in the body. Just like it promotes the transport of amino acids into muscle cells, it helps promote sugar into fat cells. This is why high carb diets will make you fat. Insulin is also anti-growth hormone.
Ozempic for weight loss:
Ozempic works by mimicking a naturally occurring hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). GLP-1 helps regulate appetite, slows digestion, and promotes feelings of fullness.
If it is mimicking a naturally occurring hormone, that makes it synthetic.
Studies show that it leads to significant weight loss in those with type-2 diabetes. If you don’t have type-2, why would you take it?
Ozempic is not approved by the FDA for weight loss. Wegovy, has been approved by FDA for “chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight who have at least one weight-related condition.” Wegovy is a higher dose of semaglutide.
The long term safety and efficacy of Ozempic for weight loss are still being studied.
Just like using the same meal plan for too long, your body can get used to Ozempic and cause your weight to plateau. There has been research showing that if you stop taking Ozempic it’s likely that you will gain the weight back that you’ve lost.
https://dom-pubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dom.14725
Journal of the American Medical Association published a report that established a link to Ozempic (semaglutide) and increased risk for severe stomach problems.
Abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting were side effects shown in the clinical trials, and that’s what they put on the drug labels. However there have also been reports of patients developing stomach paralysis. This is where nerves and muscles in the stomach struggle to move food properly. This causes delayed digestion. Drug company Novo Nordisk is involved in a lawsuit because of this. Inflammation of the pancreas, bowel obstruction, and stomach paralysis were all named in the report.
Pancreatitis occurred at a rate of 5 in 1000 users and it causes severe abdominal pain that could require hospitalization and surgery.
Gastroparesis or stomach paralysis occurred at a rate of 10 in 1000 users causes severe nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain and can be difficult to treat.
Bowel obstructions seen in 8 of 1000 users prevents food or liquid from moving through the intestines. Surgery may be needed to treat a bowel obstruction.
Then there’s vision loss, NAION (non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy). It is a condition where blood flow to the optic nerve is reduced or blocked, potentially leading to sudden, painless vision loss, often in one eye.
A Danish-Norwegian study has linked Ozempic to ‘sudden vision loss.’
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.09.24318574v1
A second study suggested a link between semaglutide and a small vessel “stroke” of the optic nerve that usually leads to permanent blindness. There are 6k new cases every year.
https://www.nature.com/articles/eye2014144
The FDA has issued a “boxed warning” regarding the potential risk of thyroid tumors, including cancerous ones. A boxed warning, also known as a black box warning, is the most serious type of warning issued by the FDA for prescription drugs, displayed in a black box on the drug label and package insert to alert health care providers and patients about serious or life-threatening risks.
In rodent studies, semaglutide caused thyroid tumors
This has not been seen in human clinical studies, yet
Many people that have experienced significant weight loss with semaglutide have also seen facial changes referred to as “Ozempic face.”
As weight is lost, skin may not have time to adjust, resulting in sagging skin around the jawline, increased wrinkles around the eyes and mouth, and a thin appearance. Basically a side effect of rapid weight loss.
Did I mention the link between Ozempic and a decrease in bone mineral density. There has been mineral density reduction seen in the hip joint and spine, particularly when combined with a lack of exercise. The National Institute of Health published a study that after 52 weeks, bone mass at the lumbar spine and total hip, and tibial cortical thickness were lower in the semaglutide group than the placebo group.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11087719/
This is troubling as it doesn’t afford people the opportunity to “age gracefully.” It definitely increases the risk of broken bones, especially after the age of 65.
Finally there is the link between Ozempic and muscle loss. This is because of the dramatic caloric deficit where the body may use muscle tissue for energy. This can be mitigated by increasing your protein intake while using Ozempic and getting into a strength training program.
This is where McCohn Muscle is worth it’s weight in gold. So if you are using Ozempic (Semaglutide), even a micro-dose, you’re in Columbus, Westerville, Worthington, Lewis Center, Delaware, Dublin, and you are not on a strength training program. Shoot us a message ASAP!
