TikTok is obsessed with the weight loss drug Ozempic. Social media users have speculated that the drug is behind The Kardashians’ recent weight loss.
The Facts
- Ozempic is an injectible medication prescribed to adults with Type 2 Diabetes that helps manage blood sugar.
- However, one of the drug’s side effects, is that it boosts insulin sensitivity and suppresses appetite, often resulting in weight loss
- Ozempic first received media attention in February 2021 when the drug was featured on The Dr. Oz Show in a segment called “Could a Diabetes Drug Cure Obesity?”
- In May 2022, Kim Kardashian talked openly about how she lost 16lbs in two weeks on a crash diet to fit into Marilyn Monroe’s “Happy Birthday Mr President” dress at the Met Gala dress. Khloe Kardashian had also visibly lost weight.
- A week afterward, on The Blonde Files podcast, host Arielle Lorre and the founder of anonymous celebrity gossip account Deuxmoi speculated that the Kardashians sisters had used the diabetes drug to lose weight. “Obviously, you know, the shot Ozempic is really, really popular right now,” they say.
- An article in Variety alleges that Ozempic is “the worst kept secret in Hollywood.” And the drug is so widely used in the entertainment industry that celebrity stylists “have come to accept the injections as part of grooming rituals ahead of major events.”
- This speculation led to the drug’s exploding popularity on TikTok as a miracle drug for weight loss. The #Ozempic hashtag currently has over 269 million views and TikTok users have been documenting their transformations using the hashtag #OzempicJourney
- Despite costing close to $1,000 a month and not being officially approved for weight loss, Ozempic has become so in demand that it sparked a shortage of the diabetes drug in many countries.
Why it’s important: Ozempic’s boom in popularity is another indicator that “thin” is firmly back “in” again.
- The body-positivity movement of the 2010s does not seem to have had the far-reaching impact that was hoped. The hyper-slim aesthetic and diet culture of the Y2K era is having a resurgence in mainstream culture.
- After years of pushing for body inclusivity, skinnier models like Bella Hadid are ruling the runway. For many, the Kardashians were the figure-heads of the curvier body and their recent weight loss marks the end of that representation. TikTok users are increasingly chasing a super-slim body ideal.
@aleskaservian Fashion is making a worrying return to size 0 #fashiontok2022 #fashionanalysis #size0 #kimkardashian #australia ♬ Blade Runner 2049 – Synthwave Goose
The Future: Medication, like Ozempic, could become a part of the future of weight loss.
In October, Elon Musk tweeted that he used the drug Wegovy to stay in shape and has previously endorsed Ozempic.
Read more: From Khloe Kardashian, Kyle Richards to Chelsea Handler, celebrities have started speaking out about taking Ozempic — and some have even admitted to using it.
Update 01/28/2023 by Pesala Bandara: Information on Celebrities Taking Ozempic added.
