This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Fainite Auguste. Find her on Instagram at @ceilingdancing. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
From TikTok to SNL, Ozempic has been a topic of discussion for the past few years. Ozempic is often the butt of the joke, but the drug is much more serious than people think.
What is Ozempic?
Ozempic is a diabetes medicine for adults with type 2 diabetes. The Danish company “Novo Nordisk” developed the drug and was FDA-approved in 2017. Ozempic contains semaglutide; which is a peptide that sends signals to a person’s brain making them feel full. Because of its appetite-suppressing abilities, Ozempic has become very popular in the mainstream.
Dieting Culture
Society has always been obsessed with weight loss, dieting, and appearance. From 1850 to 1900, women practiced Victorian Anorexia. Women starved themselves to look thin and frail because it was the desired look of the time.
Flashforward to the 90’s where Heroin Chic was the desired look. Heroin chic is an aesthetic but also a “body style.” The aesthetic involves pale skin, dark circles underneath the eyes, and most importantly being skinny. It’s also big on all traits associated with the abuse of heroin or other drugs. For example, having a cigarette and coffee for breakfast instead of actual food.
There is a long history of associating skinniness with health, innocence, and restraint. Even if someone isn’t necessarily healthy they will be praised for losing weight.
Even after the “progress” the fashion industry and mainstream media have made with body inclusivity. There is still a major exclusion of plus-sized people in the world. Plus-sized people have expressed the countless times when doctors dismiss serious health issues due to weight. Doctors often suggest plus-size patients to lose weight no matter the symptoms the patient’s experience. This is incredibly dangerous and life-threatening for plus-size people.
Many health issues have symptoms of significant weight loss or weight gain. The ability to gain and lose weight is also genetic. There is a gene referred to by scientists as MC4R. It regulates energy, including both energy intake and energy expenditure. However, some people carry a particular variant in the MC4R gene. People with the variant are genetically predisposed to have increased levels of body fat. People with the MC4R gene are 8% more likely to be overweight and 12% more likely to be obese. Despite all of these important factors, society continues to disregard the genetics behind health.
Ozempic Pricing
Ozempic is not cheap, without insurance and a prescription a .25 milligram dose can cost 1,500 dollars every month. This price tag doesn’t matter for rich celebrities. Celebrities are “off-labeling” Ozempic. Off-labeling medication refers to the practice of prescribing and receiving a drug for a different purpose than what was FDA-approved. Technically off-labeling isn’t illegal because it’s prescribed by medical professionals. It’s important to remember that Ozempic was never meant to be used solely as a dieting drug.
But it’s not only the price that’s an issue but the shortage. There was a worldwide shortage of semaglutide at the beginning of 2022. The company, Novo Nordisk couldn’t supply enough Ozempic to meet the increase in demand because of the consistent off-labeling for weight loss. However, once a patient stops taking Ozempic the body will revert back to its original appetite cycle.
What is Wegovy?
Wegovy was developed by Novo Nordisk after Ozempic’s success. This drug is intended for weight loss and to reduce serious heart problems in overweight or obese adults. Wegovy has a stronger dose of semaglutide. The pricing is just as expensive as Ozempic but people can get Wegovy through a prescription.
What is Ozempic face?
There have been several celebrities “accused” of using the dieting drug because they have “Ozempic face.” Ozempic face is when someone’s head and face do not match the portions of their body. Celebrities like Oprah have been labeled as having Ozempic face. Celebrities like Oprah have been labeled as having Ozempic faces. But anyone who loses a significant amount of body weight will lose weight in the face.
What are your thoughts on Ozempic? What do you think about the term Ozempic Face? Let us know!
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