Pancreatic Inflammation. Cancer. Kidney Failure. Hypoglycaemia.

Would you suffer through all these ailments, just to be thin? According to Bloomberg UK, one in eight US Adults would, for the simple chance of buying clothes in a smaller size. The intention of Ozempic was to help treat patients with Type 2 Diabetes manage their blood sugar levels. The GLP-1 drug in the injection was supposed to be used when your body needed insulin and a reduction of blood sugar levels and HbA1c. What it was not intended for was intense weight loss as done by patients. In a July Report by the Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, patients taking Ozempic for weight loss specifically, doubled between 2011 and 2023, while shockingly the number of patients taking the drug for diabetes dropped by 10%.

The more Ozempic got normalised in daily life, the more the old 1990s saying by Kate Moss that “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” made a return in everybody’s lives. Whether it be the moment Jimmy Kimmel joked with the audience at the 2023 Oscars “I can’t help but wonder, is Ozempic right for me?” or the OzempiKP mini- syringes Katy Perry distributed on her 40^th birthday, the trend of being thin using a drug became prevalent and a standard in everyone’s life. It became a trend on social media to show off crazy and unrealistic body standards achieved through what some would call a “short cut”.

The ripples of the trend were seen throughout several industries in America, all the way from groceries to medical procedures.  In October 2023 it became apparent to big food corporations like Walmart that Ozempic usage directly correlated with the changing consumer behaviours. A report by Axios explained in detail how patients on GLP-1 drugs bought less food due to their supressed appetites and unwillingness to spend money on foods labelled “unhealthy”. Corporations like Smoothie King and Nestle quickly adapted themselves to these changing trends by introducing products such as “GLP-1 Support Smoothies”  and a new line of products called “Vital Pursuit” that was branded as the “first-to-market nestle brand designed for GLP-1 users”.

It was predicted in a J.P.Morgan Research that by 2030, nearly 9%, an astounding 30 million people, could be using GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy for weight loss. Brands would have to come up with new ideas and innovations to help accommodate this new audience of consumers that have a differed appetite and desire when it comes to foods. An article by Healthline also reported the drug may alter the way food tastes to the people taking it as it triggers a chemical reaction that makes food initially preferred by people, now the option they look at with distaste.

Furthermore, New York plastic surgeon Dr. Darren Smith said, “I’ve seen a 30% jump in surgical body procedures over the past year due to GLP-1” a statement supported by the phenomenon known as “Ozempic face”. People claimed the sudden loss of large amounts of fat from their face made their skin wrinkle and look aged and elderly. This surgical procedure would include injections in the affected areas and terrifying skin-tightening procedures such as radiofrequency therapy and micro needling.

So where does it end? If you’re overweight, you’re told to lose weight. If you lose weight, you have flabby skin and you’re told to get fillers. If you spend millions on all of this, you must still do the mundane activities like exercise and dieting to actually reap the benefits and maintain your body. If you let yourself go, you get another dose, and the detrimental cycle of Ozempic starts all over again.