Additional insights into the side effects of weight loss medications, such as Ozempic, are emerging.
Reports indicate that about one in eight Americans have experimented with GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, which are primarily intended to aid individuals with Type 2 Diabetes.
Although the FDA has approved Ozempic for diabetes management, it has not received clearance as a weight loss aid. The FDA has not conducted studies on the drug for weight loss purposes.
However, other GLP-1 medications like semaglutide (Wegovy) and liraglutide (Saxenda) have been approved by the FDA for obesity treatment.
Despite Ozempic not being officially sanctioned as a weight loss medication, some doctors prescribe it ‘off-label’ to non-diabetic patients. Estimates suggest that around 30 million Americans have used Ozempic, indicating its use beyond diabetic patients.
A recent simulation illustrating the effects of the drug post-injection left some viewers alarmed.
Notable personalities like Oprah Winfrey and Sharon Osbourne have openly admitted to using Ozempic.
Fans have expressed concern over Sharon Osbourne, especially after she posted a photo of herself watching TV with her grandson. Observers noted her feet appeared particularly fragile in the image.
According to health.com, weight loss medications like Ozempic can impact skin appearance.
The site notes: “Some people have reported ‘Ozempic face’ and ‘Ozempic butt’ or loose, sagging, or aging skin on the faces and buttocks from rapid weight loss.
“The skin has less tissue to cover in either case, which can make it sag or seem less plump.”
While commonly observed in the face or buttocks, these changes can also manifest on the feet.
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Discussing the widely circulated photo of Osbourne, Dr. Barry Weintraub, a board-certified plastic surgeon from New York, told the Daily Mail: “Without having had the opportunity to examine Sharon in person, the veiny and sagging skin on the top and sides of the foot might be a result of the new lack of water retention due to a decreased BMI caused by Ozempic or other such weight-loss drug.
“As the heart becomes less taxed with extra weight, the water retention decreases, and the substructures of the foot (veins, tendons, bones) often become more visible.”