TikTok star Remi Bader is sharing her personal experience with the much-buzzed-about drug, Ozempic. The 27-year-old content creator, model, and brand ambassador expressed frustration with the fact that the drug, which she was prescribed for “actual issues” has become “trendy,” while appearing as a guest on an episode of Dear Media’s Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast with Amanda Hirsch.
In case you missed the barrage of videos about the drug that have been spreading on TikTok lately, here’s what you need to know. Ozempic is a prescription drug containing the active ingredient semaglutide. It has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to aid blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes when used along with diet and exercise.
Ozempic and other drugs like it, including Wegovy (another drug to gain popularity on TikTok for its weight loss effects), are used to treat type 2 diabetes and clinical obesity, John Morton, F.A.C.S., F.A.S.M.B.S., M.D., M.P.H., M.H.A., a Yale School of Medicine professor and the medical director for bariatric surgery for the Yale New Haven Health System, previously told Shape. These drugs keep users feeling fuller for longer and stabilize blood sugar.
However, videos of people claiming the drug is helpful for weight loss, regardless of health issues, are all over TikTok — as are rumors about celebrities who have allegedly used Ozempic.
In the recent podcast episode, Bader explained that her doctor recommended she use Ozempic in 2020 right after it was first approved by the FDA because she was pre-diabetic, insulin resistant, and gaining weight. “They said I need this,” she told Hirsch. “And I had a lot of mixed feelings.”
Although she was hesitant, she gave the drug a try. Indeed, it helped her lose weight for a while, but it wasn’t the best treatment for her. “It was making me think I wasn’t hungry for so long, I lost some weight,” said Bader. “I didn’t wanna be obsessed with being on it long term. I was like, I bet the second I got off I’m gonna get starving again. I did, and my binging got so much worse. So then I kind of blamed Ozempic.”
Bader ended up gaining “double the weight back” after she stopped using Ozempic, she revealed on the podcast. While it didn’t work as a treatment for her, she sees the potential value in it for people with legitimate health concerns, such as diabetes, she added.
“I always recommend that you take medications as they’re intended,” Dr. Morton previously told Shape. “The drugs [Ozempic and Wegovy] are created primarily for people who are diabetic and/or obese or overweight.” When someone without these conditions takes a drug such as Ozempic, it can have consequences, including dropping blood sugar levels too much and gaining back weight if you stop taking the drug.
What’s more, Ozempic and Wegovy are both currently in short supply, according to the FDA website. So, it’s especially important that only those who need the drugs for medical reasons use them.
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, NEDA’s toll-free, confidential helpline (800-931-2237) is here to help.
