Normal weight is an essential part of each person’s health equation. Thus, our busy modern society offers a great number of dietary and medication solutions to decrease weight. For instance, you might want to try out a healthy diet, sports, and a variety of other methods to get rid of extra kilos. Still, a substantial number of people find healthy eating hard and prefer to look for alternative ways of weight loss, such as the usage of Ozempic.
But what exactly is Ozempic? How does it work and in what way does it impact body weight? Do all patients who use Ozempic manage to become slimmer? Is it a medication that has been specifically designed for weight loss? And, last but not least, can non-diabetic patients use Ozempic for weight loss? Well, let’s find answers to these questions together!
What Is Ozempic?
Ozempic is a brand of prescription medication used to control blood sugar levels in adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is manufactured in Denmark by Novo Nordisk. The main active ingredient in Ozempic is semaglutide (a naturally occurring substance that belongs to a drug class of GLP-1 agonists and is used to mimic hormones in the human body). It effectively substitutes human glucagon-like peptide-1 triggered by good gut bacteria and, therefore, increases the secretion of insulin to help a patient’s body keep its blood glucose levels within a normal range.
Insulin is a natural hormone produced by the pancreas. Its main role is to regulate blood glucose levels (no matter whether a person consumes energy-dense foods, ultra-processed foods, short-chain fatty acids, amino acids, stimulating nutrients, lean protein sources, or certain foods of any other kind). Therefore, it is an essential element of human nutrition, actual nourishment, and energy intake.
Ozempic semaglutide is characterized by exceptional safety. It rarely leads to any serious adverse reactions. Still, some patients who use Ozempic might notice mild abdominal pain, allergic reactions, appetite suppressions, or episodes of hypoglycemia. These symptoms do not carry any health risks in most cases and tend to disappear on their own as soon as a patient’s body adjusts to the usage of the medication for blood sugar control. Ozempic can be purchased from an online pharmacy in Canada, which offers an extremely low price.
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic health condition characterized by high levels of blood glucose (or, simply speaking, blood sugar). Depending on its peculiarities, it might be divided into type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes. Some people who live with diabetes mellitus are dependent on special treatment to regulate their blood sugar levels.
How Does Ozempic Work?
Ozempic medication aims to improve health outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. According to its treatment protocol, it should be administered in a form of a subcutaneous injection with the help of an Ozempic pen on the same day once a week. The main injection sites that are oftentimes used for the administration of the medication include:
- Upper leg;
- Upper arm;
- The abdomen area.
According to Ozempic clinical trials, it should NOT be administered intramuscularly or intravenously. As well, a patient is recommended to change the injection sites on a regular basis in order to avoid any complications and have much fewer risks of lipodystrophy.
How Does Ozempic Impact Body Weight?
It is essential to remember that the main function of Ozempic is to regulate blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The medication usually does so by affecting some biological responses of a patient, such as initiating their secretion of insulin, decreasing appetite, slowing down intestinal motility, and delaying gastric emptying.
Ozempic might also be used to reduce the level of hemoglobin A1C and, therefore, decrease the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, or any other cardiovascular disease. However, the efficiency of the medication in this regard strongly depends on dietary changes, genetic differences, and the unique life circumstances of each patient.
Together with its positive insulin-related outcomes, Ozempic helps weight loss in a number of patients. They usually lose weight while taking the medication because of its power to regulate appetite and minimize the food intake. However, it is rather an additional effect of the Ozempic rather than its main indication.
A patient with an increased risk of an acute kidney injury, diabetic retinopathy, thyroid cancer, high cholesterol, or any other serious health issue of such a kind should not undergo an Ozempic injection.
Do All Patients Who Use Ozempic Manage to Decrease Weight?
It is also important to mention that not all patients who use Ozempic manage to decrease their weight. A substantial number of them do not notice any significant difference in their weight before and during the treatment. In other words, the fact that Ozempic suppresses appetite and slows down intestinal motility does not mean that a patient will necessarily lose weight while using it.
In most cases, obese patients are more likely to lose weight while using Ozempic. In rare cases, however, the medication can have the opposite effect. Some adults with type 2 diabetes claim to gain weight while using the medication to control blood sugar levels.
Is Ozempic a Weight Loss Medication?
Despite the fact that Ozempic might cause a decrease in weight, it is not a weight loss drug (therefore, it should not be regarded as an obesity treatment). The primary aim of the medication is to take part in type 2 diabetes management of high blood sugar rather than make a patient lose weight.
In most cases, Ozempic is recommended to be used in combination with other lifestyle changes to support weight loss. For instance, a patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus might use the medication to regulate their insulin levels together with changing diet and lifestyle. This way, a patient might substantially improve weight.
Thus, Ozempic should not be seen as a medication for weight management. Yes, it might help some patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus lose weight (especially when combined with healthy dietary choices and exercises). However, making a patient slimmer is definitely not the main purpose of the medication.
Ozempic is also not suitable for adolescent weight loss. It is a medication that is indicated for adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Can Non-Diabetics Use Ozempic to Lose Weight?
Ozempic is a prescription-based medication. Only certified health-care professionals are eligible to provide patients with an Ozempic prescription (online or in presence). Therefore, non-diabetics should NOT use Ozempic for whatever reason (including weight loss) without having a prescription from their medical provider.
Moreover, it is essential to keep in mind the three following things in this regard:
- Ozempic does not belong to weight loss medications;
- The usage of Ozempic by non-diabetics might be damaging to their health;
- Non-diabetics might try out a diet change and restrict energy intake instead of looking for a “magical tablet” in an online pharmacy to get rid of extra kilos.
Due to the fact that Ozempic is a prescription-based medication, it is the task of medical providers to make sure that it does not carry a potential risk to a patient’s health by paying attention to their personal biology. For instance, people with a personal or family history of thyroid C-cell tumors should not use Ozempic since semaglutide and other GLP-1 receptor agonists might increase the risk of the formation of thyroid tumors.
A Bottom Line
So, Ozempic is an effective medication to regulate blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It has proven to bring true health improvements (including suppressed appetite and weight loss) in a safe, effective, and long-lasting way. However, it is important to remember that the main indication of Ozempic is to create normally low blood sugar levels in patients rather than make them lose weight. Therefore, it is not a medication that should be taken exclusively for getting rid of excess weight.
