Misuse of Ozempic in the age of social media

The rising off-label use of Ozempic, a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, by healthy individuals for aesthetic weight loss, represents a troubling intersection of pharmacology and social media influence.

Semaglutide is FDA-approved under the brand names Ozempic for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and Wegovy for the management of obesity. It is increasingly being used without medical indication, often influenced by social media trends and celebrity endorsements. In accordance with the TITAN 2025 guideline, this manuscript ensures transparency in the reporting of AI involvement.

This trend underscores a growing normalisation of prescription drugs for non-therapeutic, aesthetic purposes. However, GLP-1 receptor agonists are clinically effective for obesity and metabolic syndromes in indicated patients, their inappropriate use by healthy individuals without supervision poses serious risks.

Reported adverse effects include nausea, vomiting, dehydration, headaches, and more severe outcomes such as acute pancreatitis, gallstones, and renal impairment. A recent pharma co-epidemiological review by Echeverry-Guerrero et al. underscores these concerns, noting that the misuse of GLP-1 analogs may expose individuals without metabolic disease to adverse effects for which they lack protective physiological buffers.

Of particular concern is how social media rebrands this metabolic drug as a quick-fix lifestyle enhancer. This reframing not only distorts public understanding but may contribute to over-prescription, unnecessary exposure to side effects, and medication shortages. As shown in multiple studies, misleading portrayals of Semaglutide (a prescription medicine) have led to inequitable access, where those with financial means obtain the drug off-label. At the same time, patients with diabetes or obesity face barriers due to limited supply. The resulting strain on the healthcare system highlights broader ethical and economic implications, especially in low-resource settings where the off-label diversion of essential medication compromises therapeutic availability for those with genuine clinical needs.

Addressing this misuse requires a multidisciplinary response. Healthcare professionals must remain vigilant and advocate against the misappropriation of pharmacologic agents driven by aesthetic or social media trends. Regulatory bodies and digital platforms share a responsibility to curb the spread of misleading content and promote medically accurate information. Most importantly, healthcare-led public awareness campaigns on digital platforms are urgently needed to counteract this phenomenon before the misuse of aesthetic pharmacology becomes normalized. As emphasized by Echeverry-Guerrero et al., implementing rational drug use (RDU) strategies and regulatory safeguards is essential to protect public health and ensure ethical evidence-based prescribing.

The above is a professional opinion, copied in full from:

Muhammad HE, Cheema AAA. From prescription to trend: the misuse of Ozempic in the age of social media. Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2025 Aug 29;87(10):6876-6877. doi: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000003801. PMID: 41181496; PMCID: PMC12577951. Department of Medicine, Gujranwala Medical College, Gujranwala, Pakistan and Department of Medicine, International School of Medicine, International University of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

I cannot stress enough, the importance of not falling for these social media skincare/ body care trends which are invariably offered without any real knowledge. Ozempic is a drug to treat type 2 Diabetes and in some weight loss situations under proper medical supervision. You may think it is a shortcut to being slim though in reality, you can never be sure from where the weight loss will be. If you have issues and are seeking advice, please consult your chosen healthcare or skincare professional and not some random social media post!