Ozempic: Is It Really the Best Option for Weight Loss?

The latest rock stars of the pharmaceutical industry are GLP-1 agonists, with the most well-known being Ozempic, a drug prescribed for diabetes that can reduce up to 15% of body weight with a weekly injection. This medication reduces appetite and increases feelings of fullness for several hours by slowing gastric emptying.

Last May, a drug called Wegovy, which shares the same active ingredient as Ozempic (semaglutide) but in a higher dose, was approved in Spain for the specific treatment of overweight and obesity.

These drugs are designed to change the paradigm for treating obesity and overweight. However, María Romeralo, a nutritional consultant at SHA, believes these substances represent a quick and easy solution. “If the lifestyle that caused the obesity isn’t changed, all the lost weight will come back once the treatment is stopped,” she says. Studies show that half of those using these weight-loss drugs quit the treatment within the first year, and most regain two-thirds of the weight lost. This is known as the rebound effect, and it’s one of the problems with relying entirely on the “magic” of this active ingredient for weight loss.

Injecting Ozempic is effective for losing weight, but it comes at a price. People lose all pleasure in food, and some even lose interest in drinking. In a society where much of social life revolves around food, this can lead to isolation and loneliness for those affected.

These drugs cause a constant feeling of nausea, digestive discomfort, and reflux. These are the reasons why up to half of patients stop the treatment within a year. It’s then, with the return to normality—if no changes have been made to diet and lifestyle—that the lost weight comes back.

For this reason, a personalized, anti-inflammatory diet designed by a nutritionist is always more worthwhile in the long run, as it doesn’t rely entirely on a drug for obesity management. If the diet is combined with consistent changes in physical activity and lifestyle, the effects will be long-lasting.

Additionally, a sustainable dietary change brings other benefits for overall body function without the side effects of a drug.

The most common side effects of Ozempic and its variants include gastrointestinal issues like nausea, constipation, and diarrhea. Other, rarer but more serious side effects include pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, and diabetic retinopathy (the latter being more common, according to the drug’s information leaflet).

Nausea, one of the main adverse effects of Ozempic and Wegovy, can lead to vomiting. In fact, in June 2023, the American Society of Anesthesiologists recommended that patients stop taking these medications before surgery to avoid complications.

These drugs have been widely studied, but their approval is relatively recent, meaning researchers still don’t know the long-term side effects. There is also insufficient data on the unwanted effects that may occur when the medication is abruptly discontinued due to supply shortages, another issue with these new drugs.

In nearly all weight-loss studies, success depends on a combination of factors that together create a lifestyle change. If the diet is healthy, exercise is consistent and appropriate, and sleep quality is good, weight will likely be lost and maintained. If not, it’s highly probable that much of the lost weight will return, even after spending thousands of euros or dollars on many injectable pens of Ozempic.